Director of Development

Merola Opera Program; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 175,000; Full time

Job summary

Merola Opera Program in San Francisco seeks a Director of Development to lead a comprehensive fundraising program and strengthen financial sustainability. You will oversee major gifts, planned giving, annual giving, institutional funding, events, and donor engagement, partnering with the Executive Director and Board to drive philanthropy across the organization.

The successful candidate will be a strategic, entrepreneurial fundraiser with 5+ years of major gifts experience, strong storytelling,

Qualifications

• 5+ years of progressively responsible nonprofit fundraising experience.
• Demonstrated success in major gifts and donor stewardship.
• Experience with annual giving, foundations, and corporate fundraising.

Responsibilities

• Lead major gifts, planned giving, annual giving, and institutional fundraising.
• Develop and execute multi-year fundraising strategy and budget.
• Oversee donor engagement, events, and gala fundraising.
• Partner with Executive Director, Board, and staff to cultivate donors.
• Build systems and pipelines to expand philanthropic support long-term.

Skills

Major gifts fundraising

Planned giving

Donor stewardship

Foundation & corporate fundraising

Annual giving

Event strategy & donor engagement

Strategic fundraising leadership

Board collaboration

Pipeline development

Storytelling & proposals

Education

Bachelor's degree in a relevant field

CFRE certification (plus)

Tools

Salesforce

Donor database

Job description

POSITION

Director of Development

LOCATION

San Francisco, California

ORGANIZATION

Merola Opera Program (www.merola.org)

Merola Opera Program was founded in 1957 and named in honor of San Francisco Opera’s first general director, Gaetano Merola. Merola operates in close artistic collaboration with San Francisco Opera, but is a financially independent nonprofit organization governed by its own Board of Directors. Merola is responsible for its own fundraising, primarily from loyal members and foundations.

The Merola Opera Program is widely regarded as the foremost opera training program for aspiring singers, coaches, accompanists, and stage directors. Merola alumni include Leona Mitchell, Ailyn Pérez, Patricia Racette, Nadine Sierra, Karen Slack, Elza van den Heever, Carol Vaness, Deborah Voigt, Zheng Cao, Joyce DiDonato, Susan Graham, Dolora Zajick, Brian Jagde, Pene Pati, Stuart Skelton, Noah Stewart, Rolando Villazón, Thomas Hampson, Quinn Kelsey, Lucas Meachem, Patrick Summers, and numerous other opera luminaries.

Merola’s mission is to define the future of opera. The Merola Opera Program is an internationally respected model for building strong careers in opera, with a proven balance of training, performance, and individualized support. Merola trains and develops the finest young opera singers, pianist/coaches, and stage directors and invites passionate supporters to be part of the journey.

Their team includes an energetic lean staff and a dedicated and engaged Board of Directors. The organization currently has an annual operating budget of approximately $4 million with a $50 million endowment and$1 million operating reserves. Merola is entering an exciting period of growth as it approaches its 70th anniversary, with ambitious plans to expand philanthropic investment, deepen engagement with its loyal donor community, develop new sources of support, and strengthen the organization's long-term financial sustainability.

REPORTING RELATIONSHIP

The Director of Development reports directly to the Executive Director.

POSITIONSUMMARY

The Director of Development will serve as Merola's senior development leader and will be responsible for designing and executing a comprehensive fundraising strategy to strengthen the organization's financial sustainability and expand its philanthropic base.

Working closely with the Executive Director, Board of Directors, staff, artists, alumni, and key community partners, the Director of Development will lead major gifts, planned giving, annual giving, foundation and corporate support, event strategy, and donor engagement. This is an opportunity for an entrepreneurial and relationship-oriented development professional to build upon Merola's extraordinary artistic reputation, compelling mission, distinguished alumni network, and loyal donor community.

The successful candidate will be a builder, a strategist, and an experienced frontline fundraiser -- someone who enjoys personally cultivating and soliciting donors while also building the systems, processes, volunteer engagement, and organizational culture necessary for long-term fundraising growth.

The Director of Development will inherit a deeply loyal donor community and strong foundation of philanthropic support while having the opportunity to build and develop the next iteration of Merola's fundraising program -- expanding major and planned giving, building new donor pipelines, strengthening fundraising systems and practices, and creating a more proactive culture of philanthropy across the organization.

SCOPE ANDRESPONSIBILITIES

MAJOR GIFTS, DONOR STEWARDSHIP & CULTIVATION

• Build and manage a robust portfolio and prospect pipeline, employing disciplined prospect identification, moves management, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies to expand Merola's donor base and increase major gift support.
• Personally cultivate, solicit, and steward major donors and prospects, developing individualized strategies designed to deepen engagement and secure significant philanthropic commitments.
• Serve as a highly visible and accessible relationship-holder for Merola's donor community, regularly engaging supporters and prospects at performances, donor events, meetings, and other activities and building strong, trusted relationships on behalf of the organization.
• Serve as a close strategic partner to the Executive Director, helping to prioritize the Executive Director's fundraising activity, preparing cultivation and solicitation strategies, and ensuring consistent follow-through with donors and prospects.
• Partner with the Executive Director, Board, Development Committee, and staff to identify major donors, eligible foundations and corporate sponsors.

PLANNED & LEGACY GIVING

• Significantly expand Merola's planned and legacy giving program, developing a systematic approach to identifying, cultivating, documenting, and stewarding legacy donors and integrating planned giving into broader donor conversations.

ANNUAL GIVING

• Provide strategic leadership for Merola's annual giving and membership program, including donor acquisition, renewal, upgrades, direct mail appeals, benefits and giving levels, stewardship, and cultivation activities.

INSTITUTIONAL GIVING

• Oversee foundation and corporate fundraising, identifying new institutional prospects and ensuring compelling, timely proposals, reports, and stewardship.

STRATEGY, LEADERSHIP & OPERATIONS

• Develop and execute a comprehensive multi-year fundraising strategy aligned with Merola's organizational priorities, including anniversary, campaign, and other transformational fundraising opportunities.
• Lead an integrated development function that includes staff, consultants, and volunteer leadership, establishing clear priorities, roles, accountability, and collaboration across the organization.
• Establish fundraising goals, budgets, metrics, dashboards, and reporting practices to track performance, manage pipeline activity, forecast revenue, and inform the Executive Director and Board.
• Develop and oversee Merola's annual development budget, including income and development-related expenses; establish realistic and ambitious revenue targets, monitor performance and projections throughout the year, and strategically deploy resources to maximize fundraising results and return on investment.
• Lead the fundraising strategy for Merola's donor cultivation and stewardship events, ensuring events are purposefully designed to deepen relationships, advance prospects, and support broader development goals.
• Provide strategic fundraising leadership for Merola's annual Gala, working closely with the Executive Director, Gala Chair and Committee, Board, staff, and partners to establish revenue goals, sponsorship and donor strategies, prospect opportunities, and fundraising priorities that position the event for success.
• Foster a culture of philanthropy across Merola and ensure development resources are deployed effectively to maximize philanthropic impact and return on investment.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Five plus years of progressively responsible nonprofit fundraising experience, with demonstrated success growing contributed revenue and building high-performing fundraising programs. Significant experience in major donor cultivation, solicitation, and moves management, with a demonstrated record of personally closing five- and six-figure gifts; experience with seven-figure or transformational gifts strongly preferred.
• Direct experience in major gifts, planned giving, grants and corporate giving, special events, direct response and capital campaigns.
• Experience building/growing a planned giving program.
• A strong knowledge of the charitable giving community in the Bay Area is helpful.
• Previous experience in working with a passionate and highly engaged Board of Directors.
• Experience working with volunteer fundraisers to successfully close major gifts among their networks.
• A proven track record in creating new fundraising opportunities and reinvigorating existing programs.
• A relentless, solutions-oriented fundraiser that is focused on meeting/exceeding their fundraising goals.
• Entrepreneurial approach to fundraising opportunities. Ability to change approach to meet donor’s needs.
• Excellent interpersonal and communications skills with both internal and external constituencies, both written and verbal required. Proven experience in telling the story of an organization and its effectiveness and impact. Excels at articulating organization goals, outcomes, objectives, and evaluation strategies to donors. Adept at crafting compelling and high-quality proposals, reports, solicitation letters and donor correspondence.
• Exceptionally strong strategic thinking, analytical and prospect research skills are essential.
• Demonstrated ability to model excellent customer service and be seen as a mentor to others in providing excellent donor engagement.
• Must be able to effectively coordinate multiple time-sensitive projects and meet critical deadlines.
• Demonstrates an ability to work independently and with individuals, groups and committees.
• Proven track record of managing, motivating and developing the full potential of a development department.
• Works well under pressure in a demanding, fast paced work environment.
• Willingness to work a flexible schedule including evenings and occasional weekends.
• Experience in Salesforce or similar donor database preferred.
• Performing arts experience is strongly preferred. Knowledge of opera and opera artists is also preferred.

PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS

• A deep commitment to the goals and mission of Merola.
• Passion for opera, performing arts and education.
• A personable, flexible, diplomatic, and respectful demeanor.
• High ethical standards and a commitment to transparency.
• Proven ability to serve as a team player, mentor, and leader tomotivate and inspire staff and colleagues.
• A well-organized and focused individual who is capable of andinterested in increasing the effectiveness of the development department.
• Extremely proactive approach to work and solutions oriented.
• Proven political acumen and track record of building trust with various constituencies.
• A good listener and strategist. Comfortable receiving input from many sources and able to analyze and formulate disparate information into a sound, well-organized plan.
• A skilled negotiator who is open to other viewpoints.
• Ability to work both independently with minimal supervision and cooperatively in a team environment.
• Self-starter with the ability to quickly create a positive network of relationships.
• A hard worker with a high energy level. A ‘doer’ with a willingness to work hands‑on when necessary.
• Ability to work well under pressure and adapt easily to changing situations and priorities. Sound judgment and consensus‑building skills.
• Comfortable operating in a dynamic, evolving organization and energized by the opportunity to build new systems, practices, and approaches rather than simply inherit established ones.
• Willingness to accept additional responsibilities as requested.
• Impeccable integrity and builder mentality.

EDUCATION

A bachelor’s degree is required. Certification such as CFRE (Certified Fund‑Raising Executive) is a plus.

COMPENSATION

The target compensation range for this position is $150,000 to $175,000 which will be determined based on the candidate's background and experience.

Merola strives to cultivate a diverse work team and welcomes applications from candidates who will contribute to that diversity. Merola is an equal opportunity employer and considers applicants for all positions without regard to age, race, religious creed, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and/or related medical conditions), gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, military or veteran status, or any other status protected by federal, state, or local laws. All inquiries are kept strictly confidential.