Donor Engagement & Stewardship Manager

Nashville Ballet; Nashville (TN); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k)

Employee assistance program

Health insurance

Health savings account

Life insurance

Paid time off

Vision insurance

Job summary

Nashville Ballet is seeking a Donor Engagement & Stewardship Manager to lead fundraising plans and cultivate donor relationships. You will work with the Director of Development, DoO, and CEO/Artistic Director to grow annual revenue and manage donor portfolios.

Responsibilities include developing campaigns, creating stewardship materials, and coordinating cross-department efforts. Evening and weekend events include Ballet Ball; strong writing and communication skills are essential.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience.
• Excellent writing and editing skills.
• Excellent verbal communication and interpersonal skills.
• Effective project management skills, including setting and meeting deadlines.
• Ability to manage multiple tasks simultaneously.

Responsibilities

• Grow annual revenue through fundraising strategies.
• Cultivate and steward annual fund donors and campaigns.
• Collaborate across departments to support development strategy.
• Identify and solicit new donors and prospects.
• Oversee development materials and proposals.
• Attend board meetings and represent the development team.
• Support event fundraising and community outreach.

Skills

Fundraising

Donor relations

Project management

Communications

Editing/writing

Nonprofit fundraising

Team collaboration

Detail oriented

Education

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience

Tools

Tessitura

Microsoft Word

PowerPoint

Excel

CRM databases

Job description

About Nashville Ballet: At Nashville Ballet, we believe in the power of movement to inspire, educate, and transform lives. As the largest professional ballet company in Tennessee, we offer world-class performances, award-winning education programs, and a mission-driven culture where creativity thrives. Join our team and help bring the magic of ballet to our community.

Position Summary: The Donor Engagement & Stewardship Manager is a key member of the Development team. Responsible for creating and managing fundraising plans, this employee ensures the overall success of Nashville Ballet’s comprehensive fundraising campaigns, including but not limited to individual donors, prospects, and corporate donors. Working closely with the Director of Development (DoD), Director of Operations (DoO), and Artistic Director/CEO, the Donor Engagement & Stewardship Manager collaborates and coordinates with other departments, team members, and volunteer leadership, and will be a frontline fundraiser responsible for identifying and securing new sources of revenue, as well as strengthening existing relationships through targeted stewardship efforts.

Job Responsibilities

Essential Functions and Responsibilities:

• Develop and implement strategies that will grow annual revenue.
• Primary responsibility for the cultivation, appeals, engagement, and stewardship of annual fund donors, including individuals, corporations, and Relevé Society campaigns – including managing an appropriately sized portfolio.
  • Work collaboratively across departments to support execution of development strategy.
  • Work with external partners to grow Nashville Ballet’s brand and cultivate ongoing support and contributions.
  • Track and assess fundraising progress; monitor campaign goals and make changes/additions to campaigns as necessary.
• Identify, engage, and steward new donors and prospects to grow Nashville Ballet’s support base.
  • Responsibilities to include prospecting from internal and external sources (e.g., Tessitura, School of Nashville Ballet, newspapers, etc.), incorporating lead lists into campaign efforts, and spearheading solicitation efforts.
  • Engage volunteers in new donor cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship efforts.
• Oversee the planning and creation of development solicitation and print materials, including letters of appeal, corporate proposals, annual reports, and development brochures.
• Work closely with the Director of Development, DoO, CEO/Artistic Director, and Board of Directors in the cultivation and solicitation of gifts.
• Assist in the creation of each fiscal year’s fundraising calendar.
• In conjunction with the DoD, DoO, and CEO/Artistic Director, attend and represent the development team at appropriate meetings, including board meetings, development committee, nominating and governance, etc.
• Support and collaborate on event fundraising efforts, including Ballet Ball.
• Connect fundraising to other Nashville Ballet projects: Hold an understanding of the work and timelines of different departments (marketing, community engagement, School of Nashville Ballet) to incorporate fundraising whenever possible.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for the Relevé Society
• Support corporate partnerships and explore growth opportunities for new and increased philanthropic support from corporations.
• Monitor revenue and expenses related to fundraising efforts.
• Assist the development team in data entry/management during peak times.

General Responsibilities:

• Represent Nashville Ballet at performances, School events, community events, and local business organizations as needed.
• Strong ability to craft solicitation and appeal messages suitable for a variety of communication vehicles (mailed, electronic, and telephonic)
• Operate with a virtual 100% accuracy and data-entry integrity.
• Possess the desire and ability to self-check work.
• Possess the desire and ability to contribute to a positive and effective team.
• Regularly demonstrate sound judgment and discretion with confidential information
• Work as part of a team to engage in strategic and purposeful use of the Tessitura database to strengthen development practices.
• Serve as a knowledgeable resource to all staff regarding data availability, manipulation, and extraction from Tessitura.
• Keep all documentation organized to be easily accessible by all users.

Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience
• Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
• Excellent writing and editing skills
• Excellent verbal communication and interpersonal skills
• Effective project management skills, including setting and meeting deadlines
• Ability to make decisions and creatively solve problems
• Ability to manage multiple tasks simultaneously
• Aptitude with Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and database management, preferably Tessitura
• Above-average knowledge of Excel
• Demonstrated commitment to the mission of the organization
• Experience:
• 5+ years of development experience required
• Experience working with major databases and confidential information
• Experience in a nonprofit arts setting preferred
• Requirements: Ability to work evenings and weekends for events and performances

Physical Demands: The physical demands described here are a non-exhaustive list of those that an employee must meet to perform the essential functions of this position successfully. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform basic functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to handle, feel, talk, and hear. The employee is frequently required to stand, walk, and reach with hands and arms above the shoulder. The employee is frequently required to sit and occasionally stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee must regularly lift and/or move up to 10 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.

Work Environment: The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job. While performing the duties of this job, the noise level in the work environment is usually low to moderate.

Disclaimer Statement: This is not necessarily an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, skills, duties, requirements, efforts, or working conditions associated with the job. While this document is intended to provide an accurate description of the current job, circumstances may require that other or different tasks be performed (e.g., emergencies, changes in personnel, workload, rush jobs, or technological developments).

Nashville Ballet provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws.

Additional Information

• 401(k)
• Employee assistance program
• Health insurance
• Health savings account
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance