Major Gifts Officer

Austin Symphony Orchestra; Austin (TX); Presencial; USD 90.000 - 130.000; Jornada completa

Descripción de la vacante

Austin Symphony Orchestra seeks a Major Gifts Officer to grow philanthropic support and deepen donor relationships, joining a development team during a period of growth. The role focuses on a portfolio of individual donors and prospects capable of giving at $10,000+ to advance the ASO's artistic and educational mission.

You will manage strategy, cultivation, and stewardship, with close collaboration to leadership, board members, and volunteers.

Formación

• 5+ years in major gifts or advancement work
• Proven success closing gifts at $10,000+
• Strong relationship-building and communication skills
• Ability to work independently while collaborating with team
• Excellent organizational and follow-through skills
• Familiarity with Tessitura or similar CRM
• Knowledge of planned and legacy giving is preferred
• Passion for performing arts and fundraising in Austin

Responsabilidades

• Personally solicit and close major gifts while building long-term relationships
• Manage a portfolio of 75–125 donors and prospects
• Develop cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies
• Conduct 175–225 donor engagements annually, incl. visits and events
• Prepare personalized donor proposals aligned with donor interests and priorities
• Maintain donor records in Tessitura and track activity
• Identify planned giving opportunities and estate gifts
• Collaborate with VP of Development on strategy and planning
• Represent the ASO at performances and donor events, including evenings/weekends
• Create donor experiences that deepen connection to the ASO's mission

Conocimientos

Relationship-building

Communication

Independence

Organization

Follow-through

Fundraising acumen

Donor engagement

Educación

Bachelor's degree in a related field

Herramientas

Tessitura CRM

Descripción del empleo

The Austin Symphony Orchestra seeks a thoughtful and relationship-driven Major Gifts Officer to help grow philanthropic support for one of Austin’s most enduring cultural institutions. This role will manage and deepen relationships with individual donors and prospects capable of giving at the $10,000+ level, helping connect patrons’ passions to the artistic and educational mission of the ASO. The Major Gifts Officer will join a development team in an exciting period of growth and momentum, with the opportunity to build upon an established donor base and meaningful institutional relationships. The Major Gifts Officer reports to the Vice President of Development and works closely with the development team, leadership, board members, donors, and volunteers to advance a culture of philanthropy across the organization.

What You’ll Do

• Personally solicit and close major gifts while building long-term philanthropic relationships that advance the mission and strategic priorities of the ASO
• Manage a portfolio of approximately 75–125 individual donors and prospects
• Develop thoughtful cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies tailored to each donor relationship
• Conduct approximately 175–225 meaningful donor engagements annually, including personal visits, stewardship meetings, cultivation activities, performances, and special events in support of long-term philanthropic relationship building
• Prepare and present personalized donor proposals and gift opportunities aligned with donor interests and the ASO’s artistic, educational, and strategic priorities
• Maintain timely and accurate donor records in Tessitura, including contact reports, relationship activity, strategy notes, and next steps to support thoughtful donor engagement and long-term portfolio management
• Identify and cultivate planned giving opportunities and support donors in exploring legacy and estate gift options
• Partner with the VP of Development on portfolio strategy, prospect development, and long-term donor engagement planning
• Represent the ASO at performances, donor events, and community engagements, including evenings and weekends throughout the concert season
• Help create donor experiences that strengthen connection, belonging, and investment in the ASO’s artistic and educational impact

What Success Looks Like

Within the first 18–24 months, the Major Gifts Officer will have built strong relationships across the portfolio, implemented strategic moves management for top prospects, and assumed responsibility for securing $500,000–$750,000 annually in philanthropic support, with at least 20% representing new or increased giving year over year. Fundraising performance is expected to strengthen over time as donor relationships deepen and the portfolio matures.

What We’re Looking For

• 5+ years of experience in major gifts, philanthropy, or advancement work, preferably within the arts or higher education
• Demonstrated success cultivating and closing gifts at the $10,000+ level
• Strong relationship-building and communication skills, with an instinct for thoughtful donor engagement
• Ability to work independently while collaborating closely with colleagues and leadership
• Excellent organizational and follow-through skills
• Familiarity with Tessitura or comparable fundraising CRM systems preferred
• Understanding of the role planned and legacy giving can play in long-term philanthropic relationship building preferred
• Appreciation for the performing arts and the role philanthropy plays in sustaining vibrant cultural organizations Austin connections are welcome but not required. We value curiosity, relationship-building ability, and fundraising acumen above pre-existing local networks.