Senior Philanthropy Officer

San Francisco Conservatory of Music; San Francisco, Northern (CA, KY); Hybrid; USD 130,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid vacation

Sick leave

Personal days

Holidays

Health insurance

Long-term disability

Life insurance

Voluntary 403(b) retirement plan

Job summary

The San Francisco Conservatory of Music seeks a Senior Philanthropy Officer responsible for identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding major and principal gift prospects to support the Conservatory’s priorities.

Reporting to the AVP of Advancement, you will manage a portfolio of roughly 100 donor prospects, target gifts of $25,000 to $100,000+, and work with leadership and faculty to expand annual and endowed giving, including scholarships and chairs.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience.
• 7–10 years of progressive fundraising experience.
• Proven track record of closing six- and seven-figure gifts.
• Superior attention to detail and strong interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills.
• Knowledge of principal gifts, endowments, and planned giving; experience in higher education, arts organizations, or music schools.
• Familiarity with donor databases/CRMs (Blackbaud, Salesforce).
• Willingness to travel and work evenings and weekends.

Responsibilities

• Identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward a portfolio of ~100 donor prospects, securing gifts of $25,000-$100,000+.
• Generate a strong pipeline of new and upgraded major gifts for annual support.
• Maintain a robust pace of donor meetings, averaging three per week.
• Personally solicit major and principal gifts.
• Identify, cultivate, and solicit gifts for endowed priorities in the endowment campaign.
• Collaborate with the VP/AVP of Advancement, President, faculty and Board for collaborative solicitations.
• Build long-term, trust-based relationships with donors through campus visits, performances, rehearsals, and events.
• Prepare faculty and leadership for donor meetings and solicitation; prepare letters and proposals.
• Engage in ongoing learning regarding philanthropy best practices, planned and endowment giving.
• Demonstrate accountability and reevaluate strategies while building donor relationships.

Skills

Fundraising experience

Donor relations

Major gifts

Communication skills

Diplomacy & teamwork

Travel flexibility

CRM familiarity (Blackbaud, Salesforce

Education

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent

Tools

Blackbaud

Salesforce

Job description

Description

The San Francisco Conservatory of Music seeks a Senior Philanthropy Officer who is responsible for identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding major and principal gift prospects in support of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music’s strategic priorities.

Reporting to the Associate Vice President of Advancement and part of a 12-member Advancement team, this role manages a portfolio of donor prospects capable of making significant philanthropic investments in SFCM. The current fundraising priorities include scholarships, faculty and program support, performances, special projects, facilities, and funds for the active endowment campaign. The Officer will be primarily charged with identifying and securing gifts from individuals who are not currently SFCM major donors, ultimately generating $1 million of SFCM’s $8 million annual fundraising goal.

This role requires an appreciation for music and arts education, exceptional relationship-building skills, and a proven track record of securing principal gifts. The ideal candidate will be deeply embedded in the San Francisco arts landscape, possessing the vision to leverage SFCM’s unique position within the city’s musical ecosystem to drive new donor growth.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward a portfolio of approximately 100 donor prospects, focusing on securing gifts of $25,000-$100,000+
• Generate a strong pipeline of new and upgraded major gifts for annual support
• Maintain a robust pace of donor meetings, averaging three per week
• Personally solicit major and principal gifts
• Identify, cultivate, and solicit gifts for endowed priorities in SFCM’s endowment campaign, including scholarships, faculty chairs, programs, and strategic initiatives
• Partner with the VP and AVP of Advancement, President, faculty and Board members on collaborative solicitations for performances, facilities, and the Pre-College division
• Build long-term, trust-based relationships with donors through meaningful engagement, including campus visits, performances, rehearsals, and special events
• Prepare faculty and leadership for donor meetings and solicitation, prepare letters, proposals and other materials
• Engage in ongoing learning regarding philanthropy best practices, planned and endowment giving.
• Consistently demonstrate professional accountability and interpersonal skills, with the capacity to accept responsibility for actions and results, as well as reevaluate strategies when needed, and develop long-term relationships with donors and the SFCM team.

The incumbent will perform other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience
• Minimum of 7–10 years of progressive fundraising experience
• Proven track record of closing six- and seven-figure gifts
• Superior attention to detail, as well as superb interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills
• Exemplary diplomacy, problem-solving, and teamwork skills
• Passion for music, arts education, and mission-driven organizations
• Experience fundraising in higher education, arts organizations, or music schools
• Knowledge of principal gifts, endowments, and planned giving, as well as ongoing training in these areas
• Familiarity with donor databases/CRMs (e.g., Blackbaud, Salesforce)
• Willingness to travel and work occasional evenings and weekends

Salary and Benefits

SFCM provides a competitive and equitable compensation package with salary estimated in the range of $130,000 to $150,000. Employee benefits include paid vacation, sick leave, personal days, and holidays; health, long-term disability, and life insurances; and a voluntary 403(b) retirement plan. This position has an onsite and remote work schedule given its donor focus.

About SFCM

At SFCM, we believe that music is essential to life and education is the best promise for tomorrow. We empower students to create fearlessly, pursue their purpose, and seek achievement in every endeavor. With limitless imagination, determination, and pioneering partnerships in the professional world, we are defining the future of music. We believe that inspiring the imagination, cultivating the artist, honing the intellect, and developing the professional are the keys to launching innovative graduates who excel in any field. Our phenomenal faculty and our location in the heart of a magnificent city provide an experience that is unparalleled anywhere else in the world.

Founded in 1917, the San Francisco Conservatory of Music has earned an international reputation for producing musicians of the highest caliber. SFCM provides an education that transforms its students artistically, intellectually, professionally, and individually. The heart of SFCM’s work is the Collegiate Division, which offers 30 fully accredited undergraduate and postgraduate degree programs to 447 students in performance and composition, including Technology and Applied Composition and Roots, Jazz, and American Music. Additionally, our Pre-College Division provides high standards of excellence and personal attention to over 250 young students, while the Continuing Education Division offers stimulating programs for nearly 200 adults.

In 2021, SFCM opened the Bowes Center, which dramatically amplifies the scale of opportunity SFCM provides for our students and deepens our engagement with the arts community at San Francisco Civic Center. The Bowes Center incorporates student housing, dining, classrooms, rehearsal rooms, performance spaces, faculty and partner offices, and a radio station. The building enables students to create, learn, and share music in an integrated, collaborative environment.In the past four years, SFCM has acquired two leading artist management companies, Askonas Holt and Opus 3 Artists, and the storied record label Pentatone. The entities operate independently but work together on projects that create opportunities for students, artists, and the public. This alliance acts as a research and development engine for the music industry by enabling professional musicians to take artistic risks on the Conservatory’s campus that might not otherwise be affordable, while offering students an up-close experience of what it is like to develop and refine inventive forms of performance.

Equal Opportunity Employer

The San Francisco Conservatory of Music is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Personnel decisions regarding applicants for employment are made without regard to race, color, religion, marital status, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, medical condition (including cancer and genetic characteristics), status as a Vietnam-era veteran or special disabled veteran, age, citizenship, or any other consideration made unlawful by federal, state or local laws.