Major Gifts Officer

Major Gifts Officer

DEPARTMENT: Development

REPORTS TO: Director of Major Gifts

SUPERVISES: N/A 

EMPLOYMENT STATUS: Full-time, Exempt 

SUMMARY

Boston Lyric Opera (BLO) seeks an experienced and successful Major Gifts Officer to join the Company’s Development Department. As a member of the major gifts team, the Major Gifts Officer is a frontline fundraiser soliciting prospective donors to BLO for gifts of $10,000 or more and plays a central role collaborating with Board and staff leadership of the Company. The Major Gifts Officer carries their own portfolio of 150+ individual prospects and achieves annual fundraising goals and helps to ensure the success of long-term capital and deferred goals in a multitude of ways. This position is an ideal opportunity for a high-performing, collaborative, and experienced development professional to join BLO’s dynamically growing team.

AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY

Identify, cultivate, and solicit BLO donors and prospects. Meets assigned activity and revenue goals.

Devise and implement cultivation and solicitation strategies. Evaluate various gift opportunities and giving vehicles; recommend the most suitable for a particular prospect.
Develop, write, and present proposals in line with prospect’s philanthropic goals, interest, and financial situation and in keeping with BLO’s priorities.

Initiate and maintain contact with current, past, and prospective donors, promoting positive donor relations efficiently. Engage volunteers proactively as needed. Determine and execute events and programs in support of development activities, assessing the success of such events/programs and recommending changes. Identify disaffected or disinterested donors and devise strategies to encourage/redirect their interests as appropriate.

Interact with internal constituents on BLO needs, cultivation, solicitation and stewardship strategies, and potential donors. Keeps abreast of BLO activities and disseminate BLO information to donors, prospective donors, volunteers, and team members as appropriate.
Provide creative and meaningful support for the execution of the five-year Strategic Plan

Candidate

You are:

A highly organized, detailed individual.
A solution-oriented individual and can think quickly and efficiently under pressure.
A team player who fosters collaboration but also comfortable forging new ground
independently.
Passionate about the performing arts and bonus if it’s opera.
We are: 

A dynamic, small team with big ambitions; we move quickly to adapt to the needs of our artists, patrons, and the world around us. 
Believers that opera can be everything and everywhere – an art form that belongs to all. 
A team unified around all areas of public engagement, taking an integrated approach to the audience experience, from community and public programming, to how we communicate and welcome diverse audiences into the theater.  

Requirements

QUALIFICATIONS

Bachelor’s Degree and a minimum of five to seven years of fundraising experience in moves management systems, or equivalent combination of education and experience; job title and level will be commensurate

Demonstrated ability in personally and consistently closing six-figure or larger philanthropic gifts

Experience utilizing industry-standard best practices and a donor-centric approach in managing a donor portfolio of 150+ individuals and determining donors’ philanthropic interests related to specific fundraising goals
Ability and willingness to travel
Excellent written and oral communication skills
Behavioral and linguistic flexibility as well as strong intellectual and social curiosity

Demonstrated ability to synthesize and prioritize information from a wide array of sources while maintaining attention to detail and effectively managing overall workflow
Proven ability to build and maintain long-term donor relationships
Active listening with a successful track record of interacting with a broad array of constituents including donors, volunteers, colleagues, and administrators at the highest level
Ability to leverage relationships to implement strategic solicitation of donors for gifts of their full philanthropic capacity
Proactive, productive team contributor with a positive attitude
Appreciation and respect for principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion
Demonstrated ability to follow through on commitments and take responsibility for outcomes
Persistent, results oriented, and driven to succeed
Inspired by challenging individual and team fundraising goals
Demonstrated initiative, drive, and a resourceful and data-driven work ethic.

Creative, innovative, flexible, with excellent organizational and analytical skills
Ability to work independently, manage multiple projects effectively and maintain a high degree of professionalism and confidentiality in a team-oriented, complex environment
Additional plusses: knowledge of the Boston area/philanthropy; Tessitura experience; opera knowledge

Job Conditions

The position is full-time, non-exempt. Regular business hours are Monday to Friday, with evening and weekend work during seasonal high-volume periods. Administrative work is currently hybrid/remote. Regular onsite work is required for BLO performances and events in Boston and across the greater Boston area (both during the week and/or on weekends). Ideal candidates for this role will live in the greater Boston Area. Candidates must comply with company COVID mitigation and control plans which includes a vaccination policy. Reasonable accommodation may be granted, please mention at the time of application.

Salary

The salary for this position is based on a candidate’s experience and skills- beginning at $85,000.00 -$100,000.00 per year, in addition to a benefits package which includes medical, dental and vision coverage, an Unlimited Vacation policy, 8-hours of paid Volunteer time, and 401k retirement plan.