Director of Annual Giving

Job Title: Director of Annual Giving Department: Development Reports To: Vice President for Development Supervision Exercised: 2 Direct Reports FLSA Status: Full time, exempt SUMMARY: As the Director of Annual Giving, you will spearhead the strategic direction and implementation of a donor-centric annual giving program. Your key responsibilities include developing fundraising strategies to achieve goals for sustainable individual philanthropy through effective cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship practices. You will manage a team of two: the Development Associate for Annual Giving and the Development Associate for Gift Processing. As the Director, you will also attend scheduled events/concerts, and work evenings and weekends as needed during concert season (approximately 3 nights per month). ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: Develop and manage the donor pipeline for the Oregon Symphony by overseeing fundraising activities that generate approximately $1,000,000 in annual revenue from donors contributing between $1 and $2,499. Utilize direct mail, professional tele- fundraising, and digital platforms like email and social media to execute these strategies. Serve as the primary interface for a select portfolio of individual donors, fostering strong relationships and enhancing donor engagement through tailored, donor-centered strategies that involve sophisticated solicitation, cultivation, stewardship, and identification practices. Oversee the gift acknowledgment process, ensuring timely and accurate data entry and acknowledgements in the Tessitura database. Collaborate closely with the Director of Data & Analytics to leverage donor data for effective mail, phone, and email campaigns, and track all activities within the database. Lead the Annual Giving programs by aligning fundraising strategies with the broader goals of the Development Office, integrating Symphony messaging, and coordinating with the Marketing team on the timing of solicitations. Use data mining and prospect research to continually identify and qualify new potential donors, aiming to increase the base of annual gifts. Provide direction and supervision to the Development Associates responsible for Annual Giving and Gift Processing, including managing external content creation for solicitations and overseeing the strategy and timing of annual telefunding efforts in partnership with the Patron Services department. Perform additional duties as assigned, contributing to the overall effectiveness and success of the development team. QUALIFICATIONS: The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required to perform this job successfully. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Bachelor's degree plus 3+ years’ experience in Development, specifically with annual giving strategies preferred; or equivalent combination of education and experience. Evidence of ability to achieve goals. Strong organizational skills; self-starter; ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously; ability to effectively manage and grow relationships. Strong communication skills, both interpersonal and written; customer service focus; ability to interact effectively and empathetically, and build rapport, with people from a wide variety of backgrounds. Experience with tracking work in a donor database. Working knowledge of Excel and other programs in the Microsoft Office suite. Experience with Tessitura a plus. Quantitative and logic skills; ability to budget and forecast with accuracy. Positive, imaginative, and pragmatic approach to problem-solving. Local travel required. Valid driver's license, vehicle, and liability insurance are required. Ability to work evenings and weekends as needed. Sense of humor required. Passion for live symphonic music a plus. COMPETENCIES: To perform the job successfully, an individual should demonstrate the following competencies. Ethics - Treats everyone with respect; Keeps commitments; Inspires the trust of others; Works with integrity and ethically; Upholds organizational values; Maintains confidentiality. Customer Service - Manages difficult or emotional customer situations; Responds promptly to customer needs; Solicits customer feedback to improve service. Teamwork - Balances team and individual responsibilities; Exhibits objectivity and openness to others' views; Gives and welcomes feedback; Contributes to building a positive team spirit; Puts success of team above own interests; Able to build morale and group commitments to goals and objectives; Supports everyone's efforts to succeed. Leadership - Exhibits confidence in self and others; Inspires and motivates others to perform well; Effectively influences actions and opinions of others; Accepts feedback from others; Gives appropriate recognition to others. Analytical - Synthesizes complex or diverse information; Collects and researches data; Uses intuition and experience to complement data; Designs work flows and procedures. Problem-Solving - Identifies and resolves problems in a timely manner; Gathers and analyzes information skillfully; Develops alternative solutions; Works well in group problem-solving situations; Uses reason even when dealing with emotional topics. Communication – Speaks and writes informatively, clearly and persuasively; Listens and gets clarification; Responds well to questions; Demonstrates group presentation skills; Participates in meetings; Varies writing style to meet needs; Presents numerical data effectively; Able to read and interpret written information. Change Management and Adaptability - Develops workable implementation plans; Communicates changes effectively; Builds commitment and overcomes resistance; Prepares and supports those affected by change; Monitors transition and evaluates results; Adapts to changes in the work environment; Manages competing demands; Changes approach or method to best fit the situation; Able to deal with frequent change, delays, or unexpected events. Technical Skills - Assesses own strengths and weaknesses; Pursues training and development opportunities; Strives to continuously build knowledge and skills; Shares expertise with others. Business Acumen and Fiscal Management - Understands business implications of decisions; Displays orientation to profitability; Demonstrates knowledge of market and competition; Aligns work with strategic goals; Works within approved budget; Contributes to profits and revenue; Develops and implements cost saving measures; Conserves organizational resources. Organizational Support - Follows policies and procedures; Completes administrative tasks correctly and on time; supports organization's goals and values; observes safety and security procedures; Respects diversity. Strategic Thinking and Innovation - Develops strategies to achieve organizational goals; Understands organization's strengths & weaknesses; Analyzes market and competition; Identifies external threats and opportunities; Adapts strategy to changing conditions; Displays original thinking and creativity; Meets challenges with resourcefulness; Generates suggestions for improving work; Develops innovative approaches and ideas; Presents ideas and information in a manner that gets others' attention. Judgment - Displays willingness to make decisions; Exhibits sound and accurate judgment; Supports and explains reasoning for decisions; Includes appropriate people in decision-making process; Makes timely decisions. Planning/Organizing - Prioritizes and plans work activities; Uses time efficiently; Plans for additional resources; Sets goals and objectives; Organizes or schedules other people and their tasks; Develops realistic action plans. Professionalism - Approaches others in a tactful manner; Reacts well under pressure; Treats others with respect and consideration regardless of their status or position; Accepts responsibility for own actions; Follows through on commitments. Quality and Quantity - Demonstrates accuracy and thoroughness; Looks for ways to improve and promote quality; Applies feedback to improve performance; Monitors own work to ensure quality; Meets productivity standards; Completes work in timely manner; Strives to increase productivity; Works quickly. Dependability - Is consistently at work and on time; Follows instructions, responds to management direction; Takes responsibility for own actions; Keeps commitments; Commits to long hours of work when necessary to reach goals; Completes tasks on time or notifies appropriate person with an alternate plan; Plans in advance for time off. Motivation and Initiative – Requires minimal supervision; Sets and achieves challenging goals; Demonstrates persistence and overcomes obstacles; Measures self against standard of excellence; Takes calculated risks to accomplish goals; Volunteers readily; Undertakes self-development activities; Seeks increased responsibilities; Takes independent actions and calculated risks; Looks for and takes advantage of opportunities; Asks for and offers help when needed. WORK ENVIRONMENT: This position operates in a professional office environment. This position is currently following a weekly hybrid work model (working remotely and in-office). Regular full-time hours are expected with the flexibility to work on weekends and evenings as required by the business. The Oregon Symphony is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion in all facets of the organization. We seek to develop a diverse candidate pool and welcome nominations and applications from all qualified candidates regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, religion, or national origin.