The San Francisco Symphony is seeking a Deputy Director of Development (DDD) to serve as a key strategic leader and the second most senior position on its Development Team, reporting directly to the Chief Philanthropy Officer. The DDD will be responsible for creating strategies to secure funding from individuals, foundations, and government supporters while promoting the growth of private philanthropy. This crucial role involves managing a portfolio of 45-50 Major Gift and Planned Giving prospects, with a target of raising $3 to $5 million annually for the Annual Fund. The DDD will collaborate regularly with the Chief Philanthropy Officer, Board leadership, and fundraising volunteers, and will support the Development Committee of the Board. Leading a team of nine development professionals, including four direct reports, the DDD must also be willing to travel throughout the Bay Area and northern California and be present at evening and weekend concerts and events.
About San Francisco Symphony:
The San Francisco Symphony, established in 1911, is a leading institution in the United States known for its artistic excellence and innovative programming under the direction of Esa-Pekka Salonen. Presenting over 200 concerts annually at Davies Symphony Hall to an audience of nearly 350,000, the Symphony excels in education and community engagement, serving more than 25,000 students in the San Francisco Unified School District. With a rich legacy that includes numerous awards and the launch of its own record label, SFS Media, the Symphony has made significant contributions to both classical and contemporary music. Located in the vibrant Civic Center of San Francisco, surrounded by other cultural landmarks, the Symphony plays a vital role in a dynamic metropolitan area renowned for its diversity, education, and innovation.
Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership
Develop and lead strategy for annual giving, special fundraising initiatives, new philanthropy initiatives, and lead a team of gift officers with portfolios with capacity of more than $1 million each.
Serve as a key strategic thought partner and leader for Chief Philanthropy Officer, Chief Executive Officer, Board of Governors, and volunteer leadership to ensure proper planning, management, and execution of the Symphony’s fundraising efforts.
Participate as a member of the Development Leadership Team, contributing to other Development areas and overall division planning.
Manage a donor portfolio of 45–50 households through all stages of identification, qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship totaling $3 million to $5 million annually.
Collaborate and provide fundraising counsel to senior leadership to identify cultivate and recruit prospective board members.
Embrace other strategic leadership responsibilities as needed.
Board and Donor Engagement
Collaborate and provide fundraising counsel to the Board of Governors to identify cultivate and recruit prospective board members.
Attend and present at Board and committee meetings including Development, Gift Planning, Committee on Governors, etc. as needed.
Create strategies with the Advancement Committee that build meaningful paths for the Bay Area’s diverse community to engage in supporting the Symphony as donors, partners, advisors, and community ambassadors.
Advise board members, both individually and collectively, on best practices in community ambassadorship and donor cultivation.
Embrace other board and donor engagement responsibilities as needed.
Team and Organizational Oversight
Provide leadership and guidance for gift officers to maximize productivity, increase contribution levels, and establish performance metrics to track and evaluate regularly against annual goals.
Ensure gift officer portfolios are robust and managed through best practice to achieve ambitious revenue goals.
Oversee discovery efforts for new donors at all levels of giving through a variety of channels including but not limited to direct mail, telefunding and personal solicitation.
Maintain a broad knowledge of tax laws that impact charitable giving, personal assets, and estates.
Create a supportive, collaborative, productive, and healthy work environment based on respect and teamwork.
Embrace other team and organizational oversight responsibilities as needed.
Qualifications:
A minimum of seven to 10 years of proven organizational, supervisory, and fundraising leadership experience is essential. Relative experience outside the nonprofit environment working with high-net-worth individuals will be considered. A successful record of conceptualizing and executing fundraising plans across donor categories (individual giving, foundation, and government support) is required. Proven success in cultivating, stewarding, and soliciting prospects at the $100,000+ level is required. The ability to successfully manage a team in a sophisticated, fast-paced, and complex fundraising environment is essential. Strong organizational skills, ability to manage multiple tasks and priorities, and meet deadlines in a high-volume, fast-paced environment is needed. The ability to lead and mentor an experienced team is essential. Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, especially regarding the Symphony and its mission, vision, and values are essential. Ability to professionally and diplomatically communicate and interact with a wide variety of internal and external stakeholders. Familiarity with and/or passion for orchestral music is a plus, and experience working in the arts is highly desired. Proficiency in Microsoft Office and donor database software is needed; Tessitura experience is preferred.
Compensation
The Symphony provides a competitive salary depending on experience in a range between $168,809 to $193,485 with generous health and welfare benefits. The current schedule for this position requires a minimum of two days in the office per week, in addition to evening and weekend events.
To Apply
To submit a cover letter and resume with a summary of demonstrable accomplishments (electronic submissions preferred), please click here or visit ArtsConsulting.com/OpenSearches. For questions or general inquiries about this job opportunity, please contact:
