Annual Fund Manager

Annual Fund Manager – Richmond Symphony

Would you like to be a part of a centerpiece of Richmond’s performing arts community? Would you be excited to help the Richmond Symphony change lives through the power of music? Are you ready to step into an important, professional role in fundraising?

The Richmond Symphony

For more than 60 years, the Richmond Symphony has engaged music lovers young and old. The Richmond Symphony sits at the center of the vibrant cultural life of Richmond, Virginia. Its musicians serve as links throughout the community and the orchestra itself provides a vast array of concerts for all musical tastes and ages, including a Masterworks series, The Metro Collection Series (chamber orchestra), a Symphony Pops series, a family Lollipops series, Rush Hour Concerts (one-hour orchestral performances in casual venues), education concerts with full orchestra as well as small ensembles, and a myriad of special presentations.

In addition to its performances in the Carpenter Theater at the Dominion Energy Center, the Symphony purchased the “Big Tent” in 2015, a mobile stage with a large and beautiful canopy. This unique performance venue has since provided the Symphony with the ability to perform in surrounding diverse communities for various festivals and celebrations throughout Virginia. In the City of Richmond, these various performances, which take place within community festivals created by the Symphony, have created proceeds specifically to fund the purchase of musical instruments for local public schools, with over $400,000 already raised for the purpose since 2015.

The Richmond Symphony is comprised of 69 professional musicians, with a core of 38 full-time positions due to expand to a core of 41 within the next four years. The 2019/20 season, informally titled the year of “welcome,” is a most exciting year of transition. In September 2018 it was announced that the Richmond Symphony had selected a slate of five diverse and outstanding candidates for the position of Music Director. Each of the finalists is participating in a two-week residency and the selected candidate will succeed Steven Smith, who completed his term as Music Director at the end of the 2018-2019 season, after almost ten years. The second life-changing event in 2019/20 is that the Richmond Symphony will welcome the Menuhin Competition to Richmond in May 2020, considered by many to be the Olympics of the violin – pushing its annual operating budget in FY20 from $6 million to over $8.5 million. The Symphony also benefits from a growing endowment overseen by the Richmond Symphony Foundation, with its separate Board supported by staff, that is expected to reach $20 million in 2020/21.

Position Highlights

The Annual Fund Manager position is central to maintaining the Symphony’s strength; it is an important part of the Symphony’s advancement team, which is responsible for a substantial portion of the Symphony’s revenue generation. Primary responsibilities include:

• Developing and executing Annual Fund solicitation strategies
• Initiating and driving best practices for donor development, cultivation, and acquisition
• Coordinating individual giving prospecting and tailored cultivation plans to identify, cultivate and steward individual prospects
• Supporting the Executive Director, Director of Advancement and Patron Communications and Volunteer Leadership in fundraising campaigns
• Communicating with donors, management and certain Board committees

The Annual Fund Manager reports to the Director of Advancement & Patron Communications.

Qualifications

Successful candidates will enjoy working with internal and external partners and interacting with donors and potential donors. Communicating effectively both orally and in writing with a diverse group including staff, Board members, community members and donors will be an integral part of the job.

• Commitment to the principles of teamwork and shared responsibility
• Ability to act with discretion in handling confidential conversations, correspondence and records
• 3-5 years of fundraising experience preferred

The Work Environment

Richmond Symphony offices are located at 612 E. Grace Street. The position offers:

• Competitive salary and benefits including health, dental and retirement
• Work space in the Richmond Symphony office (parking provided)
• A fast-paced, open office environment
• Attendance and participation at concerts, events and activities (expected outside of normal office hours and on weekends with advance notice)

The Richmond Symphony strives to create an environment that practices shared values inclusive of the following: Mutual Respect, Empathy, Integrity, Transparency, Trust, Insistence on Excellence, Hunger for Success, Passion, Creativity and Fun.

To Apply

Please send resume, cover letter and references with “Annual Fund Manager” in the subject line.For best consideration, please apply by December 19, 2019.

Any offer of employment is contingent upon successful completion of a background check and demonstrated eligibility for work, including compliance with 22.1-296.1 of the Code of Virginia.

Equal Opportunity Employer.