Senior Development Officer, Major Gifts

Company Overview

About The Shaw
As one of the world’s leading theatre companies and Niagara’s 20 largest employers, The Shaw is dedicated to an ongoing process of increasing diversity and inclusion in our audiences, our programs, and in all of our hiring for staff, artists, and in the recruiting of board members. The Shaw is committed to a future when our theatres joyously draw on and include all peoples, fully reflective of the world around us. As such, the Shaw Festival is an equal opportunity employer committed to a barrier-free recruitment and selection process. We encourage and invite applications from applicants who identify as Indigenous, Black or as persons of colour (IBPOC), the LGBTQ2+ communities and those identifying as gender female. In accordance with Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA), and in keeping with our wish to ensure a fully inclusive environment, please advise Human Resources if you require an accommodation throughout the recruitment process. We will be happy to assist.

We acknowledge and honour the land upon which we gather as the historic and traditional territory of First Nations peoples. In particular we recognize and thank the Neutral Nation, the Mississauga and the Haudenosaunee for their stewardship of these lands over millennia.

Job Description

Full-time permanent
Salary Range: $75,000 – $90,000
Location: Hybrid work environment; flexibility for remote work for up to 70% of the time
Please note: All new hires must provide full proof of vaccination for COVID-19 ( 2 doses + booster) prior to their start date.

Job description
The Senior Development Officer, Major Gifts wakes up every morning relishing the challenge, the excitement and the energy that comes forging new relationships or bringing relationships with current donors to a new level. The person who will take on this role will simply love asking people for money, because they will understand that by doing it, they are truly living the meaning of philanthropy – the love of humankind. And that fires them up. 

The Senior Development Officer will work with our staff and volunteers to secure gifts at the $25,000+ level for the Shaw Festival’s annual operations funds, special projects, capital project and endowment. It is all about getting out there, building the relationships and then getting back to the office to do the work to turn those grains of possibility into new gift agreements. 

A Day in the Life…
As our Senior Development Officer for Major Gifts you will be working closely with the Executive Director, Artistic Director and Director of Advancement, along with several members of the Development team. You will start every day wondering how many opportunities you will create today to bring together people and their passions through philanthropy, and how many special and memorable moments you will create for them.

You will be switching seamlessly between phone calls, visits, research and follow-through work. And all the time you will be looking out for the ways to create moments of joy for the donors you work with (and those you don’t yet!). This will involve:
• Working with a portfolio of approximately 150 corporate, individual and foundation donors and prospects
• Qualifying and creating plans and goals for all donors and prospects in portfolio, based on the history of giving and the organization’s knowledge of that donor’s potential.
• Executing on cultivation, solicitation and stewardship plans , driving donor retention and revenue growth in a thoughtful and sustainable manner.
• Developing and lead the corporate giving strategy and revenue budget.
• Working with colleagues to secure appropriate project information, including budgets, and create offers, proposals and asks that will be to secure gifts.
• Tracking activities through formal call reports and update donor information in the donor database, Tessitura.
• Creating monthly reports as required by management that accurately reflect caseload activity and performance.
• Participating in department budget and goal setting strategic sessions.
• Attending and participating in donor cultivation and stewardship events as required.
• Performing other major donor activities as may be required.

And you will be working flexible hours, working weekends especially during the height of the season (May to September), and travelling in southern Ontario and north-eastern United States.

What will make you successful?
To start with, you will love the arts and thrive in the creative and magical space that is The Shaw. 

You’ll understand that it truly is the little things that make the biggest difference, so you will enjoy paying attention to every little detail and feeling the thrill that comes from knowing the joy that your care and thought brings to our supporters. 

You will be savvy about how to build relationships and will have a with strong enough track record in this type of work to know the attention to detail, the systems, the process and the level of follow-through that is needed to be successful.

You will find a thrill in not only uncovering a new prospect with potential but in reaching out to that person and seeing the spark grow brighter as they, too, realize what you could achieve together. 

You will recognize the nuances of being part of a team but will still be very much a self-starter who knows how to just kind of get on with it and get it done. And you will thrive in a working environment that is constantly evolving and changing and who understands that trust is the most important component in a successful team – trust among team members but especially with your Director.

The Shaw has crafted an ambitious vision for our future.     Inspired by the genius of Bernard Shaw, we use theatre to provoke curiosity, creativity and connection. True to this purpose, we will make the excellence of our art the focus of a new movement for real human encounters.  

If you are an experienced fundraiser who enjoys building relationships with donors who are passionate about the arts, then this is the right opportunity for you!  Under the leadership of Tim Carroll, Artistic Director and Tim Jennings, Executive Director, this is an exciting time of growth and transformation at The Shaw.  We are looking for an experienced front-line fundraiser to join our team to help us reach our goals.  

Summary
The Senior Development Officer, Major Gifts is responsible for working with staff and volunteers to secure gifts at the $25,000+ level for the Shaw Festival’s annual operations funds, special projects, capital project and endowment.  Applying an integrated development approach, this position builds relationships with donors to match their philanthropic interests with the ongoing needs of the organization.

Reporting
This position reports to the Director of Advancement.

Working Relationships
This position works with the  Executive Director, Artistic Director and Director of Advancement, along with members of the Development team including: the Senior Development Officer, Legacy & Individual Giving; Coordinator, Major, & Special Gifts; Governors Council Manager; Events Associate Events, and  Associate Director of Development.

This position requires flexible work hours, working weekends especially during the height of the season (May to September), and travel in southern Ontario and north-eastern United States.

Key Responsibilities
With a focus on identifying, cultivating and soliciting individuals at the $25,000 and above level, this position will:
• Work with a portfolio of approximately 150 corporate, individual and foundation donors and prospects
• Qualify and create plans and goals for all donors and prospects in portfolio, based on the history of giving and the organization’s knowledge of that donor’s potential.
• Execute on cultivation, solicitation and stewardship plans , driving donor retention and revenue growth in a thoughtful and sustainable manner.
• Develop and lead the corporate giving strategy and revenue budget.
• Work with colleagues to secure appropriate project information, including budgets, and create offers, proposals and asks that will be to secure gifts.
• Track activities through formal call reports and update donor information in the donor database, Tessitura
• Create monthly reports as required by management that accurately reflect caseload activity and performance.
• Participate in department budget and goal setting strategic sessions
• Attend and participate at donor cultivation and stewardship events as required
• Perform other major donor activities as may be required.

Accountability — performance will be measured by
• Ability to qualify and manage a portfolio of donors that represent the highest giving potential for the organization.
• Ability to create moves management plans that involve the donor’s interests, motivations, giving patterns and ask preferences, leading to new gifts, donor renewals and upgrades in a timely and cost-effective manner.
• Ability to secure project and organization information to create and write effective offers, proposals, asks and outcomes reports to be used for donor solicitations and stewardship.
• Ability to create timely reports that reflect portfolio stages and performance.
• Ability to manage people, process, deadlines and budget while adhering to the policies and procedures of the organization and ability to get along with peers, subordinates and management and maintain a positive and constructive attitude while solving problems.
• Ability to protect the mission, goals and values of the organization. 

Other
There is flexibility for this position to be a home office-based position, but will require regular travel to the theatre as needed for donor visits, donor events and performances.  Periodic travel to the US north-eastern states will also be part of the role.

Qualifications
• 5-10 years in progressively senior fundraising positions with a focus on securing major gifts.
• Successful track record in securing gifts at the $25,000 level and above.
• Passionate about the performing arts, and theatre in particular.
• Sound judgement and decision making capabilities.
• Exceptional verbal and written presentation skills.
• Demonstrated expertise in integrated moves management.
• Ability to inspire others to achieve outstanding results.
• University Degree in a related discipline, CFRE certification an asset.