Earl R. Merrill: Director of Major Gifts, Pacific Symphony

We are seeing candidates with professional experience and a demonstrated track record for the position Director of Major Gifts with Pacific Symphony, located in Orange County, California.

Some of the Symphony’s accomplishments in 2017-18 included a sold-out concert at Carnegie Hall, Orchestra Tour to China and the national airing of our Ellis Island: The Dream of America Concert on PBS Great Performances.

The Pacific Symphony employs an administrative staff of approximately sixty, including fourteen development professionals.

DIRECTOR OF MAJOR GIFTS

Position Summary:
The Director of Major Gifts is an important member of the Development team, reporting to the Senior Director of Individual Giving & Major Gifts. This person is responsible for annual fundraising strategies to increase membership in the Maestro Society. A focus of this position is to continue the work Pacific Symphony has done to engage newer California communities. The Director of Major Gifts will help develop and implement the roll out of the new Governing Members initiative. Additional responsibilities include management of key support groups, including oversight of the fundraising goals.

Key Duties & Responsibilities:

Achieve fundraising goals for the Maestro Society, Symphony Society, and the new Governing Members.
Manage a portfolio of donors, including renewal, upgrade and acquisition of donations.
Responsible for weekly donor meetings.
Continue to develop Pacific Symphony’s program with newer California communities.
Help with the development and rollout the new Governing Members program; assisting with the volunteer committees and donor benefits fulfillment.
Recruit members for the Board of Counselors ($5,000+).
Help with Planned Giving fundraising.
Secure multi-year donor pledges.
Help to secure new Box Circle Club members, our VIP membership seating program.
Assist with concert sponsorships and stewardship fulfillment.
Be a liaison for select Pacific Symphony support groups.

Skills and Requirements:

Bachelor’s degree preferred.
Must have a minimum of five years of professional experience in Individual Giving for a non-profit organization. Experience with a performing arts organization is helpful.
Must have a demonstrated track record of successful major gift solicitation.
Demonstrate initiative, a collaborative team spirit and the ability to handle multiple projects of varying nature simultaneously.
Goal oriented and highly self-motivated.
Personable, positive and diplomatic individual with integrity and a sense of humor, who works effectively with donors, volunteers, staff and vendors.
Reliable and consistent in meeting deadlines.
Excellent and persuasive written and oral communications skills.
Well organized.
Willingness to work evenings and weekends throughout the year, including concert attendance.
A love of symphonic music and a desire to promote it to new and current audiences.
Computer literacy and proficiency with database systems like Tessitura or equivalent.
Skilled with Microsoft Office, especially Word and Excel.
Being conversant in Mandarin would be beneficial.

Employment Type: Salary-Exempt, Full-Time.

Note: Nothing in this job description restricts management’s right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this position at any time.

Benefits Offered:
Pacific Symphony offers a complete health benefits package, paid vacation and holidays, and a 401(k) plan.

Apply To: Nikki Palley, Senior Director of Individual Giving & Major Gifts
NPalley@PacificSymphony.org

Or Pacific Symphony
Nikki Palley – Confidential Search
17620 Fitch, Suite 100
Irvine, CA 92614

No phone calls please

ORGANIZATIONAL BACKGROUND

Founded in 1978, Pacific Symphony enriches the human spirit through superior performances of classical and symphonic music. The Symphony is located in Orange County, California’s second most populous county boasting a rich arts tradition strongly supported by an engaged public. The region is a tourism magnet, home of Disneyland, and a major financial and business hub.

Pacific Symphony is a highly dynamic and innovative organization, led artistically by Music Director Carl St.Clair and operationally by President John Forsyte. It presents more than 100 concerts annually and serves 250,000 community members each year. The Symphony is nationally and internationally recognized for performance excellence, strong community engagement through education and other programming, and for commissioned new works by contemporary composers. Pacific Symphony twice received prestigious ASCAP Awards for Adventuresome Programming, and was showcased in the League of American Orchestras’ nationally released publication entitled Fearless Journeys. Pacific Symphony’s Class Act elementary school education program has been honored by the National Endowment for the Arts and the League of American Orchestras for its exemplary orchestra education.

Resident for much of the year at the renowned Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall, the Symphony also presents a summer outdoor series at Pacific Amphitheater. Music Director Carl St.Clair is celebrating his 29th season with Pacific Symphony, while Principal Pops Conductor Richard Kaufman is celebrating his 28th season leading the Pops series. Assistant Conductor Roger Kalia leads the popular “Family Music Mornings” series, one of the largest self-produced children’s series of any U.S. orchestra and he is the Conductor for the Pacific Symphony Youth Orchestra.

Accomplishments in 2017-18 included a sold-out concert at Carnegie Hall, Orchestra Tour to China and the national airing of our Ellis Island: The Dream of America Concert on PBS Great Performances.

For 27 consecutive years Pacific Symphony has balanced its budget and has no accumulated debt. It employs an administrative staff of approximately sixty, including fourteen development professionals.