APAP Career Center

JOB PURPOSE AND REPORTING STRUCTURE: As a member of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra’s Advancement Team, the Giving Manager, New Acquisition oversees the identification, cultivation and highly personalized solicitation of individual annual fund prospects. The Giving Manager, New Acquisition is expected to meet in-person with donors and prospects and be externally focused and therefore enhance the donors’ relationships with the MSO.

The successful candidate is optimistic and must possess a can-do attitude. The Giving Manager, New Acquisition will be an individual with a fundraising background, who has had progressive and successful advancement experience including annual fund and major gifts. The ideal candidate has worked in the performing arts and is committed to success of the symphonic artform and is able to communicate thoughtfully and enthusiastically about the work of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, its opportunities, and its challenges.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Leverage moves management strategies to identify, cultivate, solicit and steward prospects to grow support across all levels of individual and institutional gifts. The primary focus will be on new donors and/or corporate sponsors with the capabilities of giving $1,000+ per year. Identify new prospects and set and drive achievement of an annual goal for increasing the number of donors, the number of gifts and/or giving intentions.
  • Goal for these donors include:
    • Identification, research, cultivation, solicitation, stewardship of new prospects
  • Manage a portfolio of new prospects that will be created by the Giving Manager, New Acquisition in coordination with Advancement team with a focus on increasing value of gifts over time. This includes 3-5 meaningful “moves” per week.
  • Work with Advancement Team to establish fundraising asks for each household in the managed portfolio working toward a goal of raising $250K+ in new gifts in year 1, $400K+ in year 2, $750K in year 3, and $1 million by the end of year 4
  • Execute the robust discovery program in partnership with the Individual Giving Manager, Research and Discovery.
  • Recognize opportunities and anticipate needs, review requests for information and determine appropriateness of release, and keep Senior Advancement Team informed of items requiring attention.
  • Ensure that prospect portfolio is routinely updated with regard to contact reports, moves management, and documentation of other key milestones in the donor’s relationship with the Symphony.
  • Assist Advancement staff at MSO concerts and events when needed including by greeting donors in the Founder’s Room (the MSO’s donor lounge)
  • Perform additional duties as required by the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra

EDUCATION AND/OR EXPERIENCE:

This position requires a Bachelor’s degree and a preferred two+ years of Development/Advancement/fundraising experience in a non-profit environment. Knowledge of music and/or the arts is preferable.

A proven record of accomplishment of success in relationship fundraising management is required.

The ideal candidate must be able to meet the donor where they are, and tailor strategies to their interests.

They must be adept at soliciting gifts from prospective and current donors and at developing relationships with prospects new to the organization. A solid understanding of fundraising principles is required.

They will also have a keen appreciation for the organization’s history, mission, and contributions to the arts.

The successful candidate will welcome the opportunity to attend evening and weekend concerts on a regular basis, to participate in special events, and to become a visible and active member of the Milwaukee community.

LANGUAGE SKILLS:  Must have excellent verbal and written communication skills.

REASONING ABILITY: Able to collect data and information, establish facts and draw valid conclusions.

OTHER SKILLS AND ABILITIES: Ease in working with donor databases is required. Tessitura database experience helpful and preferred. Experience with music desired. Intellectual curiosity is necessary. Must be able to use a computer and related software, as well as a printer, telephone, voice mail, fax, copier/scanner and calculator. Must have a cell phone.

About Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra

The Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra is among the finest orchestras in the nation. Since its inception in 1959, the MSO has found innovative ways to give music a home in the region, develop music appreciation and talent among area youth, and raise the national reputation of Milwaukee. The MSO’s full-time professional musicians perform more than 135 classics, pops, family, education, and community concerts each season in venues throughout the state. A pioneer among American orchestras, the MSO has performed world and American premieres of works by John Adams, Roberto Sierra, Phillip Glass, Geoffrey Gordon, Marc Neikrug, and Matthias Pintscher, as well as garnered national recognition as the first American orchestra to offer live recordings on iTunes. Now in its 46th season, the orchestra’s nationally syndicated radio broadcast series, the longest consecutive-running series of any U.S. orchestra, is heard annually by more than two million listeners on 147 subscriber stations in 38 of the top 100 markets. The MSO's standard of excellence extends beyond the concert hall and into the community, reaching more than 40,000 children and their families through its Arts in Community Educati...on (ACE) program, Youth and Teen concerts, Family Series, Meet the Music pre-concert talks, and Friday Evening Post-Concert Talkbacks. Celebrating its 28th year, the nationally-recognized ACE program integrates arts education across all subjects and disciplines, providing opportunities for students when budget cuts may eliminate arts programming. The program provides lesson plans and supporting materials, classroom visits from MSO musician ensembles and artists from local organizations, and an MSO concert tailored to each grade level. This season, more than 7,200 students and 500 teachers and faculty in 22 Southeastern Wisconsin schools will participate in ACE.

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Connections working at Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra