Senior Major Gifts and Planned Giving Officer

Chicago Opera Theater (COT) seeks an engaging and highly driven Senior Major Gifts and Planned Giving Officer who will engage prospects, donors, and other members of the community in philanthropic support of COT. The position will actively manage a donor portfolio, qualify new donors, make discovery calls, and build a pool of new planned giving prospects and donors.

As the Senior Major Gifts and Planned Giving Officer, you will initiate gift strategies and cultivate and solicit prospects through personal visits, direct mail, written and phone communication. You will work closely with the Director of Development to implement strategic approaches for the planned giving program and build a robust pipeline for major gift support. The successful candidate will have an understanding of the arts and opera landscape, excellent intrapersonal skills, and a proven track record of successfully securing philanthropic support.

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

- Manage and grow a personal portfolio of approximately 40-60 donors.

- Articulate the value of supporting the goals and mission of the institution, as well as priority programs like campaign and planned giving. Work closely with leadership to execute stewardship efforts, engagement activities, and special fundraising initiatives as requested.

- Develop and implement strategies to solicit donors, subscribers, and community members through personal visits, email, direct mail and telephone contact.

- Through work with portfolio donors, support the vision and funding of annual fund, campaign, planned giving, and programmatic initiatives of the organization and work to secure 4- to 6-figure gifts and multi-year commitments.

- Together with the Director of Development, design and manage plans for soliciting capacity building, planned giving, and endowment campaign prospects.

- Develop proposals and materials to support solicitations.

- Keep informed of trends in individual and planned giving, and routinely incorporate legacy giving vehicles in conversations with donors and prospects.

- Lead planned giving society annual cultivation and stewardship activity, including events and mail and email communications.

- Maintain data integrity of portfolio, including entering and updating prospect and donor contact reports in the Spektrix database.

- Collaborate with Director of Development and General Director in setting annual fundraising goals.

- Attend performances and events in support of cultivation / fundraising activities.

- Act as support staff for all development events, including annual gala, cultivation and stewardship events, and donor room at performances.

- Other related duties as assigned

This position is a good fit for someone who has:

- A minimum of three years experience in non-profit fundraising

- Knowledge and application of cultivation, solicitation and stewardship strategies and techniques

- Understanding of planned giving vehicles such as bequest intentions, life income plans, retirement plan gifts, donor-advised funds, gifts of real estate and other appreciated assets is a plus

- Excellent verbal and written communication skills

- Demonstrated independent, mature judgment

- Ability to be discreet and maintain a high degree of confidentiality

- Outstanding organizational skills and attention to detail

- Ability to consistently maintain a professional image and demeanor

- Strong problem-solving skills combined with a collaborative approach

- Proficient with Microsoft Office and able to learn/use various database and planning softwares

- Must be able to travel between locations (Fine Arts Building and other Chicago area venues) and on occasion, nationally or internationally, and be able to travel to local or regional meetings

- Ability to work a flexible schedule that includes evenings and weekends

- Knowledge of the Chicago social and philanthropic environment is a plus

- Knowledge of and passion for opera, theater and the performing arts is a plus

- Ability to work independently as well as part of a team

- Commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion, and access, and anti-racist and anti-oppressive values

Chicago Opera Theater is willing to teach:

- How to use COT’s Database / CRM

- Industry specific fundraising skills and existing procedures related to donor cultivation and stewardship

- Policies and procedures specific to COT

About Chicago Opera Theater

- Chicago Opera Theater is a company laser-focused on living its values of:

- expanding the tradition of opera as a living art form

-…