Manager, Major Gifts

American Ballet Theatre (ABT) is one of the greatest dance companies in the world. Since its founding season in 1940, ABT’s mission has been to create, present, preserve, and extend the incredible repertoire of classical dancing for the widest possible audience. Headquartered in New York City, ABT is the only cultural institution of its size and stature to extensively tour, enchanting audiences for eight decades in 50 U.S. states, 45 countries, and over 480 cities worldwide. ABT’s repertoire includes full-length classics from the nineteenth century, the finest works from the early twentieth century, and acclaimed contemporary masterpieces.  In 2006, by an act of Congress, ABT was designated “America’s National Ballet Company®.”

Reporting to the Director, Major Gifts, the Manager, Major Gifts, is responsible for the working with a group of donors and prospects who give or have the potential of giving gifts of $10,000 and above. He/She/They will work directly with donors and prospects to deepen their engagement in ABT through face to face solicitation and the creation and executive of cultivation events and material. The Manager of Major Gifts will also provide support for stewarding all major donors. Working within the highly collaborative environment of ABT’s development team, the Manager, Major Gifts will play an integral role in achieving annual fundraising objectives. He/She/They will collaborate with ABT colleagues across artistic and administrative departments to implement strategies as needed to build strong donor relationships. This role will provide the opportunity to gain front line fundraising experience for someone who is interested in prospecting and cultivating new relationships and encouraging higher levels of commitment from existing contributors.

Job Responsibilities

• Manage and grow a portfolio of donors at the $10,000 partner level as well as identify and cultivate new and lower-level donors with the capacity to give at the $10,000+ level.
• Identify, cultivate, and solicit current and prospective donors to ABT’s annual fund, endowment, and other initiatives as part of a comprehensive philanthropic campaign.
• Drive communications and follow-up, including maintaining detailed contact reports and phase changes, on managed prospect and donor records.
• Track moves and interactions in ABT’s CRM software. Work with the major gifts team on maintaining a robust donor prospecting pipeline and participate in the identification of new prospective donors.
• Prepare and edit written communications, stewardship reports, correspondence, proposals, and presentations for major donors. This work includes authoring donor briefings and correspondence, event scripts, talking points, etc.
• Produce and partner with ABT’s Special Events team to plan events that maximize major donor and prospect cultivation opportunities.
• Plan and attend ABT donor events and other ABT-wide events and programs, attend performances and events, as needed, to offer back-stage tours, pre-performance, and other bespoke donor experiences.
• Perform other Development-related duties and undertake projects as needed.

Essential Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree and minimum of 3 years of experience in not-for-profit fundraising and development required; work with Individual Giving and/or Membership programs highly desirable.
• Ability to use current desktop office technologies proficiently (Microsoft Office suite, Raiser’s Edge) and to adapt to and use future technologies.
• Demonstrated ability to successfully work independently and with volunteers and other staff as part of a team.
• Ability to work successfully in a complex, fast-paced organization handling multiple tasks while meeting deadlines and serving multiple stakeholders.
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work well within a team environment.
• Inclination for being highly organized, self-driven and persistent in donor prospecting approach.
• Ability to interact with staff, volunteers, donors, and public representing a variety of perspectives, and ability to operate effectively in a large institutional environment.
• Ability to be a persuasive advocate for ABT’s priorities and present information in a clear and compelling manner, both in writing and in person.
• Sound judgment, tactful and ability to handle highly confidential information.
• Strong initiative and attention to detail.