Major Gifts Officer

Company Overview

The 5th Avenue Theatre’s mission is to nurture, advance, and celebrate all aspects of the great art form: the musical. As one of America's premier musical theater companies, The 5th is a major economic driver, playing a key role in the revitalization of downtown Seattle. We produce multiple musicals annually and proudly employ local talent, with 90%+ of our 700 artists living in Washington. Our renowned education programs serve 35,000 K-12 students annually, and our engagement programs facilitate connections between people, organizations, different cultures, and various art forms. The 5th is an invaluable treasure to Seattle, and central to America's theatrical landscape; we have originated 26 new musicals, 11 of which have gone on to Broadway and garnered 15 Tony Awards®, including two for Best Musical.

Position: Major Gifts Officer

Department: Development

Reports to: Director of Development

FLSA Classification: Full-Time, Salary Exempt

Work Location: Downtown Seattle. The 5th Avenue Theatre administrative office located within Skinner Building (1326 5th Avenue, Suite 735). Remote work is an option on Mondays, and as needed with supervisor approval.

Special Consideration: This position requires frequent night and weekend hours, including attending designated 5th Avenue Theatre shows, events, and activities.

Position Overview:

The Major Gifts Officer is responsible for managing the cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of a portfolio of donors who give $5,000+ annually, with a primary focus on donors contributing $10,000 and above. This position partners closely with organizational leadership to support the identification, cultivation, and solicitation of transformational gifts in the six- and seven-figure range. The ideal candidate is comfortable serving as an advocate and ambassador for The 5th Avenue Theatre’s breadth of programming and has demonstrated success engaging major donors while exhibiting confidence, trust, sensitivity, and discretion. Additionally, the ideal candidate can manage a strategic moves management system that strengthens The 5th’s major donor pipeline and expands opportunities for community members to support our important work.

Principal Responsibilities:

All responsibilities are carried out in close collaboration with the Director of Development, organizational leadership, and members of the Development team.

• Build and manage a portfolio of up to 125 households to the identify, qualify, cultivate, solicit, and steward with major donors who give or have the capacity to give $5,000+ annually, focusing on individuals with potential of $10,000 or more
• Develop and implement an integrated cultivation strategy for prospective donors under relationship management, with special focus on in-person cultivation and donor engagement
• Act as principal strategist for each prospect in portfolio with specific responsibility to develop written donor strategies
• Prepare solicitation materials such as briefings, written proposals, impact reports, and donor stewardship collateral
• Provide complete and accurate activity reports on a regular basis that tracks overall moves management efforts, including contact reports and revenue forecasts
• In partnership with other team members, assist in setting and meeting overall major gifts annual revenue goals for The 5th
• Maintain accurate donor data, tracking engagement points, donations, and other stewardship progress
• Coordinate with Education, Community Engagement, Artistic, and Marketing to identify and develop opportunities for greater donor engagement and stewardship
• In collaboration with the Individual Giving Team and Director of Development, support cultivation plans for prospects across giving channels and engagement points
• Maintain a good working knowledge of programming channels to identify opportunities to connect donor interests with institutional priorities
• Support and attend department and organization and special events, including all large-scale events such as the annual Gala, Directors Dinner, and Season Preview events
• Contribute to a respectful, collaborative, and inclusive workplace by modeling culturally competent behaviors aligned with The 5th’s values

The 5th Avenue Theatre is a fast-paced, collaborative workplace. Staff may be required to work in shared environments and engage with the public. Remote work arrangements are not guaranteed and may require documented medical accommodation.

Essential Knowledge and Qualifications:

The ideal candidate for this position will possess most of these skills and qualifications, or relevant experience and achievements to help them meet needs of the role.

• A genuine and enthusiastic interest and passion for the arts and musical theatre, and the mission and values of The 5th Avenue Theatre Company
• Personally invested in The 5th Avenue Theatre's commitment to conversations, people development, and ongoing assessment of industry practices and goals around equity and belonging, in alignment with the organization's mission and values
• Demonstrated experience in nonprofit fundraising practices with a focus on individual fundraising strategies
• Demonstrated success in building relationships with internal and external stakeholders
• Ability to maintain confidentiality, particularly of that related to private donor information or demographics, or internal information that supports philanthropic gifts
• High proficiency in written communication skills including the ability to articulate a case for support of The 5th
• Strong organizational skills, ability to prioritize and manage several tasks concurrently and efficiently, ability to meet multiple deadlines, and function both independently and in a team environment
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite products preferred
• Experience with fundraising CRMs; Tessitura experience preferred
• Experience with prospect research tools such as DonorSearch and iWave preferred
• Interest in learning and/or adopting the Community-Centric Fundraising principles

Physical Demands:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of the job, with or without reasonable accommodation.

• Ability to perform administrative tasks using a computer, such as creating and reviewing documents, entering data, and communicating electronically. This may involve sitting at a workstation for extended periods and can be done using a keyboard, mouse, or assistive technology.
• Ability to communicate in person with colleagues across a multi-level facility (including offices, theater, and workshop spaces). This may involve moving between spaces with varied lighting and sound, or asking others to come to a central office location as needed.

Additional Requirements

Employment is contingent upon successful completion of background and reference checks.

To Apply

Qualified candidates should submit a resume, cover letter, and references to careers@5thavenue.org. Please include Major Gifts Officer in the subject line.

The 5th Avenue Theatre employees enjoy a comprehensive benefits package including Medical, Dental, & Vision package; Sick, Personal, & Vacation time; paid holidays, commuter benefits (Orca Card and reduced-price parking); Life and Disability Insurance; enrollment option in the company’s 401(k) retirement plan and tax-advantage savings accounts; complimentary performance tickets to most shows.

This position requires written and verbal English fluency.