Development Assistant

The Development Assistant is a full-time employee of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center (CMS) supporting the Development team and reporting to the Development Officer, Operations. The position supports all areas of the annual fundraising efforts for CMS, especially Development Operations and the Individual Giving program, including gift entry, mailings, acknowledgements, and other administrative duties. Other responsibilities include inputting research into the Tessitura database and staffing events as needed.

Founded in 1969, CMS is the world’s largest producer and presenter of chamber music, with a mission to stimulate and support broadly the art form’s appreciation, performance, and composition. Annually, CMS’s international and intergenerational roster of the finest chamber musicians perform repertoire from the 1600s to the present, including beloved and rediscovered gems of the repertoire alongside contemporary work and CMS commissions. We reach 65,000 audience members annually through over 150 concerts in New York City and on tour, a wide range of youth and adult educational programs, and community partnerships. Millions more access our work via no and low-cost recordings of all season concerts and broadcast partnerships.

CMS is entering the fourth year of a five-year strategic plan that has set the priorities for the institution's growth. This ambitious plan is requiring significant annual increases in contributed revenue to support new programs and initiatives. The Development Assistant will play a pivotal role in the Development team's ability to meet and exceed our goals by helping increase efficiencies and provide underpinning for all departmental activities. It is an excellent opportunity for an early-career professional to learn about and participate in all areas of fundraising at a busy nonprofit performing arts institution, and there is room for this individual to expand the boundaries of the role as they establish themselves at the institution.

Areas of Responsibility

Development Operations

• Support the Development Officer, Operations, with gift entry in Tessitura, most especially gifts given online
• Copy, scan, and file donation checks
• Manage matching gifts, including tracking pledges and receipts, and maintaining the online matching gift portals
• Support the Development Officer for Operations in tracking development expenses and processing payment of invoices
• Track, code, and report all charges made through the Department’s credit cards
• Pull lists from Tessitura of donors (from all sources – individual, Young Patrons, Board, Gala, and Institutional) to be acknowledged once or twice a week, as needed
• Maintain the donor recognition lists in Playbill and on the website, pulling the report from Tessitura and working with the team to ensure accuracy
• Pull concert tracking reports from Tessitura weekly for the Director of Development to review with the Executive Director
• Annually update the shared Outlook calendar to export the new season’s concerts and events from ArtsVision, and then maintain as dates are added or changed
• Assist with tech support for weekly Development team meeting
• Monitor and maintain supplies for the Department, most especially stationery, ordering more as necessary

Individual Giving

• Support the execution of all major mailings for the Individual Giving program and Events, including in-house appeals, invitations, Patron benefit fulfillment, and annual mailing of the new Season Brochure
• Support the Individual Giving team to produce and mail acknowledgements
• Maintain paper and electronic files for individual donors, ensuring that copies of all appeals, acknowledgements, and other correspondence are copied and clearly labeled
• Support cultivation and prospect research efforts by ensuring donor records are kept up to date, noting new information and inputting biographies into Tessitura
• Maintain the donor list for complimentary coat check, and support the facilitation of other benefits fulfillment for Friends and Patrons Circles in collaboration with other team members
• Review New York Times obituaries for news about the death of any current or former CMS donors or ticket buyers; mark deceased in Tessitura and notify the Executive Director and Development team

Meetings and Events

• Point person to plan for and set up any Development related on-site and Zoom meetings, such as the Development or Nominating Committee and Global Council
• Assist with full Board meetings and other on-site gatherings as needed
• Staff concert intermission receptions on rotation with the Development team (including evenings and weekends); approximately ten per season
• Help staff special events including: Brandenburg Holiday Celebration, Spring Gala, New Season Celebration, Post-Concert Receptions, and other events as directed
• Under the direction of the Individual Giving Manager, help to research and create short biographies for attendees of the annual Spring Gala
• Support the Development Officer, Events and Young Patrons, as needed, with such administrative tasks as maintaining RSVP lists and tracking expenses

Institutional Giving

• Support the Development Officer for Institutional Giving in gathering printed or digital materials for reports and proposals
• Assist with annual mailing of the CMS Season Brochure to institutional funders

Qualifications

• At least two years’ experience working in development
• Excellent writing and communication skills
• Exceptional attention to detail
• Strong computer skills, including donor databases – Tessitura experience is a significant plus

Compensation & Benefits

• This is a full-time position, with a salary range of $50,000 to $55,000.
• CMS offers competitive compensation that includes an excellent health insurance plan, dental and vision benefits, retirement plan, vacation, paid time off.

How to Apply

Please send a cover letter and resume in a single pdf to: jobs@chambermusicsociety.org

NO CALLS PLEASE.

This is an onsite position, with an option for one regular weekly remote day, subject to the Department’s need for support.

The Chamber Music Society is an equal opportunity employer.