Major Gifts Officer

POSITION DESCRIPTION: The Major Gifts Officer will play a critical role in increasing donor support and acts as an ambassador for Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company supporting new donor identification, cultivation and stewardship of existing donors to increase overall retention and giving levels, and relationship management between donors and other members of the Woolly Mammoth staff and Board of Directors. The Major Gifts Officer will also be responsible for leading an annual major giving strategy and formalizing and growing the organization’s first planned giving program. The Major Gifts Officer reports to the Director of Development and will work closely and collaboratively with the Managing Director as well as the Major Gifts Committee of the Board and other external stakeholders.

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Donor Relations Management:
  • Maintain a portfolio of major donors (defined as giving annually at $10,000+) and major donor prospect as well as those donors and prospects that have the capacity to give at the major donor level or higher.
  • Serve as the primary relationship manager for this portfolio of prospects, working with the Development Operations & Database Manager, to develop and implement a written donor strategy and relationship record (using Tessitura) of all interactions.
  • Communicate with portfolio through face-to-face cultivation, solicitation and stewardship meetings, and written strategies; ensuring that each major donor, major donor prospect, and planned giving prospect has a clear strategy and timeline for cultivation, solicitation and stewardship.
  • Support the fundraising efforts of the Development Director, Managing Director, Artistic Director, and Core Leadership Team in securing new and renewed gifts.
  • With the Director of Development, create and manage the annual contributed revenue budget, tracking and reporting on progress to goal to the Core Leadership Team and Board of Directors.
  • Work with the Development Operations & Database Manager to screen and prepare profiles of current and prospective donors; establishing and refining benchmarks for department research processes as needed.
  • Ensure proper donor recognition in all publications and oversee accurate donor lists for those publications.
  • Manage the design and implementation of donor recognition for all Woolly Mammoth external marketing and development collateral.
• Major Gifts Program:
  • Work collaboratively with members of the Major Gifts Committee of the Board to develop and maintain a detailed major gifts strategy to achieve program goals for retention, upgrade, and acquisition.
  • Work with Director of Development to set key priorities and benchmarks, adjusting the major gifts workplan as needed.
  • Maintain up to date knowledge of major programmatic initiatives, and be prepared to share frequent impact updates with donors within the Major Gifts program.
  • Manage the creation and production of all Major Gifts program campaign materials, including (but not limited to) letters, emails, and prospectuses.
  • Work with the Director of Development and Director of Finance to manage revenue projection and the department’s expense budget, as well as pledges and pledge fulfillments.
  • Work with the Marketing, Communications, and Audience Services team and the Director of Development, to set major donor segmentation standards for all printed and digital appeals, including CYE and FYE mailed appeals.
• Events:
  • Work with the Marketing, Communications, and Audience Services team, Development Director to strategize and help execute cultivation events for major donors and prospects, including the annual gala and Behind the Scenes, First Rehearsal, and Opening Nights event for each show.
  • Work with the Director of Development to set individual revenue projections, and track progress to goal, for the annual gala.
  • Solicit individual donor sponsorships and auction items for the annual gala and be a visible presence at major donor cultivation events and fundraisers.
  • Ensure that special event opportunities meet the needs and expectations of current and prospective donors, while serving the immediate needs of the Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company.
• Planned Giving:
  • Work with the Director of Development to develop a strategy for outreach to and stewardship of planned giving prospects and donors.
  • Draft a compelling Case for Support for planned giving prospects.
  • Work with the Director of Development and Director of Finance to formalize a mechanism for tracking and maintaining record of all estate gifts and notification of inclusion in estate plans, that aligns with industry best practice.
  • Develop all print and web-based supporting materials for planned giving program.
• Company-Wide Responsibilities:
  • Commit to Woolly’s policy of anti-racism and radical inclusivity. This includes participating in anti-bias/anti-harassment training, familiarizing yourself with the policies in the employee handbook, using Woolly’s Liberation Library as an educational resource, engaging in EDI work at Woolly, and furthering your own independent journey with anti-racism.
  • Cross-departmental collaboration, including participating in at least one Woolly working group, committee, and/or taskforce outside of your own department.
  • Advocate for policies both internally and externally that further advance Woolly’s stated values on an organizational, local, and national scale.
  • Contribute in meaningful ways to the culture. See “Our Culture at Woolly” section below for more information.
  • Act as an ambassador for Woolly Mammoth in the local community and beyond.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Essential Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
  • Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent experience plus a minimum of 3-5 years (direct or equivalent)
  • Experience managing high level donor relationships with demonstrated success in closing gifts of $10,000 and above.
  • Ability to conceive, plan, and execute a major gifts program, including planned giving, special events, and special projects/campaigns.
  • Excellent grasp of Tessitura CRM software (or a similar system).
  • Willingness to be hands-on in a role that is demanding and requires a high level of energy and professionalism.
  • High level proficiency with Microsoft Office, including Word and Excel, and a working knowledge of search engines for donor research purposes.
  • Superior interpersonal skills and ability to communicate professionally with a culturally diverse group of staff, patrons, Board of Directors, volunteers, and donors.
  • Excellent organizational and project management skills and ability to prioritize workload in a timely manner to complete assignments with competing deadlines and deliverables.
  • Substantial knowledge of leadership, teamwork, and management principles in line with the values of the organization.
• Other Skills or Qualities:
  • Active engagement and leadership development in your individual position is integral to the overall health of our organization. This will be reviewed and defined with your supervisor to set individual goals. Woolly encourages employees to take personal responsibility and pride in their work.
  • See the larger picture and pull out the relevant details to diagnose problems. Think creatively about how to solve problems, including new ways of working together. Woolly values innovative thinking, big ideas, and bigger passion.
  • Collaborate with and adapt to a wide variety of people and personalities, working styles, and artistic visions.
  • Willingness and ability to make decisions in a fast-paced environment as and when needed, in line with the priorities of the organization.
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
  • Valid driver's license.

WORKING CONDITIONS:

• Hybrid work environment, WMTC requires three days onsite and the ability to be present for special events related to core job functions.
• Extended viewing of computer screens.
• Extended work on your feet.
• Some evening and weekend work required.
• Some travel required.
• Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company is located in Washington, D.C.’s Penn Quarter neighborhood. It is air conditioned, located in a wheelchair accessible building, and in close proximity to public transportation.

COMPENSATION:

• Starting Salary: $70,000-$80,000
• Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company recognizes that conversations about salary can be difficult. In recognition of the necessity for top-tier talent, we strive to provide pay that meets the market by leveling with industry peers to determine the pay range for each position. Where the employee falls in that range is determined by experience and skill set. Woolly will work hard to administer the compensation program in a manner that is transparent, consistent, and equitable across the company.

OUR CULTURE AT WOOLLY:

At Woolly, our culture is driven by our stated core values of radical inclusivity, creative risk-taking, relentless inquiry & experimentation, world-class excellence, and innovation. We expect both personal and collective accountability in how these values are applied to the work of each employee of WMTC. We acknowledge that Woolly Mammoth has upheld and benefited from systems of oppression in our country and we aim to do better; using the principles of anti-racism to guide our actions and decision-making. How we do things is as important as what we do, and we expect our core values and anti-racist practices to influence the way we work together as a team. We strive to center openness, integrity, and care in our policies, processes, and how we interact with one another. We embrace a culture of transparency, accountability, and mutual respect as the foundation of all our collaborations, both inter-departmentally and externally. We take seriously our role as a civic leader, and strive to address local and national challenges using our knowledge, skills, commitment, and resources. As part of this work, all employees are expected to develop meaningful internal and external relationships that are mutually beneficial and impact-aware. We believe that everyone in the Woolly community is worth engaging in conversations about the art we make and how that art intersects with the world. We lean into the unconventional, especially if a nontraditional and inventive approach will help us reach new understandings of our art form, our industry, and our world.

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS:

To apply, email the following materials to Kelsey.Magill@woollymammoth.net

with "Major Gifts Officer" in the subject line:

1. Cover letter expressing interest in the position *Application will not be considered without cover letter
2. Resume (no longer than two pages).
3. Two pre-existing writing samples from donor communications work.
4. Three references.

No phone calls, please.