Major Gifts Officer

Job DetailsJob Location: NASHVILLE, TN 37201Position Type: Full Time
Summary

Title: Major Gifts Officer

Reports to: Chief Development Officer

Employment Status: Full-Time Salaried, Exempt

Overview: The Major Gifts Officer is responsible for cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding a dedicated portfolio of approximately 250 current Nashville Symphony patrons and donors giving in the $1,000-$5,000 range. This entry point to the Symphony's major gifts pipeline focuses on building strong personal relationships with a broad base of committed supporters, growing their giving through consistent, personalized engagement, and identifying donors ready to be moved into higher-touch, higher-capacity portfolios. The Officer will manage the full gift cycle - identification, qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship - and will be expected to raise a minimum of $250,000 in contributed revenue within the first year.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities

Portfolio Management

Manage and grow a portfolio of approximately 250 current donors and patrons with giving capacity in the $1,000-$5,000 range.
Develop and execute individualized, though efficient, cultivation and solicitation strategies suited to a higher-volume portfolio, with a goal of 2-4 meaningful touchpoints per donor per year.
Conduct a minimum of 15-20 substantive donor contacts (visits, calls, or personal outreach) per month.
Maintain accurate, up-to-date donor records, moves management notes, and contact reports in the CRM/donor database.
Continuously assess the portfolio to identify donors with increased capacity or affinity and flag them for referral to the Director of Major Gifts or Chief Development Officer.

Fundraising and Revenue

Achieve an annual fundraising goal of $250,000 in the first year through renewed, upgraded, and new gifts within the assigned portfolio.
Identify and cultivate upgrade opportunities, moving donors within the $1,000-$5,000 range toward the top of that tier and preparing top prospects for transition into the Director of Major Gifts' portfolio.
Personally solicit gifts using appropriate strategies (calls, personal notes, concert engagement, and in-person visits where warranted) tailored to donor interest and capacity.
Partner with the Chief Development Officer and Director of Major Gifts on portfolio segmentation and pipeline coordination to ensure smooth hand-offs as donors grow.

Stewardship and Donor Experience

Design and deliver consistent, scalable stewardship touchpoints, including personalized acknowledgments, donor recognition, and concert engagement opportunities.
Serve as a responsive, relationship-oriented point of contact for portfolio donors.
Coordinate with the Patron/Box Office, Marketing, and Artistic teams to connect donors to concerts and programs that reinforce their giving.
Represent the Development Department at concerts, receptions, and donor events, including evening and weekend performances as needed.

Collaboration and Reporting

Work closely with the Chief Development Officer to align portfolio strategy with broader campaign priorities, including Opening Weekend, annual fund, and special campaigns.
Provide regular pipeline updates and progress-to-goal reports, including monthly moves management summaries and quarterly portfolio reviews.
Collaborate with Development colleagues (Major Gifts, Grants, Corporate Support, and Events) to ensure coordinated donor outreach and avoid duplicate solicitation.

The duties listed above are not all inclusive. The person in this position is expected to perform other work-related duties as assigned even though they may not be considered primary duties.

QualificationsI. Work Requirements

Education / Experience

Bachelor's degree or equivalent professional experience.
Minimum 1-3 years of frontline fundraising, membership, or customer/donor relationship experience; arts and culture experience is a plus.

Required Skills

Demonstrated ability to manage a high-volume portfolio and prioritize outreach effectively.
Strong relationship-building, verbal, and written communication skills, with comfort engaging donors of varying backgrounds.
Solid organizational skills and experience with donor CRM systems (e.g., Tessitura, Raiser's Edge, or similar) preferred.
Genuine passion for classical music and the performing arts is highly valued but not required.
Ability and willingness to attend evening and weekend concerts and donor events.

II. Performance Goals - Year One

Total revenue raised: $250,000 in renewed, upgraded, and new gifts within the portfolio.
Portfolio size: Approximately 250 current patrons and donors giving $1,000-$5,000.
Donor contacts: 15-20 calls, notes, or substantive personal contacts per month.
Retention rate: 80% or higher among prior-year donors within the portfolio.
Upgrades: 15% or more of the portfolio moved to a higher giving tier or referred to the Director of Major Gifts.

The Nashville Symphony Association reserves the right to revise this job description at any time. This job description is not a contract for employment. All employees are expected to adhere to all terms and conditions of the Association’s Personnel Policies and Employment Manuals and other Association policies and procedures which may be promulgated and published from time to time.