Manager of Major Gifts

Position Title: Manager of Major Gifts

Department: Development

Reports To: Director of Major Gifts

Range: $75,000-$85,000 (non-exempt)

At Ravinia, we believe in the transformative power of shared, live-music moments and their ability to inspire individuals, strengthen communities, and foster a more connected world.

Beyond presenting outstanding performances by the world’s greatest musicians, our mission as a not-for-profit organization is to develop broader, more diverse audiences and performers in the music industry with our Reach Teach Play® community engagement and education programs, our Steans Institute’s collaborative and experiential artistic training programs, and more. Together, Ravinia’s initiatives serve tens of thousands of students, families, and emerging professional musicians.

Our 36-acre park is home to North America’s longest-running outdoor music festival and its most artistically diverse. Over 100 different events, featuring a mix of classical, rock, pop, jazz, R&B, indie, and country performers, make up a typical summer season across our open-air and indoor stages, including the annual residency of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

The Manager of Major Gifts is a key member of Ravinia’s Major Gifts team, responsible for both the strategic administration and frontline relationship management that support Ravinia’s most engaged donors. This position serves as an important partner to the Director of Major Gifts, ensuring that donor information, communications, ticketing, reporting, and stewardship are executed with accuracy and care while cultivating and stewarding a portfolio of Consortium Circle ($16,500-$24,999) and Chairman’s Circle ($25,000-$34,999) donors.

The Manager of Major Gifts also works closely with the Manager of Major Gift Events and colleagues across Development, Marketing/Communications, Guest Services, and other departments to deliver a seamless and highly personalized donor experience.

This role is an approximately 50% administrative/operations and 50% frontline fundraising and relationship-management position, with increased frontline engagement during the summer season.

Frontline Fundraising & Donor Relations:  (50%) 

• Manage an assigned portfolio of Consortium Circle (16,500–24,999) and Chairman’s Circle (25,000–34,999) donors, cultivating meaningful relationships and strengthening donor engagement and philanthropic support.

• Conduct personalized cultivation and stewardship through donor visits, calls, correspondence, concert interactions, and other engagement opportunities.

• Participate in and conduct solicitation activities, including renewal, upgrade, special gift, and other fundraising asks within the assigned portfolio.

• Develop a strong understanding of donors’ interests, philanthropic priorities, and connections to Ravinia in order to identify opportunities for increased engagement and support.

• Deliver responsive, personalized, year-round donor stewardship, with particular attention to major donor needs and engagement during the summer season.

• Attend concerts, donor events, cultivation opportunities, and other Ravinia activities as needed to support donor relationships.

• Work collaboratively with the Director of Major Gifts on strategy, solicitation planning, sponsorships, portfolio movement, and donor engagement.

• Maintain accurate and timely records of donor interactions, strategies, solicitations, and outcomes.

Major Gifts Administration & Donor Operations: (50%)

• Serve as a key administrator for the Major Gifts team, maintaining accurate and timely donor information and activity within AudienceView and related systems.

• Support the Director of Major Gifts with donor tracking, portfolio management, prospect activity, solicitation preparation, stewardship, and other departmental priorities.

• Maintain donor reports, lists, queries, and other data tools to support major-gift strategy, solicitations, stewardship, events, and leadership reporting.

• Manage donor mailing lists and coordinate production and distribution of donor communications in partnership with Development colleagues and the Communications team.

• Coordinate donor ticketing and reservations for major-gift donors, including concert requests, ticket allocations, seating, special accommodations, and related correspondence.

• Partner with VIP ticketing and internal teams to resolve donor ticketing and reservation needs and ensure a high level of service.

• Collaborate closely with the Manager of Major Gift Events to help with donor communications, event logistics, invitations, guest lists, attendance tracking, and follow-up.

• Develop and maintain systems and processes that improve efficiency, accuracy, and consistency across Major Gifts operations.

• In partnership with  Manager of Major Gift Events, oversee and provide direction to the seasonal Major Gifts Assistant, including training and day-to-day guidance.

Knowledge and Skills Required

• Strong organizational, project-management, and analytical skills, with exceptional attention to detail.

• Proficiency with donor databases and reporting tools; AudienceView experience preferred.

• Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills, with the ability to build effective donor and colleague relationships.

• Ability to manage competing priorities independently and collaboratively in a dynamic seasonal environment.

• Demonstrated discretion and sound judgment when handling confidential information.

• Interest in music, the arts, or Ravinia’s mission preferred.

• Bachelor’s Degree

• 3–5 years of experience in fundraising, donor relations, development, or nonprofit administration; major-gift experience preferred.

Success Factors

• Donor Relationship Management: Builds and maintains meaningful relationships with assigned donors through effective cultivation, personalized stewardship, and solicitation, contributing to donor satisfaction, retention, and increased philanthropic support.

• Fundraising Performance: Achieves established portfolio goals through consistent donor engagement, successful renewals, upgrades, and special gift opportunities in collaboration with the Director of Major Gifts.

• Operational Accuracy & Effectiveness: Maintains accurate donor records, reporting, communications, and portfolio information while ensuring efficient and reliable Major Gifts administrative operations.

• Donor Experience & Cross-Functional Collaboration: Delivers responsive, high-quality service to donors while collaborating effectively with Development, Marketing & Communications, VIP Ticketing, and internal partners to support donor engagement and stewardship.

• Team Coordination & Process Improvement: Provides effective day-to-day guidance and training to seasonal staff while identifying opportunities to improve administrative processes, operational consistency, and team efficiency.

Work Environment

This is a full-time position based in Highland Park, IL. The role requires on-site presence for event execution, including evenings, weekends, and peak summer festival hours as dictated by the event schedule. In-office or remote work arrangements are determined based on department needs.

Benefits

Excellent health and welfare benefits including comprehensive time off, generous retirement savings plans, learning and mentorship opportunities, access to various staff working groups, and a general admission season pass to Ravinia events.

Ravinia is an Equal Opportunity Employer

As an equal opportunity employer, Ravinia strongly believes that diversity of backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives is essential to our success and we strive to create and sustain an equitable and inclusive environment for all our employees. Ravinia does not discriminate on the basis of any protected status under federal, state, or local law. We encourage individuals of all identities and abilities to apply.