Associate Philanthropy Officer, Patron Programs

Colburn Careers•Los Angeles, CA

14d•$29 - $41

About The Position

Reporting to the Assistant Vice President of Philanthropy, Patron Programs, the Associate Philanthropy Officer will support the growth and vitality of the School’s long-term philanthropy strategy, including through the Building Our Future capital campaign for the new Frank Gehry-designed Colburn Center. The Associate Philanthropy Officer is a front-facing representative who will serve as an enthusiastic ambassador for the School at performances and special events and will build a donor pipeline and new portfolio of donors through cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding prospects to the School’s annual fund, endowment, capital campaign, special projects, and planned giving program. You will be responsible for contributing to the success of a 15-person philanthropy team’s growth of contributed revenue through a $10M+ annual fund, a $400M comprehensive campaign, endowment gifts and planned giving commitments by managing a 50+ donor and prospect portfolio of $1k - $10k annual fund donors and donors to other philanthropy programs. You belong on our team if you are looking to grow your fundraising career with a high-performing philanthropy team, have a deep interest in education, the performing arts, and the Los Angeles community, and are highly self-motivated, forward-thinking, donor-centric, and committed to teamwork as well as individual achievement!

Requirements

A bachelor’s degree is required and four years of experience in fundraising or similar field
Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to initiate conversations, connect effectively in verbal and written form, and build rapport quickly
Demonstrated excellence in interpersonal relationship-building; comfort interacting with diverse audiences, including donors, community groups, first-time attendees, families, trustees, and prospects
An ability to work independently and closely with a broad team of varying constituents, including staff, faculty, volunteers, artists, and trustees
Highly organized, detail-oriented, and proactive; dedication to accuracy and timeliness is a must
Ability to handle highly sensitive and confidential information appropriately
Aptitude for design and branding, messaging, and the common technology used to support and advance these activities, like Adobe Creative Suite, email marketing, CRM systems, and websites; experience utilizing collaboration tools such as Microsoft Teams and Zoom
Interest in developing skills under experienced campaign, membership, and fundraising leadership mentors and managers
A commitment to the mission of Colburn—to provide access to the highest quality performing arts education at all levels of development in an optimal learning environment
Interest in working evenings and weekends for performances and events approximately 3 days per week as well as in-office days; a 40-hour work week in total.

Responsibilities

Attend performances an average of three days/evenings/weekends per week.
Serve as a VIP client services representative and prepare for such events by prospecting and reaching out to audience members in advance of, at, and following Colburn activities.
Introduce new attendees, community members, and cultural partners to the organization’s mission, programs, and philanthropic opportunities thus helping to achieve donor pool growth targets
Create opportunities at performance and events to help leverage Colburn’s extremely active performance calendar for prospect research, prospect cultivation and donor stewardship.
Build and maintain a portfolio of early-stage prospects and active donors and help move high-potential prospects into active cultivation or solicitation by philanthropy officers, senior philanthropy officers, or executive leadership
Apply best-in-class practices of stewardship, cultivation, and recognition
Support stewardship opportunities including reports and recognition programs, and ensure all engagement aligns with the organization’s mission and brand promise of excellence and authenticity
Support strategies that broaden and diversify the donor pipeline and contribute to the growth of the annual fund in particular.
Work closely with Patron Programs team to help develop a robust membership program to grow our donor audience of $1k+ donors in the context of the new concert hall and dance school slated for opening in fall 2027
Work together with the philanthropy team, academic units, and communications to match donor interests and help create appealing engagement opportunities
Support a data-informed office culture by documenting donor interactions, prospect research, and qualification notes in the CRM system in a timely and accurate manner; comfort navigating a CRM for list-pulling, research, and donor activity
Establish credibility and collaborative relationships with senior leadership, Board members, donors, volunteers, and colleagues from all academic units and other departments
Contribute to successful annual galas through sales, sponsorships, and on-site gala staffing
Develop a current, thorough, and comprehensive understanding of the Colburn School’s mission, areas of excellence, student population, student and faculty profiles, services, programs, and goals
Perform other duties as