Chief Development Officer

Seattle Symphony Orchestra•Seattle, WA

About The Position

The Chief Development Officer (CDO) is a member of the senior leadership team of the Seattle Symphony Orchestra & Benaroya Hall (SSO/BH), providing leadership, management, and coordination for individual and institutional fundraising, capital and endowment campaigns, and planned giving. The CDO will develop and implement a robust, sustainable contributed-revenue strategy, drive donor acquisition and retention, personally solicit and steward donors, and help broaden support beyond traditional symphony audiences to include people interested in education, community impact, and the many genres presented at Benaroya Hall. The role oversees a FY27 annual contributed-revenue goal of $19.1 million, a 10% increase over FY26, and will create giving opportunities that engage current and new audiences in support of the Board-approved strategic plan. Reporting to the President & CEO, the CDO works closely with the institution’s three boards and with the Music Director, senior leaders, staff, artists, educators, and board members. The CDO leads a 16-member Development team, including five direct reports, and collaborates with the CEO and CFO on operating plans and budgets. The position also works with the Development Committee to strengthen board fundraising capabilities and assists the Nominations Committee Chair with board-member identification and recruitment. The CDO will review fundraising infrastructure, oversee high-touch stewardship and donor recognition, and represent SSO/BH at community and social events. During the first six months, the CDO is expected to learn the organization’s history, culture, programs, constituencies, governance, financial-support base, and funding needs; assess fundraising efforts already in progress; and provide hands-on leadership in identifying, cultivating, and soliciting major gifts. The role operates in a high-output environment and may involve evenings, weekends, and touring.

Requirements

Substantial fundraising experience with a sizable, high-performing institution, including capital, endowment, annual-fund, event, and membership elements.
Successful experience raising principal or major gifts from individuals and institutional sources, including at an arts organization.
Exceptional written and oral communication skills; ability to connect with people, align the case for support, and create engagement opportunities.
Social grace, honesty, integrity, and ability to build enthusiasm for SSO/BH.
Experience recruiting and cultivating new board members.
Demonstrated ability to motivate, direct, and manage staff and consultants and coordinate and support others’ fundraising activities.
Ability to listen, develop strategy, take input from multiple sources, and turn varied information into a sound, organized plan.
Broad knowledge of development activities, including web, social media, direct mail, membership, proposals and grants, planned giving, capital campaigns, event planning and management, direct solicitations, fundraising databases, donor segmentation, research, and volunteer management.
Experience structuring sponsorships and establishing stewardship and donor-recognition programs that sustain long-term relationships.
Understanding of fundraising systems and using data to manage fundraising, improve donor cultivation, and set priorities.
Emotional maturity, flexibility, sensitivity, and a good sense of humor for working with diverse personalities and situations in a high-energy environment.
Availability to work evenings, weekends, and while on tour.

Responsibilities

Develop a fundraising plan with the President & CEO that defines donor segments; annual, endowment, capital, and planned-giving objectives; success measures; staff and board participation; roles; targets; and goals.
Collaborate with the President & CEO and CFO to prepare annual operating plans and budgets and incorporate fundraising projections.
Personally solicit and steward donors in collaboration with the President & CEO, Music Director, Board Chair, Development Committee Chair, staff, and board members.
Lead, retain, recruit, and inspire the Development team; establish work plans, performance objectives, and goals; review performance; and provide professional-development and training opportunities.
Implement a more systematic approach to prospecting, donor cultivation, and patron engagement.
Oversee individual and institutional fundraising, capital and endowment campaigns, planned giving, donor acquisition and retention, and fundraising support infrastructure.
Oversee high-touch donor stewardship and recognition, interact regularly with major donors, and represent SSO/BH at community and social functions.
Collaborate with the Chief Marketing Officer to develop patrons into donors and provide a coordinated stewardship program.
Work with the Development Committee Chair and board members to evolve board fundraising capabilities and secure contributed revenue.
Assist the Nominations Committee Chair in identifying and recruiting potential board members and developing recruitment strategy with the CEO and board leadership.
During the first six months, learn the organization and its funding needs, assess fundraising efforts in progress, and take a hands-on role in major-gift identification, cultivation, and solicitation.
Work with current and new audiences to create giving opportunities that increase contributed revenue and support the strategic plan.