Major Gifts Senior Manager

Apollo Theater Foundation, Inc.•New York, NY

3d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Major Gifts Senior Manager plays a critical role in advancing The Apollo’s philanthropic goals, with a primary focus on securing leadership support for the $100 million Apollo Rising 2.0 Campaign and annual operating priorities. This frontline fundraiser manages a dynamic portfolio of prospects and donors capable of making gifts between $10,000 and $500,000+. The role is responsible for cultivating, soliciting, closing, and stewarding gifts while partnering closely with senior leadership, trustees, and colleagues across the Development team. The successful candidate will be a strategic relationship builder who thrives in a metrics-driven fundraising environment and is energized by helping shape a once-in-a-generation chapter in The Apollo’s history.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree required.
3 or more years of major gifts experience or 5 or more years of demonstrated fundraising solicitation success.
Proven success in securing gifts from individuals and/or corporations.
Strong verbal, written, and presentation skills.
Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.
Demonstrated commitment to The Apollo’s mission and fundraising priorities.
Highly collaborative team player with strong initiative.
Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and donor CRM systems.

Nice To Haves

Experience in arts, culture, education, or mission-driven organizations.
Experience working with campaign fundraising initiatives.
Familiarity with donor recognition and naming opportunities.
Willingness to work evenings and weekends for donor engagement and events.

Responsibilities

Manage and grow an assigned portfolio of major gift prospects and donors with capacity to give $10,000 to $500,000+.
Serve as lead fundraiser for the Legends Circle, a major gift patron’s group.
Develop and execute customized cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies for each assigned prospect.
Secure new, renewed, and increased major gifts in support of campaign and annual priorities.
Prepare proposals, briefing materials, donor correspondence, and gift agreements.
Maintain accurate and timely moves management activity in CRM systems.
Conduct in-person, virtual, and event-based donor meetings to deepen relationships and move prospects through the pipeline.
Identify new prospects through research, referrals, events, and internal collaboration.
Build a healthy pipeline across discovery, qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship stages.
Ensure timely follow-up and next steps after every donor interaction.
Partner with the Chief Development Officer, President & CEO, and board leadership on high-level donor strategies.
Support fundraising efforts tied to executive and trustee relationships.
Collaborate with membership, annual funds, campaign, finance, and operations colleagues to align donor strategies.
Support signature fundraising events and campaign milestones as needed.
Ensure exceptional donor stewardship including impact reporting, naming recognition opportunities, acknowledgements, and personalized communications.
Partner with finance and operations teams to ensure proper gift processing, pledge tracking, and reporting.