Manager of Annual Giving

HOUSTON GRAND OPERA ASSOCIATION INC • Houston, TX

1d • Onsite

About The Position

The Manager of Annual Giving is responsible for growing and sustaining Houston Grand Opera's base of philanthropic support through annual fund strategy, donor-centric communications, and data-driven decision-making. This role owns the full annual giving lifecycle and works across channels and teams to build a strong donor pipeline and maximize participation and revenue. As a critical entry point into HGO's philanthropic community, the annual giving program serves as the foundation from which deeper donor relationships are cultivated and major gift pipelines are built.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree with two or more years of experience in direct response, marketing, philanthropy operations, or a related field.
• Demonstrated ability to implement and manage projects involving multiple departments.
• Proven excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Some night and weekend work around performances and events.

Nice To Haves

• Resourceful, proactive, self-starter who can independently solve problems and prioritize key tasks in a fast-paced environment.
• Natural motivators who encourage and empower others to meet ambitious goals.
• Highly organized with strong attention to detail.
• Knowledge of opera is not necessary, but a passion for the arts is a must.

Responsibilities

• Design and drive a results-oriented annual giving strategy built around three core priorities: growing donor participation, improving retention, and maximizing revenue — including campaign timelines, donor segmentation, messaging frameworks, performance targets, and budget allocation.
• Lead every stage of the campaign lifecycle across acquisition, renewal, and upgrade segments, continuously monitoring real-time performance data (e.g., response rate, retention, average gift, upgrade rate) and making agile adjustments to keep campaigns on track and ahead of goal.
• Craft compelling, donor-centric appeals across direct response platforms to drive acquisition and long-term loyalty, with tailored messaging for distinct donor segments.
• Oversee the production and on-time delivery of communications across all channels, tracking all activity in Tessitura.
• Serve as the point of contact for annual donors, helping to facilitate a seamless experience for all annual donors.
• In collaboration with the Manager, Donor Experience, develop meaningful, mission-driven stewardship that strengthens retention and supports long-term pipeline development.
• Partner with research and analytics colleagues to segment and profile incoming donors, enabling strategic qualification and smarter revenue growth across all giving programs.
• Work closely with the Audiences team to integrate Annual Fund opportunities within subscription renewal campaigns.
• Collaborate with the Director of Philanthropy Operations to maintain rigorous segmentation standards, data integrity, and comprehensive reporting.

Benefits

• Comprehensive and affordable health benefits.
• Generous paid time off.
• 403b retirement plan with employer match.
• Flexible work schedule.
• Professional development fund and opportunities.
• Discounted parking in the Theater District garage and nearby lots, plus easy access to Metro transportation.
• Free tickets to our mainstage and community productions and events.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level