Senior Philanthropy Officer

SAN FRANCISCO BALLET ASSOCIATION•San Francisco, CA

2d•$129,000 - $140,000•Hybrid

About The Position

San Francisco Ballet embodies the spirit of its city: innovative, forward-thinking, and unafraid to challenge convention. Founded in 1933, the company has long understood that ballet's power lies in its ability to blend timeless tradition with modern relevance — from presenting America's first full-length productions of Nutcracker and Swan Lake to consistently pushing the boundaries of contemporary choreography. That same spirit runs through San Francisco Ballet School, one of the premier training grounds for dance in North America, which has shaped generations of dancers and continues to build the pipeline of artistic talent that keeps the company's future as strong as its present. Under the artistic direction of Tamara Rojo and executive leadership of Branislav Henselmann, San Francisco Ballet is leading boldly into a new era, guided by a Comprehensive Enterprise Strategy that aligns artistic vision, organizational momentum, and civic energy toward a genuinely rare moment of opportunity. The company is reimagining what ballet can be, and making the case that its most compelling chapter is still ahead. POSITION OBJECTIVE: San Francisco Ballet’s Senior Philanthropy Officer is a strategic and relationship-focused fundraising professional responsible for identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding individuals capable of making five- and six-figure philanthropic contributions to the organization. This position is a key member of the Individual Giving team and plays a critical role in advancing the organization’s fundraising priorities and building a sustainable pipeline of major and principal level donors. Working closely with leadership, program staff, Trustees, and other members of the Development team, the Senior Philanthropy Officer manages a portfolio of high-capacity and high-potential individuals and develops customized strategies to deepen donor engagement and increase philanthropic support. The Senior Philanthropy Officer is responsible for building authentic relationships with current and prospective major donors, advancing San Francisco Ballet’s strategic enterprise initiatives and long-term vision, and inspiring supporters to philanthropically engage with the organization. They actively and positively contribute to a culture shift from benefits-based fundraising to impact-driven philanthropy and serve as a strategic partner to fellow front-facing gift officers.

Requirements

Strong written and verbal communication skills
Passionate commitment to being responsive to donors
Ability to develop and implement detailed major gifts fundraising plans, based on sound fundraising principles for identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding donors in order to meet and/or exceed fundraising goals for unrestricted gifts, event support from individuals, and other priority campaigns
Successfully solicits individual major gifts of $25,000 and above
Develops detailed strategies for each gift solicitation and ensures that the progress of each strategy is documented
Represents San Francisco Ballet at all times with the highest degree of professionalism and communicates the Ballet’s position on sensitive issues without losing the donor’s goodwill
Arranges and attends meetings with donors and prospects, effectively briefing volunteers and other staff on the meeting strategies and outcomes, where needed
Maintains documentation and files and tracks donor contact reports and stewardship activities in Tessitura so they are accessible by others
Regularly strategizes with the Managing Director, Campaign & Individual Philanthropy, Deputy Director, Campaign & Individual Philanthropy, Executive Leadership, Trustees, Individual Giving Team, and Events Team
6+ years of front-line, verifiable individual/major gifts experience and a love of performing arts.
Knowledge of San Francisco philanthropic community preferred
Demonstrated success in moves management, cultivating and stewarding prospects and annual fund supporters and converting them into major donors
Ability to professionally and diplomatically communicate and interact with a wide variety of internal and external stakeholders
Strong organizational skills, ability to handle multiple tasks and priorities, and meet deadlines in a high-volume, fast-paced environment
Familiarity with and/or passion for dance and the performing arts a plus
Proficient in Microsoft Office and donor database software. Tessitura preferred.
Willing and able to attend performances and events, regularly on nights and weekends during Nutcracker and the Repertory Season
Maintains effective communication and rapport with others, both internally and externally
Able to travel around the Bay Area as needed
Embraces and contributes to the Development team’s culture of philanthropy through collaboration, discretion, kindness, and respect within and across departments.
Refrains from gossip, internally and externally, at all times.
Safeguards confidential information and uses discretion with sensitive information

Nice To Haves

Knowledge of San Francisco philanthropic community
Familiarity with and/or passion for dance and the performing arts
Tessitura preferred

Responsibilities

Using sound fundraising principles and best practices, manages a portfolio of approximately 150 major gift donors and prospects capable of making five- and six-figure investments, developing customized cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies for each assigned donor
Manages the solicitation process from identification through verbal commitment, documentation, gift closure, and gift acknowledgement, determining appropriate ask amounts, timing, gift structures, and cultivation strategies
Builds authentic, long-term relationships with donors, centering their philanthropic interests, motivations, and values and connecting them to giving opportunities at SF Ballet
Develops and maintains meaningful relationships with current and prospective donors through ongoing 1:1 personal visits, virtual meetings, and on-site engagement opportunities
Personally solicits five- and six-figure contributions and works collaboratively with senior leadership, Trustees, volunteers, and staff to capitalize on emerging fundraising opportunities and peer-to-peer networks
Drafts compelling proposals, solicitation strategies, and curated stewardship opportunities tailored to individual donor interests
Identifies, qualifies, and evaluates potential major donors using research, wealth screenings, and other prospecting strategies
Represents SF Ballet in the community while also being very visible at SF Ballet special events and at the War Memorial Opera House during Nutcracker and Repertory Season performances and donor benefit events
Maintains accurate and up-to-date prospect and donor information in Tessitura, including logging detailed contact reports in plans
Develops thoughtful moves-management strategies for all donors in their portfolio and ensures timely follow-up throughout the donor cycle
Collaborates with Development colleagues to identify new major gift prospects and strengthen the organization’s donor and prospect pipeline
Works closely with the Deputy Director, Campaign & Individual Philanthropy and Managing Director, Campaign & Individual Philanthropy to plan and solicit sophisticated multi-year comprehensive Campaign asks, special fundraising support, and Endowment contributions
Other duties as assigned