Director of Corporate Giving & Sponsorships
Immediate Opening January 2025
POSITION SUMMARY:
The Director of Corporate Giving & Sponsorships is responsible for securing and increasing corporate gifts and sponsorships for the North Carolina Symphony’s artistic and educational programming, special events, and special campaigns. The Director develops and executes the overall strategy and plan for corporate giving, manages a portfolio of current and prospective corporate donors, and is responsible for meeting annual corporate revenue goals, currently at $800,000. This position reports to the Vice President of Philanthropy.
MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Secure a minimum of $800,000 in contributed revenue annually, and provide strategic direction and leadership for long-term growth of the Symphony’s corporate giving program, in collaboration with the Vice President of Philanthropy
- Develop and implement comprehensive annual giving and fulfillment plans for the Symphony’s corporate donors, including identifying, qualifying, cultivating, soliciting, closing gifts, recognizing, and stewarding corporations statewide, to achieve annual revenue goals and strengthen the prospect pipeline
- Manage a portfolio of corporate donors for renewal and prospects for support
- Establish and maintain strategic relationships with corporate donors through calls, visits, and hosting at concerts, music education programs, and special events
- Establish and meet goals for face-to-face contacts, solicitations, and gifts closed
- Identify, track, and leverage trustee linkages to corporate donors, prospects, and other influential individuals
- Collaborate with and involve the President & CEO, Vice President of Philanthropy, trustees, and members of local chapter boards in strategy development, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship
- Maintain accurate and up-to-date records on contact reports, solicitations, follow-up, stewardship, reporting, and research, in the database and electronic and hard files
- Implement a robust calendar of internal and external deadlines for research and discovery, tailored sponsorship proposals and applications, interim and final reports, and recognition and benefits
- Plan and achieve monthly and quarterly revenue targets; track progress toward goals; and provide status updates to the Vice President of Philanthropy and the President & CEO
- Serve as an ambassador for the North Carolina Symphony in business, civic, and philanthropic communities
- Based on industry best practices and data, develop, design, and test strategies to increase corporate support
- Work collaboratively with the President & CEO, the Vice President of Philanthropy, and the Philanthropy team to set fundraising goals, develop overall fundraising strategies and spending plans, and manage outcomes for success
- Attend concerts and events, and perform concert duty and other responsibilities or assignments as required
QUALIFICATIONS:
- At least 3 to 5 years of progressively responsible nonprofit fundraising or related experience, with a confirmed record of success, preferably with a performing arts or cultural institution
- Demonstrated success in identifying, qualifying, cultivating, soliciting, closing gifts, and stewarding corporate donors and prospects, and a track record of success in personally achieving or exceeding annual fundraising goals of at least $500,000
- Knowledge of current corporate giving landscape and trends
- Demonstrated success partnering with trustees and community leaders to achieve fundraising goals
- Excellent communication skills (written and verbal), strong organizational skills, and experienced in research and analysis
- Desire to work in a fast-paced, collaborative, and supportive work environment where innovation and initiative are valued
- Must be able to support and implement the mission, vision, and values of the North Carolina Symphony; knowledge of and interest in orchestral music
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office programs, Zoom, and donor databases
- Ability to travel in North Carolina and work outside traditional office hours
- Bachelor’s degree required
OTHER CONISDERATIONS:
- Applicants must be authorized to legally work in the U.S. and independently maintain such authorization. The NCS is unable to sponsor or to assume sponsorship of an employment Visa.
- Because driving between worksites and to various locations may be a central function of the position, administrative staff must maintain a valid driver’s license and have reliable transportation.
The North Carolina Symphony values diversity in backgrounds and experiences. Individuals are encouraged to apply even if they do not meet every requirement. We expect that the ideal candidate will exhibit many of the listed requirements, skills, and competencies. We also consider a combination of experience, proficiency, and transferrable skills when considering a position submission.
This is a full-time salaried position based in the Triangle region of North Carolina. The North Carolina Symphony is currently operating on a hybrid work structure with onsite and remote work (after first 90 days). The benefits package includes health insurance through Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina, long-term disability coverage, life insurance, an employee assistance program and voluntary vision and dental insurance. Enrollees in our optional 403(b) retirement plan receive an employer match and our Health Savings Account offering provides a bi-annual employer contribution.
TO APPLY:
Please email your cover letter, résumé, three references (including their titles, organizations, and contact information), and a writing or presentation sample (solicitation, proposal, or stewardship report) to:
Lisa Ransom, Vice President of Philanthropy
humanresources@ncsymphony.org
No phone calls please.
THE ORGANIZATION: The North Carolina Symphony (NCS) is an equal opportunity employer that maintains a policy of nondiscrimination with respect to all employees and applicants for employment including hiring, promotion, layoff, termination, rates of pay, selection for training, and recruitment. All considerations are administered without regard to race, color, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, gender, age, disability, or veteran status. Employment decisions, subject to the legitimate business requirements of NCS, are based solely on the individual’s qualifications, merit, experience, and performance. NCS is proud to be a partner orchestra of the National Alliance for Audition Support.
Founded in 1932, NCS is a vital and honored component of North Carolina’s cultural life. Each year, more than 300 concerts, education programs, and community engagement offerings reach adults and schoolchildren in all 100 North Carolina counties—in communities large and small, and in concert halls, auditoriums, gymnasiums, restaurants, clubs, and outdoor settings. The NCS is proud to expand access to audiences around the globe through concerts and educational offerings available through the digital space.
NCS’s state headquarters venue is the spectacular Meymandi Concert Hall at the Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Raleigh. The Symphony’s service across the state includes series in Chapel Hill, Wilmington, New Bern, Southern Pines, and Fayetteville, as well as the Summerfest series at its summer home, the outdoor Koka Booth Amphitheatre in Cary. NCS brings some of the world’s greatest talents to North Carolina and embraces home-state artists from classical musicians to bluegrass bands, creating live music experiences distinctive to North Carolina. NCS is dedicated to giving voice to new art and has presented more than 50 U.S. or world premieres in its history.
Committed to engaging students of all ages across North Carolina, NCS leads one of the most extensive education programs of any symphony orchestra in the country—serving over 150,000 students each year. In alignment with the curriculum set by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, the Symphony provides training and resources for teachers, sends small ensembles into classrooms, and presents full-orchestra in-person and online Education Concerts that bring the fundamentals of music to life. Music Discovery for preschoolers combines music with storytelling, and at the middle and high school levels, students have opportunities to work directly with NCS artists and perform for NCS audiences.
THE AREA: The Symphony’s home base of Raleigh is the state’s capital, located in the Piedmont (central) region of North Carolina. Raleigh is the largest city in a 3,500-square mile Metropolitan area known as the Triangle (Raleigh / Durham / Chapel Hill) and is among the fastest-growing cities in the US. Raleigh is located approximately 140 miles from the Appalachian highlands and 130 miles from the Atlantic Coast, making the ease of a day trip to the mountains or the beach a unique benefit of living here. Located within the area is Research Triangle Park, home to several corporate and regional headquarters: Fidelity Investments, Duke Health, IBM, Red Hat, SAS, GlaxoSmithKline, and Cisco all have large presences, to name a few.
The home of many creative and well-educated citizens, Raleigh has been lauded as a “Best City for Business and Careers” by Fortune magazine and a “Best Place to Live in America” by Money magazine. It provides its people and businesses with a world-class combination of economic vitality, low unemployment, tremendous educational opportunity, environmental quality, and exceptional quality of life. The park system offers a vast network of recreational greenway trails that connect neighborhoods, and the housing market continues to be strong compared to national averages.
Thirteen institutions of higher education provide affordable and premium educational opportunities for adult and extension classes and a well-educated citizenry of students, graduates, and faculty. The Triangle is also an area of tremendous resources where cultural and performing arts organizations thrive. Other major institutions include the North Carolina Museum of Art, North Carolina Museum of History, Carolina Ballet, North Carolina Opera, American Dance Festival, Ackland Art Museum Nasher Art Museum, Marbles Kids Museum, North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, Morehead Planetarium, and Carolina Performing Arts at UNC-Chapel Hill. There are film, music, dance and crafts festivals, local theater groups and touring Broadway shows.
The Triangle is also a vital sports center. It is host to the NHL’s Stanley Cup-winning Carolina Hurricanes, minor league baseball’s Durham Bulls, and the sports programs of ACC members Duke University, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and North Carolina State University.
