The Phoenix Symphony, Chief Development Officer

Organization

The Phoenix Symphony (TPS) is Arizona's largest performing arts organization and considered a cultural icon. Founded in 1947 as a part-time orchestra, TPS has grown to become Arizona's only full-time symphony orchestra with a 38-week season and 66 musicians. Its vision is to be the arts leader in the revitalization of a thriving Arizona and its mission is to provide the joy of music as a catalyst in helping Arizona become the best place in America to live, work, and raise a family. TPS creates high quality music experiences to feed the souls of its residents, bolster the cultural economy, and educate and strengthen its next generation, resulting in a creative workforce.

Internationally recognized as one of the most gifted conductors on the podium today, Tito Muñoz serves as the Virginia G. Piper Music Director. He is praised for his versatility, technical clarity, and keen musical insight. TPS presents dozens of exciting and inspiring Classics and Pops concerts as well as special performance concerts each year at Symphony Hall in downtown Phoenix and throughout Arizona. Founded in 2001, The Phoenix Symphony Chorus serves as a professional level performing partner and is comprised of more than 140 volunteers who collectively donate over 12,000 hours each year. Launched on September 20, 2019, the 2019-20 season  celebrates the life and works of Ludwig van Beethoven in honor of his 250^th birthday.

TPS also offers unique and highly anticipated annual fundraising events. Savor the Symphony, an annual Women's Luncheon at Symphony Hall, offers guests a sneak peek as TPS musicians rehearse with a special guest artist, followed by a luncheon prepared by one of the Valley’s celebrity chefs. The New Year's Eve Gala at The Biltmore Resort includes a one-of-a-kind opportunity to ring in the new year dancing to the full orchestra after enjoying a three-course dinner and champagne toast.

TPS provides unparalleled civic value to its community and is a critical resource in educating the next generation on music, education, health, and wellness. TPS has a proven track record for providing cutting-edge music education and wellness programs of great breadth and depth. Most importantly, TPS has reconceived the basic mission and vision of an American orchestra: not to foster aesthetic achievement in a bubble but rather align itself with the needs of the greater community. Each year, TPS education and community outreach programs impact more than 90,000 youth in 288 schools and 36 cities statewide through its K-12 school program. Its health and wellness programs reach over 34,000 senior and homeless citizens. Core education and community outreach programs include Symphony for the Schools, Classroom Concerts, Mind Over Music™, Symphony Connections, One Nation, and four B-Sharp Music Wellness, W.O.N.D.E.R. Projects with initiatives focused on the homeless, hospitals, music & Alzheimer’s research, and Alzheimer’s caregivers.

The senior management team is currently led by President & CEO Jim Ward who will retire from the role in early 2020. TPS is governed by a 32-member board of directors led by Chairman Dr. Oliver Harper. Members include C-Suite level executives, community leaders, and Maestro Muñoz. Additionally, two TPS musicians serve as board members and attend meetings, present reports, and regularly interact with the board of directors—a rare and unique partnership in the orchestra world that works extremely well at TPS. All board members are engaged advocates for TPS. In the fiscal year ending June 30, 2019, total reported revenues were $14 million, with $7.2 million from contributions and grants and $6.7 million from program service revenue. Total expenses were $13.4 million.

Community

Nicknamed the “Valley of the Sun,” the Greater Phoenix area boasts an average temperature of 72 degrees and more than 300 days of sunshine annually. With a population of 4.7 million, Phoenix is the fifth largest and fastest growing city in the nation according to the United States Census Bureau. The median age is 36, making Phoenix the sixth youngest metropolitan city in the country. Residents in their 30s and 40s are the fastest growing segment of the population. More than 23 distinct urban and suburban communities encompass Greater Phoenix, including Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, Phoenix, Mesa, Tempe, and Fountain Hills, each with its own identity and warm, welcoming sense of inclusivity.

Phoenix is a region with global reach and represents incredible opportunities for international companies looking to relocate or expand to the United States. There are 802 foreign-owned firms in Greater Phoenix, more than 55,000 people employed by foreign-owned companies, and dozens of international locations reached daily through nonstop flights from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, which sees over 45 million passengers each year.

As an innovative and forward-looking city, Phoenix is home to more than 40 universities, training institutions, and internationally renowned business organizations—all geared toward preparing a talented workforce across a variety of industries. Arizona State University is the largest university in the United States and has been named by U.S. News & World Report as the most innovative university four years in a row. This spirit of innovation spills over into all sectors of the community, including the arts. Other globally recognized institutions and business organizations based in Phoenix include Thunderbird School of Global Management, Arizona Culinary Institute, Luke Forward (F-35) at Luke Air Force Base, The School of Architecture at Taliesin, Intel, Canadian Arizona Business Consulate, Greater Phoenix Economic Council, Greater Phoenix Leadership, McCain Institute for International Leadership, and the Sandra Day O’Connor Institute. The prestigious, top ranked Mayo Clinic and Translational Genomics Research Institute are located in the Valley, as well as other excellent hospitals and health care providers.

Phoenix has a vibrant, nationally recognized arts and culture community, including TPS, Ballet Arizona, Arizona Opera, Phoenix Art Museum, Heard Museum, Desert Botanical Garden, Musical Instrument Museum, and Phoenix Zoo. In addition, Arizona’s professional sports teams are all located in the Phoenix area. These include the MLB Arizona Diamondbacks, NFL Arizona Cardinals, NBA Phoenix Suns, NHL Arizona Coyotes, USL Phoenix Rising, and WNBA Phoenix Mercury. The Cactus League’s annual spring training games are iconic and draw millions of visitors each year to the Valley, as does the PGA Phoenix Open. Phoenix will host the Super Bowl in 2023 and the Final Four in 2024. Downtown Phoenix and surrounding communities also offer a collection of major concert venues, high-end shopping, world class restaurants, and exciting nightlife.

Living in Phoenix provides ample opportunity to enjoy a healthy lifestyle year-round with access to not only the Grand Canyon but also some of the best golf courses and hiking and biking trails in the country. Gorgeous mountain views are a part of everyday life. The unique combination of Greater Phoenix’s economic vibrancy, global reach, arts and culture institutions, thriving job market, affordable housing, major sports teams and events, an inclusive mentality, and opportunity for innovation makes living in Phoenix extremely desirable.

Source: usnews.com

Position Summary

Reporting to the President & CEO (CEO), the Chief Development Officer (CDO) is a member of the Senior Executive team and will work closely with the Board Chair, Chair of the Development Committee, and Committee members. This position will be responsible for providing the leadership, management, and coordination for all individual, corporate, foundation, government, and event fundraising efforts as well as planned giving and any capital and endowment campaign fundraising. The CDO will drive acquisition and retention for all contributed revenue through sustainable results, utilizing both innovative and traditional methods. The CDO will build a culture of trust and develop authentic relationships with major donors and subscribers as well as key corporate, foundation, civic, and community leaders via a targeted and streamlined stewardship process. The CDO will have an active role as a thought partner in developing long-range planning and key organizational strategies for the future growth of TPS.

Roles and Responsibilities

Donor Cultivation and Engagement

• Develop and implement, in partnership with the CEO and Board Chair, a long- and short-term fundraising plan that will meet ongoing institutional financial goals and needs.
• Immediately assess the status of current fiscal year fundraising efforts and provide focus, direction, and support as needed.
• Significantly grow contributed revenue within one year to support TPS’s unique and nationally acclaimed Educational and Community Outreach Programs in collaboration with the CEO, Director of Education & Outreach, Marketing Director, Board Chair, Chair of Development Committee, Music Director, and musicians.
• Research, develop, implement, and document a new systemic approach to donor lists and prospecting, cultivation, engagement, stewardship, and recognition opportunities for all donors, subscribers, and sponsors.
• Create and implement a robust and revenue generating planned giving program in collaboration with the CEO, Planned Giving Chair, and Board Chair within one year.
• Proactively collaborate and support the CEO, Board Chair, and Chair of the Development Committee in all fundraising activities, with the aptitude to close six- and seven-figure gifts.
• Create a streamlined and effective multiyear plan for personal engagement opportunities with top donors and prospects.
• Generate greater brand awareness with the CEO, Chief Marketing Officer, and board of directors to leverage significant opportunities for earned and contributed revenue growth.

Internal and External Advocacy

• Collaborate with the CEO, Board Chair, Governance Committee, and Nominating Committee to ensure a strong pipeline of prospective board members who will build the diversity, skillset, and fundraising capacity of the board of directors.
• Collaborate with Marketing and Artistic Departments to engage and include the Music Director, musicians, and guest artists on a consistent basis in the cultivation of donors and all fundraising opportunities, including Education and Community Outreach Programs, New Year’s Eve Gala, Savor the Symphony, and other events as developed.
• Utilize and engage the board of directors and community partnerships to their fullest potential.
• Possess strong aptitude for public speaking and ability to communicate TPS’s mission, vision, values, and goals with credibility, passion, and enthusiasm.
• Professionally represent TPS in the local, national, and international community.
• Embrace a robust schedule of attending concerts, fundraising and engagement events, and other activities that support TPS goals with ability to work flexible hours frequently on evenings and weekends.
• Support the institutional goals for equity and diversity in all aspects of the contributed revenue planning process.
• Stay abreast of orchestra industry trends and integrate best business practices into department operations.

Team Mentorship and Development Operations

• Provide leadership to a high-performing team of motivated development professionals with an appropriate balance of skills and experiences.
• Establish work plans, performance objectives, and goals and regularly review performance.
• Recruit, retain, and inspire the development department by researching and regularly offering professional development and training opportunities to improve staff skills.
• Engage the development department to create, implement, and document a robust and accurate contributed revenue forecasting system, evaluating progress to goals and redirecting efforts in a timely manner.
• Evaluate and employ a full spectrum of fundraising opportunities, including personal solicitation, direct mail, social media, and email.
• Ensure that internal culture, organizational structure, human and financial resources, technology, and operational plans are aligned with institutional contributed revenue expectations.
• Monitor revenue and expense budgets and prepare and present accurate and timely reporting and analysis.
• Conduct a comprehensive overview of the Tessitura database and establish a strategic plan to ensure accurate and effective donor and prospect data integrity and relationship management.
• Ensure, in partnership with the Chief Marketing Officer, that both the marketing and development departments share streamlined patron and donor data and collaborate to optimize and maximize total revenue for TPS.

Traits and Characteristics

The successful CDO will be a confident and successful fundraiser with the ability to consistently achieve ambitious contributed revenue goals. The CDO will possess the skills to effectively build consensus where teamwork is required. The selected individual will demonstrate excellent critical thinking, interpersonal, communication, and strategic planning skills, with an innate ability to articulate compelling messages for support both verbally and in writing. Receptive to new ideas, the CDO will be a self-directed and emotionally intelligent leader with the flexibility to work with diverse personalities and situations in a high energy environment, demonstrating tact, diplomacy, attention to detail, and cultural sensitivity.

Other key competencies include:

• Goal Orientation and Priority Management – The dexterity to establish specific, realistic, and time sensitive goals while calculating the risks of various options and anticipating the human, financial, and technological resources needed to achieve extraordinary results.

• Donor and Customer Focus – The agility to pursue excellence in donor and customer satisfaction by placing a high value on deep relationships and proactive moves management that builds rapport with key community, civic, corporate, and philanthropic leaders.

• Leadership and Teamwork – The vitality to build trust and establish credibility with donors, board members, musicians, and staff in recognizing their contributions and perspectives while creating strategic focus and direction.

• Self-Starting – The flexibility to take initiative, be professionally assertive and persistent, possess a strong and innate work ethic, and display self-confidence in maximizing organizational strengths and opportunities.

• Personal Accountability – The capacity to accept responsibility and accountability for professional decisions, actions, and outcomes of development department initiatives and results.

Qualifications

A bachelor’s degree is required (CFRE designation and master’s degree preferred). A minimum of 10 years of senior development leadership experience in a nonprofit organization is needed, ideally within the arts and culture field. Qualified candidates will possess a proven ability to close six- and seven-figure gifts. Exceptional public speaking skills are required. Bilingual candidates (English/Spanish) will be greatly appreciated by TPS and the diverse community it serves. Strong computer skills, including Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and advanced donor research and customer relationship management systems (Tessitura preferred), are necessary. Knowledge of classical music is preferred.

Compensation and Benefits

TPS offers a competitive and comprehensive salary and benefits package. The quality of life, cost of living, and amenities in the Phoenix metropolitan area are exemplary.

Applications and Inquiries

Please submit a letter and resume with a summary of demonstrable contributed revenue accomplishments in creating and implementing annual and multiyear fundraising plans that identify, cultivate, and solicit major individual, foundation, and corporate donors (electronic submissions preferred) to:

Cindy Grzanowski, Vice President

Arts Consulting Group

40 South 7th Street, Suite 212-148
Minneapolis, MN 55402

Tel        (888) 234.4236 Ext. 210

Email    TPS-CDO@ArtsConsulting.com

The Phoenix Symphony is an equal opportunity employer that welcomes all qualified applicants and values diversity of all kinds.