Major Gifts Officer
Florida Repertory Theatre Seeks Major Gifts Officer
Florida Repertory Theatre
Florida Repertory Theatre (floridarep.org) is a professional theatre company serving all of Southwest Florida. Celebrating its 29th year of award-winning regional theatre in downtown Fort Myers, we are non-profit theatre company that produces a wide variety of musicals, comedies and dramas such as Little Shop of Horrors, The Play That Goes Wrong, The Trial of Ebenezer Scrooge and Tuesdays with Morrie.
With a budget of $5 million, a staff of 55, actors and directors from NYC, many with Broadway credits, Florida Repertory Theatre brings more than 100,000 people to the Fort Myers River District annually. Florida Repertory Theatre performs in the 400 seat, 100-year-old, historic Arcade Theatre and the newly renovated 100 seat ArtStage Studio. We also operate a premier educational theatre program that reaches more than 45,000 young people annually.
Job Summary
We’re looking to build our already amazing team. Be part of the fun and joy of creating live theatre. As the Major Gifts Officer, you play a vital role in the financial solvency of one of Southwest Florida’s premiere arts organizations. The Major Gifts Officer is a key senior staff member who demonstrates a passionate commitment for establishing and meeting the contributed income goals that will assist the theatre in achieving its artistic mission. A trusted leader of the development team, the Major Gifts Officer needs to be a strong team player and strategic thinker with an intense work ethic.
Core Purpose
To dramatically expand Florida Rep's individual donor pipeline by identifying, qualifying, cultivating soliciting, and stewarding a dedicated portfolio of mid-level and major individual donors. This role is strictly relational, designed to convert the theater's high-frequency audience base into high-impact philanthropic partners.
Key Responsibilities & Essential Functions
- Portfolio Management: Build and actively advance a portfolio of 100–120 qualified individual prospects capable of giving $5,000+ annually.
- Frontline Cultivation: Conduct a minimum of 15–20 face-to-face donor discovery and solicitation meetings per month across the Southwest Florida region.
- Pipeline Qualification: Systematically review the Box Office and CRM database alongside wealth screening indicators to upgrade general donors into the higher-tier giving circles.
- Proposal Creation: Draft highly personalized, compelling donor proposals and stewardship reports tailored to specific artistic, educational, or capital priorities.
- Moves Management Lifecycle: Document all donor touchpoints, interactions, and strategies in the institutional CRM within 48 hours of engagement.
- Campaign Support: Utilize mass solicitation touchpoints (such as the Annual Appeal) as opening mechanisms for high-level personal renewals and portfolio upgrades.
- Other duties as assigned.
Organizational Workflow Intersections
- With the Director of Development: Evaluates donor strategy plans and pipeline qualifications to ensure seamless hand-offs for principal or board prospects.
- With the Development Director: Receives VIP guest lists, seating specifications, and premium benefit trackers to guarantee a personalized touchpoint during high-profile events.
- With the Interns: Assigns targeted donor profile building, data cleanup requests, and wealth indicator searches to Intern 1 (Data Operations).
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
- Major Gift Revenue: Secure a targeted dollar volume in new and renewed major individual gifts ($360,000+ Major Gift line target).
- Activity Volume: Meet a minimum benchmark of 180 qualitative, substantive donor moves/meetings per fiscal year.
- Donor Acquisition: Successfully upgrade a minimum of 15 general patrons/subscribers into major donor categories annually.
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s Degree
- Five years of experience in development
- Experience developing and maintaining productive working relationships with board members, donors, and community members
- Understanding board major giving programs
- Experience in fundraising with broad donor base
- A background in arts administration
- Excellent verbal, written, organizational and interpersonal skills
- Ability to work in a team environment
- Ability to work on a variety of projects simultaneously is essential
- Capital campaign experience not required, but would be helpful
Hours/Compensation
40+ hours/wk; including many opening nights and special events on evenings and weekends. We offer complimentary parking to our patrons and employees in a gate-controlled parking lot. We offer contributions to health, dental and vision insurance. Paid time off. $40,000—$45,000/yr. A diverse, friendly and supportive working environment where employees are encouraged to grow with the company.
To Apply
Send resume and cover letter to Cindy Borassi, Development Director, Florida Repertory Theatre, at jobs@floridarep.org.
