Director of Annual Giving

POSITION SUMMARY The Director of Annual Giving is a senior member of the Development team, responsible for building and sustaining a pipeline of loyal, engaged donors who provide critical annual operating support for the League's mission. The position oversees a comprehensive annual giving program that is a critical piece of the League's overall fundraising program. The Director is expected to work with significant independence, personal accountability, and a proactive mindset. The Director develops the annual giving plan for each fiscal year, including the schedule, messaging, and supplementary assets that drive the program to consistent growth. The position also plays a key supporting role in the Development team's event programming and in the identification and cultivation of new League donors. POSITION DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES The duties that follow represent the primary responsibilities for this role. All employees are responsible for performing other duties as assigned. Primary responsibilities for this role include the following: Annual Giving Program Strategy & Growth Designs and manages a strategic, multichannel annual giving program that includes direct mail, digital and email campaigns, social media, and personal solicitations. Develops and executes an annual giving strategy with specific revenue targets, donor acquisition goals, retention benchmarks, and upgrade pathways. Manages stewardship of all annual giving donors, including benefit fulfillment, acknowledgment, and renewal communications. Analyzes annual giving trends, including acquisition, retention, lapse, and upgrade rates, and proactively adjusts strategies in response to data. Builds and manages a mid-level giving program that serves as the critical pipeline for moving annual fund donors to major gift prospects. Collaborates with development and communications staff to produce compelling appeal copy, impact messaging, and donor-facing materials that reflect the League's brand and mission. Submits a written annual giving plan to the Vice President of Development at the start of each fiscal year, with quarterly progress reports against stated goals. Donor Stewardship Oversees the annual Impact Report, working with program staff to compile stories and data, selecting a designer, and managing the design and proofing process in coordination with the marketing team. Serves as staff liaison to the League's Volunteer Council, supporting the Council's membership growth and retention and encouraging philanthropic support for the League from Council members. Produces the quarterly Donor Newsletter, writing content, coordinating photo selection with the communications team, and ensuring that recipient lists are current. Plans and executes stewardship events, including Donor Town Halls and the Donor Lounge at the League's National Conference. Manages all aspects of assigned events, including logistics, vendor coordination, timelines, budgets, invitations, and post-event follow-up, delivering events that are professional, mission-aligned, and cost-effective. Serves as a key planning partner to the Director of Major Gifts for the League's annual Donor Appreciation Dinner and major donor events, with specific responsibility for the annual fund donor experience within those events. Donor Discovery, Cultivation, & Solicitation Manages a portfolio of mid-level prospects, conducting a minimum of 8–12 substantive donor interactions per month and managing relationships through a structured, strategic moves management process. Partners with the Director of Major Gifts to identify annual fund donors ready for major gift qualification, ensuring smooth and well-coordinated portfolio transitions. Responds to all donor inquiries and communications within 24–48 hours. Data Integrity & Reporting Maintains complete, timely, and accurate records of all donor interactions, gift data, and proposals in the CRM. Oversees the accuracy of annual fund giving records, including pledge schedules, gift agreements, and donor biographical information. Uses data and analytics to drive decision-making, including identifying new and lapsed annual donors for engagement or re-engagement and adjusting cultivation strategies based on donor engagement. Generates and interprets regular reports on annual giving performance, including response rates, average gift, retention rate, and revenue by channel. Partners with development operations to identify and resolve data discrepancies and to improve tracking, reporting, and acknowledgment workflows. POSITION QUALIFICATIONS Experience Minimum of five to seven years of progressive fundraising experience, with demonstrated success managing annual giving programs. Demonstrated experience planning and executing donor events. Passion for or knowledge of classical music and the orchestral field a plus. Skills/Abilities Strong proficiency with CRM systems (Raiser's Edge, Salesforce, or equivalent) and a disciplined, detail-oriented approach to data entry and reporting. Strong project management and organizational skills. Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to write compelling appeal copy and present confidently to donors, volunteers, and senior leadership. Ability to work independently, set priorities, manage multiple deadlines, and take ownership of outcomes without close supervision. Genuine commitment to the mission of the League of American Orchestras and the ability to articulate that mission with authenticity and enthusiasm. Ability to travel domestically on occasion for donor events, staff meetings and retreats, and the League's National Conference. PHYSICAL DEMANDS/WORK ENVIRONMENT The physical demands and work environment characteristics described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Physical Demands This role requires the routine use of standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, and printers. This role requires using the English language to engage with internal and external stakeholders by phone, email, and in person. Employee is expected to be able to accurately exchange information with these stakeholders. Work Environment In the primary work environment, the noise level is quiet to moderate with ambient room temperatures, and lighting. Equal Opportunity Employer Statement The League is an equal opportunity employer that is committed to equity, diversity, and inclusion in the workplace. We prohibit discrimination and harassment of any kind based on race, color, sex, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, genetic information, pregnancy, or any other protected characteristic as outlined by federal, state, or local laws. This policy applies to all employment practices within our organization, including hiring, recruiting, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, leave of absence, compensation, benefits, and training. The League makes hiring decisions based solely on qualifications, merit, and business needs at the time.