Associate, Major, Corporate & Special Gifts

Company Overview

 As one of the world’s leading theatre companies and Niagara’s 20 largest employers, The Shaw is dedicated to an ongoing process of increasing diversity   and inclusion in our audiences, our programs, and in all of our hiring for staff, artists, and in the recruiting of board members. The Shaw is committed to a   future when our theatres joyously draw on and include all peoples, fully reflective of the world around us. As such, the Shaw Festival is an equal opportunity   employer committed to a barrier-free recruitment and selection process. We encourage and invite applications from applicants who identify as Indigenous,   Black or as persons of colour (IBPOC), the LGBTQ2+ communities and those identifying as gender female. In accordance with Accessibility for Ontarians   with Disabilities Act (AODA), and in keeping with our wish to ensure a fully inclusive environment, please advise Human Resources if you require an   accommodation throughout the recruitment process. We will be happy to assist.

  We acknowledge and honour the land upon which we gather as the historic and traditional territory of First Nations peoples. In particular, we recognize and   thank the Neutral Nation, the Mississauga and the Haudenosaunee for their stewardship of these lands over millennia.

Job Description

Position: Full-time – Associate, Major, Corporate & Special Gifts
Compensation: $50 – $62K annually
Location: Hybrid work environment; flexibility for remote work for up to 40% of the time

Job description:

The Shaw Festival is supported by an incredible community of donors, corporate partners and patrons. And we are growing. As a result, we are looking for a Associate who can take care of the little things that matter, who has an eye for detail and who understands that every interaction with one of our supporters is an opportunity to make their day and strengthen our relationship with them.

This role is all about rolling up your sleeves, working hard and doing the work that is not always glamorous, but which ultimately makes the difference. This role also contributes to the successful achievement of the department’s campaign goals. 

A Day in the Life of…

As our Associate of Major, Corporate & Special Gifts you will be  working with several parts of our fundraising operation every day. For each of the teams you will be supporting, your role will be the same – keeping the wheels turning and making sure the details that matter are taken care of.

This will include:

-       Events - there will be lots of these, for different audiences, working with different teams and the key pieces in your role will be setting goals, building plans and then making sure they are delivered upon with great attention to detail.

-       Providing ticketing support and high-end concierge service for major individual and corporate donors for both theatre performances and events.

-       Working with Senior Development Officers and the Director of Advancement to track activities that are relevant to our supporters in Tessitura, our ticketing and fundraising management system (training can be provided but if you know it already, that’s ideal).

-       Making sure that calendars are updated and preparing briefing notes for donor meetings.

-       Supporting with the development of proposals for donors and corporate partners.

-       Sending out monthly pledge reminders, monitoring and reporting on designated gifts and ensuring that gift agreements are properly fulfilled for major and corporate gifts.

-       Supporting the Senior Development Officer, Major and Corporate Giving and Director of Advancement on any number of tasks that need completed in an efficient and timely manner.

What will make you successful?

To start with, you will love the arts and thrive in the creative and magical space that is The Shaw. You’ll understand that it truly is the little things that make the biggest difference, so you will enjoy paying attention to every little detail and feeling the thrill that comes from knowing the joy that your care and thought brings to our supporters.

You will be very detailed and really organized. Now, most jobs ask candidates to be organized, but to be successful here you need to really geek out on this kind of stuff.

You also need to not be afraid to advocate for what you need to make sure things happen on time and in a way that reflects the excellence of our art. This is not an admin role where you can hide away behind a spreadsheet and colour coordinated flowcharts. You will be working with different team members and different departments and the successful candidate will be able to hear what others need, step in and work their magic while at the same time advocating for what they need to be successful.

Detailed Job Description
Reporting to the “Senior Development Officer Major & Corporate Gifts”, the Associate, Major & Special Gifts provides support for all aspects of the Major, Corporate and Special Gifts (eg. Campaign) programs, through all stages of the giving cycle from identification to stewardship, including support of proposal development and donor calls.   This role contributes to the success of the department’s major and corporate giving, and campaign gift goals.

Summary of Responsibilities:

1.   Lead Organizing Donor Events, Engagement and Stewardship Activities for Major Gift, Corporate and Special Projects (Campaign)

·      In coordination with the Director of Advancement and the Senior Development Officer, Major and Corporate Gifts, plan and execute events for targeted high-end individual donors and corporate partners.

·      This work includes objective setting, developing workback schedules and executing events at a high level with great attention to detail.

·      Provide ticketing support and high-end concierge service for major individual and corporate donors for both theatre performances and events.

2.   Support fundraising success through management of major, corporate and special gift campaign stakeholder activities.

·      Assist the Director of Advancement and Senior Development Officers with the tracking of activities in Tessitura (The Shaw’s ticketing and fundraising management system), including supporting the goal setting process, moves management (donor portfolio charts) and reminders. Carry forward any action items through calendar management. 

·      Assist with preparing briefing notes, proposals and entering call reports for corporate and major gift solicitations as requested.

·      Monthly pledge reminders, monitoring and reporting of designated gifts and the fulfilment of gift agreements for major and corporate gifts.

·      Additional administrative support to the Director of Advancement and Senior Development Officers as required.

3.   Donor Communications: Facilitate meaningful communication / impact reports for donors. This includes integrating with donor communications (eg. annual report mailer, year-end reports, and custom reports relating to special, restricted gifts, and endowment gifts), along with custom and tailored documents such as thank you letters, and gift agreements pertaining to campaign gifts.

4.   Donor Research & Pipeline Segmentation: Manage prospecting preparatory activities including oversight and responsibility for pipeline segmentation and donor research activities. 

Assist with the prospect management process, as required, to ensure that prospects are moved through a pipeline from identification and cultivation to solicitation and stewardship

Support regularly-scheduled prospect review meetings to ensure solicitation strategies are identified and executed.

5.   Participate in the achieving the overall goals of the Development Team

·      Participate in the ongoing needs of the Development Team including assisting with additional donor events (eg. Opening Weekends, Friends and Governors Council events).

·      Provide additional administrative support as requested, including ticketing, to meet the ongoing needs of the Development Team.

Qualifications

·      Post-secondary degree, or equivalent.

·      Minimum 3 years experience in fundraising, event management, or administration preferably in the charitable sector.

·      Excellent interpersonal and communication skills (both written and verbal).

·      Exceptional organization skills and ability to coordinate multiple projects within tightly prescribed timelines. 

·      Experience supporting senior leadership within an organization.

·      Advanced working knowledge of Tessitura or other fundraising related databases and proficiency in Microsoft Office.

·      Knowledge of and skill in word processing, data entry and data analysis, as well as demonstrated computer aptitude and experience.

·      Experience working with internal and external constituents, as well as volunteer and committee members.

·      Ability to work independently and participate collaboratively in a team environment.

·      Ability to take initiative.

·      Demonstrated superb attention to detail, excellent organizational skills and the ability to meet deadlines and work well under pressure.

·      Demonstrated commitment to the principles of equity, diversity and inclusion to help promote a respectful work and learning environment for students, staff and faculty.

Hours of Work

·      The basic work week will total 35 hours.

·      Monday to Friday 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

·      Periodic evenings and week-ends may be required, particularly in association with donor events.

·      Some cross-border travel may be required

Please Note: All new hires must provide proof of full COVID-19 vaccination status plus booster shot prior to start date.