Manager, Individual Giving & Stewardship

Reporting to the Director of Advancement, the Manager, Individual Giving & Stewardship role cultivates, solicits, and stewards annual gifts and memberships to support Workhouse programs and operations. The Manager, Individual Giving & Stewardship will work directly with the Director of Advancement to inform and realize a comprehensive fundraising plan for annual giving and membership programs, with the goal of engaging and growing WAF’s donor base. This position is expected to be a present, enthusiastic advocate for WAF and its programs and inspire our community to experience and more deeply understand the impact of giving at WAF.

The Job:

• Actively man the front lines of our fundraising efforts! Own, manage, lead, and advance a portfolio comprised of 50-100 individual donors up to $2,500 (threshold flexible) and donor prospects in support of Annual Fund growth and sustainability. Achieve the financial goals set for this portfolio, and work as a key contributor to the success of all individual giving programs and Annual Fund goals. Own the hospitality of the Advancement department and the WAF campus for onsite donor visits.
• Be a community connector! Serve as staff support during major fundraisers, performances, and other sponsored and donor-driven events. Attend other WAF public programs and events, as available, and conduct regular follow-up via phone, email, and in-person tactics with attendees for Advancement pipelining. Participate in community events and meetings, as needed, to better connect WAF with our surrounding community.
• (Re)define what it means to be a member! Own the solicitation and ongoing program management of WAF’s low-dollar membership program—Friends of the Workhouse (FOW), with a focus on re-acquisition and growth of the FOW donor base. FOW priorities will be to engage donors at entry points that are inclusive, accessible for all, and support onsite engagement with programs and activities at all tiers of giving. Support the Director of Advancement in the management and stewardship of the Sustainer’s Circle—WAF’s named major giving cohort.
• Be our donors’ champion! Serve as the primary point of contact for all individual donors at WAF and lead recognition efforts across annual giving and events for consistency and appropriate prominence. Work collaboratively to drive, create, and manage recognition across multiple membership programs and sponsorship opportunities—as well as optimize, manage, and execute high-value membership benefits for our members.
• Lend your voice to a small, highly collaborative team and staff! Work closely with the Director of Advancement to execute multiple giving campaigns and philanthropic communications in support of WAF’s Annual Fund, highlighting different areas of our cultural impact and artistry. Liaise with other departments across WAF to gather impact data for Advancement purposes. Support the Director of Advancement to plan and execute two fundraisers annually, ensuring that donor invitation lists, recognition, and overall event goals are met.
• Productively complete administrative tasks! Lead gift processing, acknowledgement, reporting, plan management, and more, in partnership with the Director of Advancement, to best utilize our systems to report on giving progress to goals. Be a knowledgeable resource and active user of our CRM systems and serve as an active representative of our organization within the Tessitura user community. Actively research and identify new prospects, own the presentation of individual research profiles, and qualify donors for philanthropic participation regularly.

The Goals:

• Contribute to an Annual Fund approach that marries best practice and new ideas to creatively deliver on campaign goals, with a focus on donor acquisition and retention.
• Diversify and grow WAF’s individual donor base with intentionality and ensure that all fundraising efforts align with WAF’s commitment to diversity, community, and inclusivity.
• Participate in the cultivation and development of Advancement Department strategies to grow sustainable contributed revenues.

The Resources at Your Disposal:

• Tessitura: WAF’s centralized CRM system that houses all giving, class registration, ticketing, and marketing activity within one constituent profile. Tessitura also offers in-depth analytics functionalities and web presentations to best facilitate patron transactional behavior.
• Wealth Engine: Online prospecting and wealth screening tool that integrates with Tessitura to present screened constituent information directly within each profile.

The Ideal Qualifications:

• A bachelor’s degree and at least 3 years of experience in frontline fundraising with a proven track record of success. Higher education or specialized experience in arts management or in an arts and cultural setting strongly preferred, but not required.
• Previous experience with the Tessitura database (strongly preferred, but not required), or other sophisticated CRM solution.
• Must be able to handle sensitive, confidential information with discretion and professionalism.
• Knowledge of the visual and/or performing arts, or a willingness to learn about the arts.
• Experience with Microsoft Office Suite and Outlook
• Ability to work evenings and weekends for special events and fundraisers.

The Competitive Candidate:

The competitive candidate for this position enjoys creative ideation for fundraising and stewardship initiatives and is passionate about supporting multidisciplinary, community arts and art education experiences in the NOVA/DMV region. A competitive candidate is a creative thinker and an outgoing, confident communicator who eagerly anticipates needs, is resourceful, and takes initiative to propose strong solutions. The competitive candidate is also a strong “people person” that can bring a honed set of verbal and written interpersonal skills to conversations with a variety of stakeholders. The candidate will be expected to thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic work environment, and should be able to demonstrate successful management of multiple projects simultaneously with minimal supervision while maintaining a strong commitment to high-quality work.

Applications and Inquiries: Please submit the following PDF items electronically, with the subject line containing the words “Manager, Individual Giving & Stewardship” stated. Only qualified applicants will be contacted. Please direct all submissions to: humanresources@workhousearts.org

• Cover letter
• Resume including demonstrable accomplishments

Position will remain open until filled.

Status: Full time, at-will, exempt position

Reports to: Director of Advancement

Compensation/Benefits: $60,000-70,000 annually, with a benefit package that includes a health/dental insurance plan, a retirement plan (non-matching), PTO and sick leave, compensatory time off, and other employee benefits.

Schedule: 40 hours per week; primary business hours 9:00AM to 5:00PM, Monday through Friday. Some meetings or special events may require working occasional weekends and weeknights.

Location: On-Site, with the potential for remote work flexibility up to one day per week.