OUR MISSION

We in Boston University Development & Alumni Relations (DAR) harness the power of philanthropy to make an excellent education accessible and welcoming to all, and to advance BU’s global leadership in research, scholarship, artistic creation, and professional practice. To support our work, we have built—and are continuing to build—an outstanding team of dynamic, mission-driven advancement professionals who constantly strive to create an environment where everyone belongs. Where it’s not just a job, but a career and a community.

Now, our ALUMNI & DEVELOPMENT OFFICE AT THE COLLEGE OF FINE ARTS is looking for a MAJOR GIFTS OFFICER who will help develop and execute the fundraising strategy of major gifts.

DEVELOPMENT & ALUMNI RELATIONS, COLLEGE OF FINE ARTS AT BOSTON UNIVERSITY

The Development & Alumni Relations (DAR) Office at the College of Fine Arts (CFA) is responsible for engaging and connecting with the over 16,000 alumni around the world and raising money to benefit the College of Fine Arts. The College of Fine Arts DAR team aims to engage all of our alumni in getting them to commit their time, talent, and treasure to the College. The Major Gift Officer is key to the strategic identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of our alumni. The College of Fine Arts is comprised of the School of Theatre; the School of Music; and the School of Visual Arts. CFA also houses the Boston University Tanglewood Institute; Wheelock Family Theatre; and BU Bands.

The College of Fine Arts has a Dean’s Advisory Board comprising 13 members; the Boston Tanglewood Institute has an Advisory Council comprising 18 members; and the Wheelock Family Theatre is in the nascent stages of building a new philanthropic board. The College of Fine Arts has more than 1,000 donors each year, and in the last campaign raised over $28 million.  The Major Gifts Officer will be a pivotal player in our next campaign and the future of the college.

MAJOR GIFTS OFFICER, COLLEGE OF FINE ARTS

Reporting to Assistant Dean, Development & Alumni Relations, the Major Gifts Officer (MGO) is a key leader in the College of Fine Art’s effort to secure multi-year commitments of $100K+ and annual gifts for the College’s priorities.  The MGO also must collaborate with and convene other Development & Alumni Relations stakeholders as well as CFA colleagues to ensure a coordinated and thoughtful approach to all activities meant to engage the College’s leading prospects and donors. 

The MGO will be responsible for establishing their own prospect and donor portfolio, and will have ambitious goals for prospect discovery, solicitations, and gift closures. The focus in the first 12 months will be on the identification and cultivation of this portfolio, and solicitations should then follow accordingly after the first year. Additionally, the MGO will be asked to manage a number of active annual fund donors with the explicit goal of qualifying them for further major gifts or higher-level annual and multi-year gifts.  

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Direct solicitation of major gifts at the $100,000+ level and leadership annual gifts. Responsible for all phases of engagement and cultivation processes, and includes regular travel to the west coast, NYC and other regions as determined by the Assistant Dean. Targeted goal of 10-12 visits a month and an annual Campaign dollar goal as determined by the Assistant Dean.
• Collaborate with Development & Alumni Relations colleagues to devise specific strategies and timetables for the successful solicitation of individuals with a goal of maximizing their philanthropy to Boston University. Remain informed on College of Fine Arts and greater University content generally, and in greater detail where necessary for prospect cases. Integrate Alumni Relations activities as an essential component of the overall development strategy.
• Coordinate and orchestrate prospect strategies with the appropriate College and University leadership and work in tandem to assure the highest and best use of time, budget, and personnel.
• Partner with the Assistant Dean on special projects including, but not limited to, developing and executing fundraising strategies for parents, fundraising in support of the School of Music’s 150th Anniversary, BU Band’s 100th Anniversary, and WFT’s 40th Anniversary, and developing and executing on the formation of annual giving leadership recognition.

Required Skills

A cover letter is required for consideration.

• Bachelor’s degree, advanced degree preferred
• 8+ years of directly related experience, which could include fundraising in arts organizations
• Outstanding track record of building and developing customer relationships
• Strong understanding of development and philanthropy
• Effective experience in enlisting and interacting with senior level leadership volunteers and committees, both internally and externally
• Excellent written and oral communication and presentation skills
• Superb judgment and the sensibility to adjudicate wisely among competing priorities
• A disposition to listen and circulate widely
• Outstanding interpersonal skills
• Deep understanding of the role a fundraiser plays in being the conduit for the donor
• Demonstrated commitment/passion for the arts preferred

BUT THAT’S NOT ALL WE’RE LOOKING FOR; WE WANT SOMEONE WHO EMBODIES OUR VALUES:

• TEAMWORK, TRANSPARENCY, AND MUTUAL RESPECT, because we value every member’s contributions and know that leadership can come from anywhere.
• DIVERSITY, EQUITY, INCLUSION, and a commitment to ensuring that each of us knows we belong here.
• INTEGRITY in how we work and how we treat one another.
• STRATEGIC THINKING AND CURIOSITY in the relentless pursuit of fresh approaches and measurable results.
• CONTINUOUS GROWTH AND IMPROVEMENT, both as individuals and as a team.
• JOY AND SHARED APPRECIATION for working hard toward goals that matter.

If this resonates with you and you want to help us in our ambitious next campaign—and maybe do some of your best work as an advancement professional— we encourage you to apply. If you are hesitant to apply because you have not previously performed every responsibility listed in the description, but you do possess transferable skills, our values, and the defined qualifications, we still want to hear from you and welcome your application.

To learn more about Development & Alumni Relations at Boston University, and other job opportunities, please stop by the DAR Talent website: https://www.bu.edu/dar-talent/.

Boston University is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

_ _

If you require a reasonable accommodation in order to complete the employment application process, please contact the Equal Opportunity Office at 617-353-6474.

Required Experience

A cover letter is required for consideration.

• Bachelor’s degree, advanced degree preferred
• 8+ years of directly related experience, which could include fundraising in arts organizations
• Outstanding track record of building and developing customer relationships
• Strong understanding of development and philanthropy
• Effective experience in enlisting and interacting with senior level leadership volunteers and committees, both internally and externally
• Excellent written and oral communication and presentation skills
• Superb judgment and the sensibility to adjudicate wisely among competing priorities
• A disposition to listen and circulate widely
• Outstanding interpersonal skills
• Deep understanding of the role a fundraiser plays in being the conduit for the donor
• Demonstrated commitment/passion for the arts preferred

BUT THAT’S NOT ALL WE’RE LOOKING FOR; WE WANT SOMEONE WHO EMBODIES OUR VALUES:

• TEAMWORK, TRANSPARENCY, AND MUTUAL RESPECT, because we value every member’s contributions and know that leadership can come from anywhere.
• DIVERSITY, EQUITY, INCLUSION, and a commitment to ensuring that each of us knows we belong here.
• INTEGRITY in how we work and how we treat one another.
• STRATEGIC THINKING AND CURIOSITY in the relentless pursuit of fresh approaches and measurable results.
• CONTINUOUS GROWTH AND IMPROVEMENT, both as individuals and as a team.
• JOY AND SHARED APPRECIATION for working hard toward goals that matter.

If this resonates with you and you want to help us in our ambitious next campaign—and maybe do some of your best work as an advancement professional— we encourage you to apply. If you are hesitant to apply because you have not previously performed every responsibility listed in the description, but you do possess transferable skills, our values, and the defined qualifications, we still want to hear from you and welcome your application.

To learn more about Development & Alumni Relations at Boston University, and other job opportunities, please stop by the DAR Talent website: https://www.bu.edu/dar-talent/.

Boston University is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

_ _

If you require a reasonable accommodation in order to complete the employment application process, please contact the Equal Opportunity Office at 617-353-6474.