Legacy Giving Officer - FRANKLIN STREET SAN FRANCISCO, California, United States

Description · Job Title: Legacy Giving Officer · Reports To: Deputy Director of Philanthropy and Campaign Director · Position Type: Full-Time, Exempt · Compensation: $80,000 - $95,000 Annually  ·   · Position Summary: · The Legacy Giving Officer plays a vital role in fostering a ...

Job description

Description

Job Title: Legacy Giving Officer

Reports To: Deputy Director of Philanthropy and Campaign Director

Position Type: Full-Time, Exempt

Compensation: $80,000 - $95,000 Annually 

 

Position Summary:

The Legacy Giving Officer plays a vital role in fostering a culture of philanthropy at San Francisco Ballet by inspiring donors to make lasting contributions through planned gifts. With a deep commitment to donor stewardship and collaboration, the Legacy Giving Officer designs and leads strategies that position planned giving as a core component of San Francisco Ballet's fundraising efforts and Comprehensive Campaign. This position oversees the Jocelyn Vollmar Legacy Circle—building meaningful, authentic relationships with current supporters—and is responsible for expanding the planned giving program by identifying, cultivating, and soliciting individuals who are interested in supporting the Ballet through bequests, trusts, annuities, retirement plans, and other deferred giving instruments. Through values-driven conversations, the Legacy Giving Officer helps donors align their interests and philanthropic goals with areas of support at San Francisco Ballet, securing gifts that safeguard the financial sustainability and vitality of the organization and the ability to activate its bold artistic vision.

Key Responsibilities Include:

• Managing San Francisco Ballet's planned giving program by developing and implementing strategies that align with the organization's overarching fundraising goals and priorities and lead to the sustainable growth of the Ballet's endowment
• Planning and implementing ongoing planned giving engagement and stewardship touchpoints, including in-person and telephone outreach, as well as electronic and print communications, to strengthen donor relationships and deepen engagement
• Cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding a portfolio of planned giving donors and prospects through personal visits, regular correspondence, and engagement events
• Collaborating closely with frontline fundraisers on planned giving strategy; identifying opportunities for joint meetings and solicitations; and partnering with staff and the Board of Trustees to integrate planned giving into Campaign strategy, including engaging Trustees, frontline fundraisers, and leadership in solicitations
• Meeting regularly with planned giving prospects to discuss legacy giving opportunities
• Developing and providing customized proposals with tailored giving options that align with donor interests and capacity; facilitating pledge and gift documentation
• Creating marketing materials to promote planned giving, including newsletters, program book ads, digital and print appeals, and Campaign collateral
• Educating donors and prospects on planned giving options, key funding priorities, and philanthropic investment opportunities, with a strategic focus on attracting new legacy donors and deepening support from existing contributors
• Managing the Jocelyn Vollmar Legacy Circle, including member communications, benefits, and recognition opportunities; manages the planned giving inbox and phone line
• Maintaining accurate Legacy Circle donor lists
• Overseeing Legacy Circle stewardship and cultivation events—including the annual Legacy Luncheon—in partnership with the Events team
• Working with legal, financial, and estate planning professionals to ensure gifts are properly structured, documented, and compliant with all relevant regulations and ethical standards
• Tracking and managing donor relationships, gift intentions, and documentation in the Tessitura database, ensuring accurate recordkeeping
• Providing regular pipeline reports, projections, metrics, and data analysis, in partnership with the Director of Development Operations
• Keeps up to date on new developments and best practices in estate planning and charitable giving laws

Qualifications

Internal Contacts:

Development, Artistic, Artistic Operations, Production, Education & Training, and Marketing departments

External Contacts:

Individual donors, Trustees, vendors, WMOH staff, volunteers

Years and Type of Related Experience Required:

• Minimum of four (4) years fundraising experience in individual or legacy giving, or similar equivalent experience
• Familiarity with CRM software (i.e., Tessitura, Raiser's Edge, Blackbaud, Salesforce preferred)
• Proven track record of securing five- and six-figure major and planned gifts, meeting annual fundraising targets, and building strong, authentic relationships with donors, colleagues, and key stakeholders
• Demonstrated knowledge of planned giving vehicles, estate planning, and charitable giving laws
• Exceptional communication abilities, meticulous attention to detail and follow-through, and strong organizational and project management skills
• Ability to maintain strict confidentiality and exercise sound judgment when managing sensitive data
• Love of performing arts desired; knowledge of the Bay Area philanthropy landscape a plus

Professional/Technical Competencies:

• Develops and implements detailed planned giving fundraising plans, based on best practices and sound principles for identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding donors in order to meet annual planned giving goals.
• Manages all aspects of San Francisco Ballet's Planned Giving Program in coordination with the Deputy Director of Philanthropy and Campaign Director and the Director of Individual Giving. Prepares annual work plan with performance indicators.
• Successfully solicits a portfolio of planned giving donors and prospects, securing commitments and facilitating all necessary pledge and gift documentation.
• Develops detailed, holistic strategies for donors and prospects and ensures that the progress of each strategy is documented.
• Represents SF Ballet at all times with the highest degree of professionalism and communicates the organization's position on sensitive issues without losing the donor's goodwill.
• Staffs ballet performances and events.
• Arranges and attends meetings with donors and prospects, effectively briefing leadership and colleagues on the meeting strategies and outcomes.
• Successfully plans and executes planned giving stewardship and cultivation events in partnership with the Events team and Development staff.
• Maintains documentation, files, and tracking of all donor contacts, gifts, and stewardship activities in a manner that is accessible by others.
• Regularly strategizes and collaborates with the Individual Giving Team on donor prospects and strategy.
• Identifies and involves Board leadership in the cultivation and solicitation of donors and prospects
• Maintains effective communication and rapport with others, both internally and externally, to track progress and decisions.
• Embraces and contributes to the Development team's culture of philanthropy through collaboration, discretion, kindness, and respect within and across departments.

Physical Demands:

Position requires using word-processing and database systems, and also a flexible schedule to attend various donor-related events and meetings during Nutcracker and the repertory season. Ability to travel if necessary.

Special Equipment/Software Used:

Tessitura; Microsoft Office (including Teams and SharePoint); Adobe Acrobat; Asana; PC and standard office equipment, such as a printer and copier.

Application Procedure

We prefer you apply online

NO CALLS, PLEASE

San Francisco Ballet Association is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to employing a diverse staff. Qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records will be considered for the position in accordance with the Fair Chance Ordinance (FCO).

Organizational Profile

As America's oldest professional ballet company and one of the three largest ballet companies in the United States, San Francisco Ballet has enjoyed a long and rich tradition of artistic firsts since it was founded in 1933. SF Ballet performed the first American productions of Swan Lake and Nutcracker, as well as the first production of Coppelia, choreographed by an American choreographer. Guided in its early years by American dance pioneers and brothers Lew, Willam, and Harold Christensen, San Francisco Ballet currently presents more than 100 performances a year locally, nationally, and abroad. Under the direction of Tamara Rojo, the Company upholds and drives an international reputation as one of the preeminent ballet companies in the world.