Donor Relations Associate

This job involves a black tie gala, a pickleball tournament, and one of the most consequential piano competitions in the world. If that combination sounds appealing rather than confusing, keep reading.

The Role

The Donor Relations Associate works alongside the Director of Donor Relations to produce and fundraise the Cliburn's two signature benefit events: the annual gala and the annual golf and pickleball tournament. You will have a hand in both sides of each one. On the production side, that means vendors, invitations, guest communications, run of show, budgets, and the hours before and after the doors open. On the fundraising side, it means helping sell sponsorships, tables, foursomes, and tickets, then seeing those commitments through to invoice and payment.

Then there are the competitions. The Cliburn presents three, each held once every four years and staggered so that a competition arrives in three years out of four. Competition years bring a calendar of their own with patron receptions, donor dinners, and hospitality for the supporters and guests who travel to be here for it. The fourth year, the one without a competition, is when the department does its most deliberate work cultivating the relationships that carry the next three.

You will also support the smaller gatherings that fill the season.

You will maintain the donor record in Raiser's Edge, research the individuals your director is about to meet, prepare materials, and track pledges and budgets with precision. In time you will come to know our patrons well, including their history with the Cliburn, their tastes, their reasons for giving. Part of your job is making sure they feel known in return.

What You Will Learn

Almost no one studies fundraising. Nearly everyone in the profession arrived from somewhere else. This position is a starting point, and a demanding one. It is an introduction to how a benefit event earns its revenue, how donor relationships develop over years, and how a competition of international standing gets produced.  This is a place to become an experienced development professional.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree, in any discipline;
• Exceptional organization and a reliable eye for detail;
• Composure under competing deadlines, and the ability to adapt when; plans change;
• Discretion with confidential information; and
• Ease in conversation with people you have just met.

Welcome but not required: 

• Event or volunteer experience, including internships and university work;
• Familiarity with a CRM or database; and
• Affinity for classical music.

A Note on the Schedule

Event weeks and competitions require evenings and weekends. We would rather you know that before you apply.

Benefits

The Cliburn provides a competitive benefits package for its employees, which includes medical, dental, vision, and life insurance; retirement plan; paid time off; and more!

Establish yourself as a development professional with our progressive, not-for-profit organization. To apply, send cover letter with salary requirements and resume to khowell@cliburn.org. Job description and more information at cliburn.org/careers.