Manager of Leadership Giving

Overview

In only its 42nd season, the Kansas City Symphony (KCS) has already become one of America's most vibrant major orchestras, quickly gaining national and international recognition. The Symphony is entering its second season with world renowned conductor and composer Matthias Pintscher as its Music Director, and the positive energy and buzz around this orchestra is intensely optimistic and forward-moving.

Continuously creating live music experiences in Helzberg Hall at the prestigious Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, the Symphony serves Kansas City's metro population of more than 2.2 million people and welcomes tens of thousands of visitors across a huge swath of the Midwest as well. The Symphony's 80 full-time musicians perform in diverse and dynamic musical experiences in orchestral and chamber formats each season. The Symphony also serves as the orchestra for the Kansas City Ballet and the Lyric Opera of Kansas City, enriching the community’s cultural landscape.

While the Kansas City Symphony ranks among leading American orchestras, it also stands out as one of the most agile. The lean operation of just over 30 full-time staff enables the organization to be fast and nimble, with the excitement of a startup but the polish, stature, connections, and resources of a major cultural institution. Its $25M annual operating budget is fueled by the strongest ticket sales per capita in the sector, along with healthy annual contributions and a $135M endowment provided by Kansas City’s exceptional civic culture of philanthropy. A wide range of programming spans every genre from classical and concert opera to rock, film with live orchestra, and all manner of contemporary artists. The orchestra aspires to do more and to be more for all the people of Kansas City and surrounding regions, and the growth trajectory is exciting, rapid, and palpable.

Nothing signifies this rapid ascent more than the orchestra’s debut on the world stage in 2024. While other orchestras are pulling back from global commitments, the Kansas City Symphony is boldly stepping forward, having accepted invitations to be presented in Europe’s top concert halls, including Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw, the Berlin Philharmoine, and the stunning new Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg. The orchestra’s sold-out performances in 2024 triggered immediate re-invitations, and the orchestra is developing funding and plans to support a return to be presented once more by all of these venues in 2026.

Summary:

The Manager of Leadership Giving manages a portfolio of individual prospects and donors to the Kansas City Symphony. We seek a fundraiser with knowledge of best practices regarding moves management. This role provides vital assistance to the Director and overall team in implementing donor pipeline strategies, particularly regarding donor research and prospecting.

Responsibilities

Individual Giving Portfolio:

• Qualify and maintain a portfolio of 80-100 elevated donors, including qualification, cultivation, solicitation, stewardship, and documentation of activities in the donor database;
• Analyze data and patterns of giving via the CRM to increase efficiency, identifying areas of opportunity or planning needs;
• Maintain knowledge of current trends in research and record keeping through dashboards and reports in the donor database;
• Assist the Chief Development Officer and Director of Development with the Planned Giving program, including research, donor benefits, donor recognition, cultivation and stewardship;
• Assist other members of the Development staff with events and donor engagement;
• Attend selected concerts and special events on evenings and weekends for donor cultivation and stewardship, as assigned;
• Participate as Suite Lead for the donor hospitality suite at Symphony concerts when scheduled, using sound judgment in managing volunteers, making decisions with Kauffman Center and catering staff, and handling donor needs in real time;

Collaboration & Leadership:

• Oversee the development of donor communications, and the subsequent cultivation, stewardship, and tracking of activities for donors.
• Assist the Director of Development with the design and implementation of a robust pipeline program, including systems and procedures for prospect identification, research, and donor pipeline analysis and reporting.
• Support the cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship efforts of the Executive Leadership Team and Board members so that they are properly prepared for each donor interaction, including donor profiles, briefing materials, talking points, and follow-up.

Development Operations Responsibilities:

• Support the development of existing and new data management practices, including implementation of operating and reporting procedures to streamline fundraising performance.
• Provide staff support with expert knowledge and use of CRM to track donors and prospects through the development pipeline.
• Assist with implementation of KCS donor/prospect events when appropriate.
• Attend development department donor, volunteer events, concerts and other concert activities such as pre- or post-concert receptions and dinners.

Other:

• Prepare other written communications, such as donor solicitations or philanthropy content as needed.
• Assist with copyediting and proofing philanthropy materials, as requested.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Education and/or Experience: Bachelor’s degree; minimum three years’ experience, computer proficiency in Microsoft Office; knowledge of fundraising/CRM software (Tessitura preferred), Kansas City community and performing arts very helpful; ability to learn new software is useful; affinity for classical music a plus.

Language Skills: Strong written and oral communication skills essential.

Reasoning Ability: Must possess keen attention to detail; strong organizational skills; ability to be self-reliant and composed in an environment with multiple tasks and deadlines; must be able to take initiative when needed; must be a problem solver; must be able to exercise independent judgment with matters of substantial importance.

Physical Demands: Must be able to lift and carry supplies up to 25 lbs. for events and meetings; must be able to climb stairs; must be able to drive a car; must be able to sit at a desk and operate a computer for prolonged periods of time.

Work Environment: Position is located in an office that is generally quiet but not private. It is sometimes necessary to attend meetings/events in facilities that have limited accessibility.

Compensation and Benefits

• Target base salary range is $70k-$75k, commensurate with candidate experience
• 403(b) retirement plan
• Comprehensive healthcare coverage
• Generous vacation and PTO

The Kansas City Symphony is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We encourage applications from all qualified individuals without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, marital status, disability, or veteran status.

Application Process

Interested candidates should submit a resume and (optional) cover letter addressed to Daniel Morel, Director of Development, articulating why you are interested in this specific role.

Applications will be accepted through May 15, 2026. Interviews are expected to commence via Zoom on a rolling basis starting late May through early June. Finalist interviews will be conducted in person in Kansas City.

We appreciate your referrals to professionals who may have an interest in this outstanding opportunity. Formal interest accepted through the OMNI Executive Career Portal. Please direct all inquiries to:

OMNI Human Resource Solutions

Anna Robinson, Senior Consultant – View email address on click.appcast.io

OMNI and our clients are Equal Opportunity Employers.