Director Annual Fund and Parent Giving

About Manhattan School of Music

One of the world’s foremost music conservatories, Manhattan School of Music is deeply committed to excellence in education, performance, and creative activity; to the humanity of the School’s environment; to preparing all our students to find their success; and to the cultural enrichment of the larger community. MSM inspires and empowers highly talented individuals to realize their potential. We prepare our students to be accomplished and passionate performers, composers, teachers, and imaginative, effective contributors to the arts and society.

A key member of the Office of Philanthropy, the Director of the Annual Fund and Parent Giving will design and execute a comprehensive strategy to solicit and increase unrestricted operating support for Manhattan School of Music, including contributions from parents of students in the School’s acclaimed College and Precollege divisions. Reporting to the Associate Vice President of Philanthropy, the Director will help raise $3 million annually for MSM’s general operations by developing and managing compelling print, digital, and on-campus appeals.

These include a multi-faceted year-end giving campaign, Back-to-School and Giving Tuesday e-appeals, on-site “tap to give” solicitations, and renewals. The candidate will significantly increase membership in a Parents’ Council designed to engage committed College parents more actively in the life of the School, including through philanthropic support, and increase giving by Precollege parents, a key constituency. The Director will ensure a robust online giving presence by implementing best practices, with a focus on recurring gifts and the strategic use of social media and text messaging.

Oversee and execute a multi-faceted, year-round Annual Fund campaign, which includes print and digital year-end appeals segmented and targeted at general donors, concert attendees, alumni, College Parents, and Precollege Parents.

Partner with the Director of Development Operations to manage vendor relationships, including printers and mail-houses, to ensure the timely and cost-efficient production and delivery of mail appeals.

Implement strategies, employing best practices, to increase online giving with an emphasis on securing monthly and annual recurring gifts.

Oversee all digital appeals, including Giving Tuesday, Back-to-School, and Last Chance to Give in the calendar and fiscal year campaigns. Collaborate with the Office of Marketing and Communications to strengthen and expand support for these campaigns through strategic use of social media.

Work with the Box Office and the Office of Performance Operations to identify ways to increase online and onsite giving from attendees at the School’s 1,000+ concerts and performances, including neighbors from MSM’s Morningside Heights/West Harlem community.

Write renewal letters that compellingly present the need for ongoing support and implement effective strategies to retain and increase support from existing donors. Implement strategies to improve donor retention and to secure support from lapsed donors.

Cultivate, solicit, and steward College parents, about half of whom are international, to increase philanthropic support throughout the year and at key events, including Friends and Family Weekend and Commencement.

Significantly expand membership in a Parents’ Council designed to more actively engage parents in the life of the School and to increase their giving. Utilize research tools, including Donor Search and iWave, to identify parents of means and implement strategies to engage them and to increase giving.

Involve Precollege parents whose children participate in a highly competitive and professionally oriented Saturday music program dedicated to the musical and personal growth of talented young musicians ages 5 to 18. Use the aforementioned research tools to identify prospective MSM Summer and Precollege parents and to implement strategies to increase philanthropic support from high net worth families. Deepen parents’ connection to the School and highlight the importance of parent…