EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES - ADMINISTRATION​

Leadership Giving Officer

Position Summary
The Arts Council of Princeton’s Leadership Giving Officer is responsible for developing and implementing strategies to grow philanthropic support from individual donors, corporations, and foundations, with a particular emphasis on leadership-level giving. This role manages a portfolio of donors and prospects and works to cultivate, solicit, and steward gifts that advance the organization’s fundraising goals.

Reporting to the Director of Development and Community Engagement, the Leadership Giving Officer plays a critical role in nurturing and expanding the organization’s base of leadership donors and building a pipeline of future major gifts. The position works closely with leadership, board members, and the Donor Relations Manager to deepen relationships with donors and increase philanthropic engagement.

The Arts Council of Princeton (ACP) is a non-profit community art organization that fulfills its mission by presenting a wide range of inclusive and accessible arts and arts education programs. Offerings include classes, camps, and workshops in visual, performing, and media arts as well as exhibitions, public art projects, performances, and free community cultural events.

Key Responsibilities

Leadership Giving Strategy

• Develop and implement a comprehensive strategy to grow leadership-level individual giving ($1,000–$10,000+).
• Manage and expand leadership donor societies and recognition programs.
• Identify opportunities to upgrade annual donors to higher levels of giving.

Major Donor Cultivation and Solicitation

• Establish and manage a portfolio of leadership and major gift prospects and donors.
• Conduct regular cultivation meetings and engagement opportunities with donors and prospects.
• Partner with the Executive Director, Director of Development and Community Engagement, and board members on major gift solicitations.
  
  

Donor Stewardship (Strategy)

• Develop and oversee stewardship strategies to ensure meaningful recognition and engagement for leadership donors.
• Partner with the Donor Relations Manager to implement donor communications, impact reporting, and personalized engagement initiatives.
• Collaborate on exclusive events, programs, and experiences for leadership-level supporters.
  
  

Prospect Identification and Pipeline Development

• Identify and qualify new prospects capable of leadership or major gifts.
• Conduct donor research and analysis to inform fundraising strategies.
• Maintain accurate donor records and track engagement activities within the organization’s ELEO system.
  
  

Collaboration and Leadership

• Work closely with the development team to integrate leadership giving strategies with annual fund, major gifts, and planned giving initiatives.
• Support the Executive Director and board in their fundraising activities.
• Collaborate with marketing, communications, program staff, and the Donor Relations Manager to highlight donor impact and organizational priorities.
  
  

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent professional experience in fundraising, nonprofit management, or related field.
• 5-7 years of experience in development or individual giving, with demonstrated success cultivating and securing significant philanthropic gifts
• Strong relationship-building and interpersonal skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication abilities.
• Experience managing donor databases and prospect tracking systems.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and work collaboratively across departments.

Preferred Experience

• Experience working in arts, cultural, or nonprofit organizations.
• Familiarity with leadership giving programs and donor societies.
• Experience working with boards and volunteer fundraising committees.

Typical Performance Metrics

• Growth in leadership-level donors and revenue
• Number of donor meetings and cultivation activities
• Donor retention and upgrade rates
• Expansion of major gift prospects within the donor pipeline
  
  

Reports to: Director of Development and Community Engagement

Collaborates with

• Donor Relations Manager
• Communications and Marketing Team
• Executive Director

Deliverables:

The Leadership Giving Officer operates at the intersection of relationship-building and measurable performance, where success is defined not just by dollars raised but by how effectively donors are engaged, retained, and inspired to give more over time. In a typical year, a high-performing LGO manages a carefully curated portfolio of donors, balancing consistent outreach with strategic asks and thoughtful stewardship. Their work reflects a steady rhythm: cultivating relationships through meaningful interactions, identifying opportunities to upgrade giving, and maintaining a disciplined approach to tracking progress. Benchmarking helps ground this work in reality, offering clear indicators of what success looks like across peer institutions and industry standards.

• Maintains a portfolio of roughly 75–150 active donors, with consistent evaluation and refinement
• Completes 150–250 meaningful contacts annually, including 80–120 personal visits
• Achieves an additional $200K–$500K+ in annual revenue, with steady growth in average gift size year after year
• Sustains 70–85% donor retention while upgrading 10–25% of donors year over year
• Documents all activity and strategy in CRM (ELEO) systems, ensuring clear next steps for nearly every donor
  
  Pay and Benefits:
  Exempt Employee
  40-hours per week (days and hours vary)
  Mandatory In-person Position
  Paid time off – Including Holiday, Vacation, Sick and Personal Time
  Medical & Dental – Employee coverage available

Equal Opportunity Employer: The ACP is committed to providing equal employment opportunities and complying with all applicable anti-discrimination and anti-harassment laws, rules, orders, and regulations.

Send Cover Letter and Resume to: Adam Welch, Executive Director: awelch@artscouncilofprinceton.org