Who we are:
With a mission to present performing artists who inspire and enrich our community, Celebrity Series has become a mainstay of Boston’s cultural life by bringing a widening spectrum of performers to Boston’s major concert halls. Celebrity Series presents over 70 subscription series performances in 10 different venues and over 150 community engagement activities annually. Celebrity Series’ audiences experience the world’s great orchestras, chamber ensembles and soloists, and leading artists in contemporary dance, jazz, world, and folk music, and spoken word. Alongside the subscription series performances, Celebrity Series’ Arts for All! community engagement programs connect with a dynamic network of hundreds of community collaborators, reaching thousands of individuals annually. Of the 150 cultural activities Celebrity Series presents and produces each season, more than half of these activities are offered completely free of charge to all participants. For more information visit celebrityseries.org.
Position Overview:
The Assistant Manager of Annual Giving and Membership is responsible for serving as the Advancement department’s primary box office liaison and donor ticketing coordinator, supporting Celebrity Series’ Annual Giving program, and assisting in creating and implementing annual fund communications.
Duties and Responsibilities:
Donor Ticketing (50%)
- Serve as donor ticketing advisor, providing exemplary customer service to Board members and Leadership Circle ($2,500 ) donors. Oversee subscription acquisition and renewal for these groups, including all corresponding general communications. Complete all ticketing transactions/requests within 24 business hours with a sense of urgency.
- Serve as department subject matter expert on Tessitura’s ticketing capacities and collaborate across departments to ensure that ticketing and Advancement capabilities in Tessitura are coordinated.
- Coordinate donor seating reports (monthly, weekly, and 24-hours in advance of each performance).
- Oversee the allocation of sponsor tickets and holds. Ensure that performance sponsors receive their tickets in a timely manner.
- Oversee publicity for corporate partner ticket offers and fulfill requests within 24 business hours.
- Supervise all special donor on-sale activities. Plan on-sale operations, execute on-sales, and troubleshoot transactions.
- Serve as primary liaison to the Box Office from the Advancement department. Supervise Advancement ticketing holds inventory and transactions, and advise on upgrades, etc. Strategically advocate for Advancement’s needs in ticketing inventory.
Fundraising (25%)
- In conjunction with Associate Director of Annual Giving and Communications, assist in implementing projects in support of Celebrity Series’ $260,000 Annual Fund with particular attention to ticketing-related fundraising opportunities.
- Execute Annual Fund and Membership benefits fulfillment; ensure that all non-event Annual Fund and Dress Circle benefits are fulfilled over the course of the year for donors up to $2,499.
- Supervise all ticketing/subscriptions-related fundraising for the department; this includes ticketing-related fundraising transactions, ticket donations, “100% Subscriber” appeals, etc. Test purchase paths and ensure frictionless transactions.
- Maintain portfolio of 20-30 select donors; steward donors, manage moves, and solicit members when up for renewal, and develop strategies to upgrade and increase their Celebrity Series giving. Solicit personal portfolio for support of annual SHINE! Gala.
- Review weekly donor acknowledgement letters with special attention to annual giving donors.
- Brief Box Office on Annual Fund/Membership opportunities to encourage them to secure donations as well as ticket sales.
Development Communications (20%)
- Support Assistant Director of Annual Giving and Communications in direct fundraising efforts. This support may include:
- Reporting, analytics, and data hygiene assignments to inform direct fundraising strategy (i.e. Telefund performance, mailing/calling lists, etc.).
- Collaborating with Advancement operations to ensure proper campaign/fund/appeal tracking.
- Managing the interdepartmental communications calendars in Asana for Advancement communications.
- Writing copy for appeals and stewardship campaigns.
- Editing Advancement website pages and giving forms.
- Support departmental mailings and event preparation as needed.
- Serve as primary contact for Advancement department for general email inbox and phone line and ensure all inquiries are returned by an Advancement staff member within 24 hours.
- Oversee and coordinate general mass stewardship communications (holiday cards, Valentine’s Day cards, thank-a-thons, etc.) to Annual Donors.
- Attend weekly inter-departmental Tessitura meeting and advocate for donor ticketing issues and opportunities.
General Support (5%)
- Participate in collaborative cross-departmental committees and task forces as they arise (i.e. racial equity, accessibility).
- Participate in Advancement department performance duty rotation, and attend performances to steward donors with high level of professionalism and reliability.
- Support department-wide mailings, events, and projects as needed.
Attributes
- Detail-oriented, proactive team player who believes strongly in the power of philanthropy to positively impact the world and address global challenges
- Excellent written and verbal communicator who can easily adapt messaging to different audiences
- A proactive, clear, and thorough internal and external communicator
- A donor/customer-centric mindset and an enthusiasm for providing an exemplary donor experience
- Approaches customer-facing interactions with emotional intelligence, quick and sound judgement, and follow-through
- Quick thinker who is energized by the fast-paced environment of a seasonal arts organization but who also enjoys focused planning periods in the “off season”
- An interest in the arts and in Celebrity Series’ commitment to bringing the arts to everyone, particularly historically underrepresented communities.
- A commitment to Celebrity Series’ stated values and racial equity plan.
Experience
- 2-3 years of relevant experience working in advancement/development, box office, telesales/telefundraising, or related areas
- Demonstrated customer service experience via phone, email, and in-person interactions, and ideally in patron- or donor-facing environments
- Experience working with CRM software; experience with Tessitura a plus
- Familiarity with Microsoft Office Suite (Outlook, Excel, Word, OneNote, and Teams) and Zoom preferred; experience with Excel formulas and functions a plus
- Ability to lift 10 lbs
Please apply even if you don't meet 100% of position expectations. Celebrity Series values different personal and professional experiences, and applicants are encouraged to apply even if not all requirements are met.