Description

Company Overview  
The 5th Avenue Theatre’s mission is to nurture, advance, and celebrate all aspects of the great art form: the musical. As one of America's premier musical theater companies, The 5th is a major economic driver, playing a key role in the revitalization of downtown Seattle. We produce multiple musicals annually and proudly employ local talent, with 90%+ of our 700 artists living in Washington. Our renowned education programs serve 35,000 K-12 students annually, and our engagement programs facilitate connections between people, organizations, different cultures, and various art forms. The 5th is an invaluable treasure to Seattle, and central to America's theatrical landscape; we have originated 26 new musicals, 11 of which have gone on to Broadway and garnered 15 Tony Awards®, including two for Best Musical. 
 
Position: Annual Fund Officer 
Department: Development   
Reports to: Director of Development  
FLSA Classification: Full-Time, Salary Non-Exempt  
Salary: $80,000 - $91,000 annual  
Work Location: Downtown Seattle. The 5thAvenue Theatre administrative office located within Skinner Building (1326 5thAvenue, Suite 735). Remote work is an option on Mondays, and as needed with supervisor approval.    
Special Consideration: This position requires frequent night and weekend hours, including attending designated 5th Avenue Theatre shows, events, and activities. 
 
Position Summary 
The Annual Fund Officer leads The 5th Avenue Theatre's annual giving philanthropy program for gifts ranging between $1 - $4,999, creating meaningful opportunities for audiences, subscribers, and community members to deepen their connection to the theatre through charitable giving. This role is responsible for developing and executing a comprehensive annual giving philanthropy program that acquires, retains, and grows individual donor support through compelling fundraising campaigns, thoughtful donor communications and storytelling, stewardship initiatives, and engagement opportunities. 
Working collaboratively across Development, Marketing & Communications, Education & Community Engagement, Patron Services, Finance, and Artistic teams, the Annual Fund Officer oversees annual fundraising campaigns, annual giving, donor communications, stewardship strategies, and data-informed engagement efforts that strengthen long-term donor relationships and advance the organization's philanthropic goals. The position also manages a portfolio of annual fund and mid-level donors, helping cultivate sustained philanthropic investment while building a strong pipeline for future major giving. 
Through meaningful connections to productions, artists, education programs, and the shared experience of live theatre, this role creates opportunities for supporters to deepen their relationship with The 5th Avenue Theatre and invest in its future. 
 
About the Development Team at The 5th Avenue Theatre Company 
The Development Department is organized around two complementary areas of focus: External Fundraising and Development Operations. 

The External Fundraising Team focuses on relationship building, donor engagement, fundraising strategy, solicitations, stewardship, events, and philanthropic partnerships. Team members work directly with donors, sponsors, foundations, and community partners to cultivate and strengthen support for the organization's mission. 

The Internal Development Operations Team provides the infrastructure that supports successful fundraising efforts. This team manages donor data and systems, gift processing, reporting, prospect research, campaign tracking, and operational workflows that ensure fundraising activities are accurate, strategic, and effective. 

As a member of the External Fundraising Team, the Annual Fund Officer leads the organization's annual fund strategy, creating integrated fundraising experiences that connect audiences and donors to The 5th's mission while strengthening long-term philanthropic support. 
 
 
PRIMARY AEAS OF RESPONSIBILITY 
 
Annual Giving Strategy & Campaign Management (30%) 
Own the organization's annual giving philanthropy strategy through integrated fundraising campaigns designed to increase donor acquisition, retention, recurring giving, annual giving, and overall annual fund revenue. 

Primary Collaborators: Director of Development, Deputy Director of Development, Marketing, Development Operations  
 
Responsibilities:

- Lead The 5th Avenue Theatre's annual giving philanthropy strategy by developing and executing an integrated fundraising calendar that acquires, retains, and grows individual donor support through annual appeals, recurring giving, and year-round engagement.  

- Oversee the planning, implementation, and evaluation of multi-channel fundraising campaigns in partnership with Marketing & Communications and 

-Development Operations, utilizing audience segmentation, compelling messaging, direct mail, digital fundraising, and other solicitation strategies. 

- Monitor and evaluate campaign performance using fundraising metrics and donor response data, making strategic adjustments that improve participation, revenue, and donor retention.

- Develop and manage the annual fund budget, ensuring campaign investments, fundraising priorities, and donor engagement strategies align with organizational goals. 
 
Donor Communications & Engagement (20%) 
Develop compelling fundraising and stewardship communications that tell the story of The 5th Avenue Theatre's impact, inspire charitable giving, strengthen donor relationships, and demonstrate the impact of philanthropy.

Primary Collaborators: Director of Development, Deputy Director of Development, Marketing & Communications Team, Development Operations Team 

Responsibilities:
- Develop and lead an integrated donor communications strategy that advances annual philanthropy through fundraising appeals, stewardship messaging, impact reporting, and year-round engagement.

- Write and develop compelling fundraising communications in partnership with the Marketing & Communications Team, including direct mail, email campaigns, newsletters, website content, donor stories, stewardship materials, and other donor-facing communications that inspire philanthropic support.

- Ensure fundraising communications consistently communicate the impact of philanthropy while connecting donors to The 5th's productions, artists, education and engagement programs, and mission.

- Evaluate communication performance using engagement and fundraising metrics, recommending improvements that strengthen donor participation, retention, and long-term philanthropic investment.

- Serve as one of the organization's primary fundraising storytellers, translating donor impact, artistic work, and community engagement into compelling narratives that inspire philanthropic investment. 
 
Stewardship & Donor Experience (20%) 
Design and implement stewardship and engagement strategies that deepen donor relationships by connecting supporters to productions, artists, education initiatives, and the mission of The 5th Avenue Theatre. Create meaningful experiences that strengthen donor retention, inspire continued philanthropic investment, and cultivate a lifelong community of supporters. 

Primary Collaborators: Director of Development, Deputy Director of Development, Major Gifts Officers, Development Coordinator, Artistic, Education & Community Engagement, Production, Marketing & Communications, Front of House & Patron Services 

Responsibilities: 
- Develop and oversee a comprehensive stewardship strategy that strengthens donor recognition, retention, and long-term engagement across all levels of annual giving.

- Design and execute meaningful donor experiences that connect supporters with productions, artists, education programs, and other mission-driven opportunities, creating deeper philanthropic relationships.

- Partner with the Development Coordinator and Development Operations Team to ensure stewardship plans, donor benefits, recognition programs, and engagement opportunities are documented and implemented consistently and effectively.

- Collaborate across departments to identify new donor engagement opportunities that enhance the supporter experience and encourage continued philanthropic investment. 
 
Portfolio Management & Annual Giving (20%) 
Manage a portfolio of annual giving and mid-level donors through personalized cultivation, solicitation, stewardship, and renewal strategies that deepen donor relationships and encourage increased philanthropic investment. Partner with Major Gift Officers to strengthen donor pipeline development and support long-term giving growth.

Primary Collaborators: Director of Development, Deputy Director of Development, Major Gift Officers, Development Operations Team

Responsibilities: 
- Manage a portfolio of annual giving and mid-level donors through individualized cultivation, solicitation, stewardship, and renewal strategies.

- Conduct donor meetings and engagement opportunities that deepen relationships, identify philanthropic interests, and encourage increased annual support.

- Partner with Major Gift Officers to coordinate donor strategies, identify upgrade opportunities, and support seamless movement through the donor pipeline.

- Maintain accurate donor strategy and engagement records within the CRM to support coordinated relationship management across the Development team. 
 
Strategy, Analytics & Department Collaboration (10%) 
Use fundraising data, constituent insights, and cross-department collaboration to evaluate performance, strengthen donor engagement strategies, and continuously improve the effectiveness of The 5th Avenue Theatre's annual philanthropy program.

Primary Collaborators: Director of Development, Deputy Director of Development, Development Operations Team, Marketing & Communications Team, Finance Team, Major Gift Officers

Responsibilities: 
- Analyze fundraising performance using CRM data, campaign results, donor engagement metrics, and key performance indicators to evaluate progress and inform strategic decision-making.

- Partner with Development Operations and cross-functional colleagues to strengthen reporting, audience segmentation, constituent insights, and annual philanthropy initiatives.  

- Monitor fundraising trends and best practices, recommending innovative approaches that enhance donor engagement, stewardship, and fundraising effectiveness.
 

Requirements

QUALIFICATIONS 
 
Required 
- Bachelor's degree or equivalent combination of education and professional experience.

- Three (3) or more years of progressive fundraising or nonprofit development experience, with demonstrated success in annual giving, individual giving, donor engagement, or related fundraising programs.

- Experience planning and executing integrated fundraising campaigns across multiple channels, including direct mail, digital fundraising, email marketing, and donor stewardship initiatives.

- Demonstrated success managing donor relationships, cultivating philanthropic support, and achieving fundraising goals.

- Exceptional writing, editing, and verbal communication skills, with demonstrated ability to craft compelling fundraising appeals, donor communications, stewardship materials, impact reports, donor stories, and other mission-driven content that inspires philanthropic investment.

- Experience using constituent relationship management (CRM) systems to manage donor data, track engagement, evaluate campaign performance, and inform fundraising strategy. Experience with Tessitura or a comparable CRM platform is preferred.

- Strong project management and organizational skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities, meet deadlines, and coordinate cross-functional initiatives in a collaborative environment.

- Demonstrated ability to analyze fundraising data, interpret campaign performance metrics, and use insights to strengthen fundraising strategies, donor engagement, and annual philanthropy outcomes.

- Demonstrated ability to build collaborative relationships across departments, contributing to a culture of philanthropy that engages colleagues, audiences, and donors alike.

- Passion for the performing arts and a commitment to advancing The 5th Avenue Theatre's mission through meaningful donor relationships and exceptional philanthropic experiences.  
 
Preferred 
- Experience working in a performing arts, cultural, or nonprofit organization.

- Experience managing annual giving or mid-level donor portfolios.

- Experience partnering with Marketing & Communications teams to develop fundraising campaigns, donor communications, and stewardship strategies. 

- Familiarity with fundraising best practices related to donor stewardship, recurring giving, donor segmentation, donor pipeline development, and annual philanthropy. 
 
 
Physical Demands:  
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of the job, with or without reasonable accommodation. 
Ability to perform administrative tasks using a computer, such as creating and reviewing documents, entering data, and communicating electronically. This may involve sitting at a workstation for extended periods and can be done using a keyboard, mouse, or assistive technology. 
 
Ability to communicate in person with colleagues across a multi-level facility (including offices, theater, and workshop spaces). This may involve moving between spaces with varied lighting and sound, or asking others to come to a central office location as needed.

Additional Requirements  
Employment is contingent upon successful completion of background and reference checks.

To Apply  
Qualified candidates should submit a resume, cover letter, and references to [email protected].