Director of Donor Relations and Volunteer Services
Nashville Symphony
Application
Details
Posted: 03-Feb-25
Location: Nashville, Tennessee
Type: Full Time
Salary: $63,000 - $68,000
Categories:
Development
Preferred Education:
4 Year Degree
Director of Donor Relations and Volunteer Services
Summary
Reports to: Senior Director of Development
Status: Full-Time; Exempt
The Director of Donor Relations and Volunteer Services is a dynamic leadership role focused on fostering meaningful relationships with donors and volunteers to advance the Nashville Symphony's mission. This position oversees key donor engagement programs, including Governing Members and the Crescendo Club, by designing impactful events, managing communications, and fulfilling donor benefits. Additionally, the director leads the organization’s volunteer program, including recruitment, training, retention, and recognition, while ensuring positive interactions between volunteers and staff. This role also manages stewardship for Symphony annual fund donors.
Primary Duties and Responsibilities:
Donor Relations
Serves as the staff liaison and leader of the Governing Members program – with main duties in the following areas:
Service – Design committee structure, set goals, manage GM volunteers
Access – Create thoughtful and meaningful behind-the-scenes opportunities for GMs to learn about and engage with our musicians, guest artists and institution.
Social – Design and manage calendar of events which fosters a sense of community amongst GMs.
Communication – Send weekly emails to Governing Members communicating concert reminders and Founders Hall open/closed information; manages additional GM communications in conjunction with Director of Development Communications and Operations.
Oversees management of Crescendo Club via Assistant Director of Donor Relations and Volunteer Services.
Acts as back-up point of contact for service, renewal, social and communication.
Collaborates with Asst Dir and Sr Dir of Development on critical decisions related to Crescendo Club planning and execution.
Manages development team staffing for Founders Hall.
Stewardship
Manages the donor acknowledgment process, donor packets and benefits fulfillment for annual donors; works closely with Development Operations to secure data, cross-check levels of recognition, etc.
Works with other members of the Development team to develop and fulfill stewardship strategies that strengthen long-term relationships with donors.
Identifies best practices at other organizations for donor events and stewardship.
Oversees the planning, scheduling, and some logistics for donor engagement and cultivation events as needed, such as open dress rehearsals for patrons, special Founders Hall receptions, meet and greets, and volunteer/chorus/staff donor thank you events, in partnership with department leaders.
Collaborates with the Senior Director of Corporate Partnerships on fulfillment of corporate sponsorship packages.
Volunteer Services
Works with all Symphony departments to identify and develop new volunteer opportunities.
Manages volunteer recruitment, retention, training and supervision.
Manages volunteer engagement and events, including the annual volunteer recognition and awards event.
Acts as the Symphony resource and liaison for the volunteer program.
Ensures positive volunteer/staff/musician interactions and experiences.
Makes recommendations for changes to Volunteer Policies and Procedures as needed.
Manages the Schermerhorn Symphony Center Docent program including training and continuing education.
Recruits members and coordinates the work of the Volunteer Advisory Council that meets bi-monthly to provide input on volunteer program design, training and data analysis.
Assumes responsibility for special projects or other activities as directed by the Sr. Director of Development and Chief Development Officer.
The duties listed above are not all inclusive. The person in this position is expected to perform other work-related duties as assigned even though they may not be considered primary duties.
Supervisory Responsibilities
Oversees the Assistant Director of Donor Relations and Volunteer Services
Work Requirements and Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree
3+ years experience in non-profit stewardship, event or volunteer work; or adjacent field
Previous volunteer management experience required
Excellent written and verbal communications skills
Possess an understanding of individual donor needs and perceptions
Knowledge of donor databases and prospect tracking systems
Outstanding capacities for personal presentation, organization, self-motivation, accuracy, follow-through, timeliness, consistency, great attention to detail, and the ability to handle a multitude of tasks under deadline pressure
Ability to work independently and use independent judgment while keeping supervisor informed of work activity and issues
Ability to work as a team member with a positive, helpful attitude in developing creative response and solutions to needs and issues
Ability to effectively interact with all levels of staff, volunteers, donors and prospects
Ability to handle confidential information with appreciation for the importance of protection of the privacy of donors and prospects is vital
Ability to work flexible hours depending on operational needs of the organization
Led by music director Giancarlo Guerrero, the Nashville Symphony has been an integral part of the Music City sound since 1946. In a typical year, the ensemble performs more than 150 concerts annually, with a focus on contemporary American orchestral music through collaborations with composers including Jennifer Higdon, Terry Riley, Joan Tower and Aaron Jay Kernis. The orchestra is equally renowned for its commissioning and recording projects with Nashville-based artists including bassist Edgar Meyer, banjoist Béla Fleck, singer-songwriter Ben Folds and electric bassist Victor Wooten.
An established leader in Nashville’s arts and cultural community, the Symphony has facilitated several community collaborations and initiatives, most notably Violins of Hope Nashville, which spotlighted a historic collection of instruments played by Jewish musicians during the Holocaust. This community-wide effort engaged tens of thousands of Middle Tennesseans in 2018 through concerts, exhibits, lectures and more, and represents one of the largest initiatives ever organized around the Violins of Hope. As part of the project, the Nashville Symphony commissioned Jonathan Leshnoff’s Symphony No. 4 “He...ichalos” for the Violins of Hope. The orchestra’s recording of this work, which was premiered during a string of sold-out performances in Nashville, is now available on Naxos.
The Nashville Symphony remains one of the most prolific recording orchestras in the U.S., with more than 40 releases on Naxos, Decca, Deutsche Grammophon and New West Records. Encompassing a wide range of repertoire, from Beethoven to Bernstein to Joan Tower, these recordings have earned 14 GRAMMY® Awards and 27 nominations. Award-winning recordings include Tower’s Made in America, Stephen Paulus’ Three Places of Enlightenment and Michael Daugherty’s Metropolis Symphony and Tales of Hemingway. Released in 2015, the orchestra’s recording of Ben Folds’ Piano Concerto debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Classical and Classical Crossover charts, and stayed in the Classical Crossover Top 20 in the first year of its release. The orchestra’s latest Naxos release features two works by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer John Adams, My Father Knew Charles Ives and Harmonielehre.
Education and community engagement have been at the core of the Nashville Symphony’s mission since its founding. Each year the organization reaches tens of thousands of children and adults through an array of free and low-cost programs, including Young People’s Concerts for K-12 students; sectional lessons for band and orchestra students; free Community Concerts; and “Is It a Fiddle or a Violin?,” its signature collaboration with the Country Music Hall of Fame® & Museum. In 2016, the Nashville Symphony launched Accelerando, an initiative designed to prepare young musicians from underrepresented ethnic communities for collegiate study and professional orchestra careers. Currently, 20 participating students receive individual instrument instruction, performance opportunities, and guidance on applying to colleges and conservatories, all offered free of charge.
Schermerhorn Symphony Center, the orchestra’s home since 2006, is considered one of the world’s finest acoustical venues. Named in honor of former music director Kenneth Schermerhorn and located in the heart of downtown Nashville, the building boasts distinctive neo-Classical architecture incorporating motifs and design elements that pay homage to the history, culture and people of Middle Tennessee. Within its intimate design, the 1,800-seat Laura Turner Hall contains several unique features, including soundproof windows, the 3,500-pipe Martin Foundation Concert Organ, and an innovative mechanical system that transforms the hall from theater-style seating to a ballroom configuration.
In addition to its classical and education programming, the Nashville Symphony performs and presents a wide variety of pop, jazz, country and family performances at the Schermerhorn and at Ascend Amphitheater.