Location: Toronto, ON
Type: Full-time, permanent
Reports to: Executive Director, Director of Advancement
Remuneration: $50,000 – $52,000
Growth opportunities: Manager or Director position in Advancement/Development
Location: Toronto, ON
In-person / work-from-home: Remote working is negotiable with this role, with occasional trips to Toronto for performances and events
Submission Deadline: Tuesday, September 5, 2023, 11:59 PM
The Advancement Officer will play a key role in building the organization’s sustainability through a major capital campaign, the construction of a new venue, and the creation of new works of opera. We are looking for someone with 3-plus years of development/fundraising experience with a history of solid writing, working with granting bodies, working in the non-profit and development sector and some understanding of CRMs. This role reports to the Director of Advancement and would work closely with the entire Tapestry team to ensure clear communication with donors, funders and audiences and a well-supported Advancement department.
Join the team!
Tapestry Opera is an award-winning Toronto-based company dedicated to creating, developing and performing original Canadian opera. We are passionate about timely, resonant stories told in innovative settings and interpreted by extraordinary artists. We create powerful opera that reflects and changes the world around us, bringing together art forms, creators, and communities to create boundary-pushing work.
We are a team of 7 people working in a flexible and collaborative environment to create and share extraordinary ideas, art, and initiatives. We are a diverse staff with deep interest and experience in equity and justice ideas and practices, and we particularly welcome applications from members of equity-deserving communities to apply. Tapestry Opera is invested in expanding our art form, creating new opportunities, and situating care for people at the core of our activities.
Projects that this role will fundraise to support include:
- Commissioning Canadian librettists and composers to create new operas
- World premiere productions
- COR – The Canadian Opera Resource – an archive and marketplace for Canadian operas and arias
- Women in Musical Leadership – 3-year fellowship for w and non-binary conductors
- Cultivation of emerging creative and performing artists
- Other dynamic artistic programming
We are committed to equity in hiring and specifically encourage people from communities of colour, LGBTQ2S, Indigenous, disabled, and other equity-seeking communities to apply.
Things that matter:
- We make socially engaged art – you have an understanding or lived experience of the principles of equity and anti-oppression and/or are interested in and open to the learning process.
- You have an understanding of and connection to the performing arts.
- You have solid writing, analyzing, and communication skills.
- You have development and grant writing experience.
- You see a challenge as an opportunity.
- You are looking for work you’ll love. We do this because we love the work, and we like each other.
What we offer:
- Comprehensive health benefits
- Flexible hours and work-from-home days
- Casual working environment
- Unlimited vacation and paid time off
- Open, transparent, and communicative office culture
- Professional development opportunities
- Your expertise is valued and trusted, and you will have real input into decision-making.
- Tickets to all Tapestry productions
- Accessible office and studio space
- Access to studio and theatre spaces for personal use when available
What you will do:
This is a comprehensive but not exhaustive list with room for growth in particular areas of interest to the applicant. As with any small organization, additional duties as required, within reason and subject to discussion.
Organizational Participation
- Participate in and contribute to strategy sessions and long-term planning.
- Develop relationships with staff, volunteers, and board members.
- Identify areas for Professional Development within and outside the organization.
- Contribute to board meetings and AGMs as required.
Government, Corporate, and Foundational Fundraising
- Managing government grant research, writing, submission, and reporting.
- Track deadlines, reports, and deliverables for government grants, foundations, and corporate asks.
- Research, prospecting, and identifying new avenues for foundation and corporate.
- Develop collateral and assets for corporate and foundation pitches and applications.
- Participate in and contribute to strategy sessions and pitch ideations.
Individual Giving and Philanthropy Support
- Participate in and contribute to strategy sessions and planning.
- Track deadlines and deliverables for seasonal campaigns
- Oversee the reconciliation of all individual donations between CRM and Accounting software.
- Support the issuing of all tax receipts.
- Research, prospecting, and identifying new avenues for individual giving
- Cultivate relationships with individual donors (Tapestry’s Membership program)
- Assist in developing calendar and fiscal year-end campaigns, including direct mail.
- Assist with building reports and record keeping in CRM software.
We’d like to hear from you if this sounds like something you could love.
Checklist: Please include one complete pdf file in this order:
- Cover letter (hint, research the company) on why you’d like to work for Tapestry and why you think you’d make an excellent candidate for this role.
- Up-to-date resume.
Interviews will be held on September 8 and 11. If you are invited for an interview, please provide two writing samples and two references we can contact by phone and/or email.
To Apply: Email Stephanie Applin at sapplin@tapestryopera.com with your pdf attachment and include Advancement Officer in the subject line.
The deadline for Applications is Tuesday, September 5, 2023, by 10:00 am. We look forward to meeting you!