Major Gifts & Corporate Partnerships Officer

Job Details: Job Location: Main

• Kansas City , MO, Position Type: Full Time, Salary Range: Undisclosed, Job Shift: Day, Reports to: Director of Development Status: Full-time, Exempt Salary: $75,000–$85,000 annually + benefits The Opportunity Kansas City Repertory Theatre is seeking a Major Gifts & Corporate Partnerships Officer to join our Development team and help grow significant individual and corporate investment in KCRep’s work and impact. This is a senior frontline fundraising position for someone who knows how to build relationships, recognize opportunity, make meaningful asks, and move a portfolio forward. We’re looking for a fundraiser who is ready to take real ownership of major-gift and corporate relationships and spend a substantial portion of their time in conversation with the people and companies who can make a significant investment in KCRep. The Major Gifts & Corporate Partnerships Officer will manage a qualified portfolio of major-gift donors and prospects alongside current and prospective corporate partners, leading relationships from identification and discovery through cultivation, solicitation, negotiation where appropriate, and stewardship. You’ll work closely with the Director of Development and collaborate with KCRep’s executive and artistic leadership, board members, and Development colleagues to create thoughtful, individualized strategies that connect donors and partners with opportunities to advance KCRep’s work. This is an opportunity to bring both relationship-building skill and fundraising judgment to a growing contributed-revenue program, with clear responsibility for moving relationships forward and securing meaningful philanthropic investment. What You’ll Do Build major-gift relationships. Manage a qualified portfolio of individual donors and prospects. Develop individualized strategies, conduct discovery and cultivation meetings, make solicitations, steward relationships, and maintain clear next steps that move donors toward deeper engagement and investment. Grow corporate partnerships. Manage relationships with current and prospective corporate partners, identifying alignment between KCRep’s work and each company’s philanthropic, community, employee-engagement, marketing, hospitality, and partnership priorities. Lead sponsorship cultivation, proposals, solicitations, renewals, negotiations, and upgrades. Make asks. Personally solicit significant gifts and sponsorships. Know when to make the ask yourself and when involving the Director of Development, Executive Director, Artistic Director, board members, or other organizational leaders can strengthen the relationship. Build the pipeline. Proactively identify and qualify new major-gift and corporate prospects from KCRep’s donor base, audiences, community relationships, referrals, research, and other sources. Work closely with the Annual Giving Manager to recognize donors who may be ready for deeper cultivation. Drive Gala sponsorship. Lead cultivation, solicitation, renewal, and upgrade strategies for assigned Gala sponsors and prospects. Build a strong sponsorship pipeline and develop tailored approaches that connect Gala opportunities with each prospect’s philanthropic, community, marketing, and relationship-building priorities. Create meaningful engagement. Develop opportunities for donors and prospects to connect with KCRep’s artists, productions, programs, leadership, and community impact. Partner with the Donor Engagement Manager when events and experiences can advance specific relationships. Use the whole KCRep team strategically. Prepare leaders and volunteers to participate effectively in cultivation and solicitation, bringing the right people into relationships at the right moments rather than simply asking them to “help fundraise.” Own the next step. Maintain disciplined portfolio practices, document meaningful donor and prospect activity in Tessitura, and consistently drive relationships forward rather than waiting for perfect circumstances or the next assignment.

Compensation

& Benefits This is a full-time position with an annual salary of $75,000–$90,000, commensurate with experience, plus KCRep’s employee benefits package. Kansas City Repertory Theatre is an equal opportunity employer. Salary plus comprehensive benefit package including but not limited to health, dental, vision, and retirement savings plans as well as generous company paid holidays and PTO policy.

Qualifications: Who We’re Looking For This is not an entry-level fundraising role. The successful candidate will already have demonstrated that they can independently manage external relationships, move prospects through a relationship cycle, and secure philanthropic or partnership revenue. We’re looking for someone who: Has at least 4–6 years of professional experience in fundraising, advancement, business development, corporate partnerships, or closely related relationship-management work, including demonstrated success securing philanthropic or partnership revenue Has experience cultivating and soliciting significant gifts, sponsorships, or other relationship-based investments Can independently manage a portfolio, pipeline, book of business, or comparable group of external relationships Knows how to move relationships from identification and discovery through cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship Genuinely enjoys talking with people, asks good questions, listens closely, and is curious about what motivates someone to invest Is comfortable making asks and understands that strong fundraising requires both patience and persistence Writes and communicates clearly, warmly, and persuasively, including proposals and donor-facing materials Can build trust with donors, corporate executives, board members, organizational leaders, artists, and colleagues Brings strong organization, follow-through, sound judgment, discretion, and accountability Can use donor data and relationship intelligence to inform strategy while never losing sight of the person behind the record Works collaboratively and generously while taking clear ownership of assigned relationships and revenue goals Is willing and able to attend donor meetings, performances, community events, and other activities outside traditional business hours as required We’re particularly interested in candidates who have experience with several of the following: Securing gifts or sponsorships of $10,000+ Major gifts, corporate philanthropy, sponsorship, or institutional partnerships Working with executive and volunteer leadership on high-level cultivation and solicitation Building a proactive corporate or major-gift prospect pipeline Developing customized sponsorship or partnership opportunities Working in Tessitura, Raiser’s Edge, Salesforce, or another fundraising CRM Fundraising in performing arts, cultural institutions, higher education, healthcare, or another relationship-intensive nonprofit environment The Kansas City philanthropic and corporate community Experience in theatre or the arts is welcome but not required.

Knowledge of the Kansas City philanthropic and corporate community is valuable, but we are most interested in candidates who bring a strong record of relationship-based fundraising and the judgment, initiative, and curiosity to build new relationships here. To Apply Please submit a resume, a brief cover letter telling us about your interest in the position and the relationship-based fundraising experience you would bring to KCRep, and three professional references.