Development Manager – Individual Giving

Reporting directly to the Head of Development, the Development Manager – Individual Giving will work closely with the team, particularly alongside the Development Manager – Corporate Partnerships, to maximise philanthropic support for RIAM. The postholder will be responsible for a range of fundraising activities relating to scholarships, musical and artistic projects, outreach programmes and supporting RIAM’s strategic priorities requiring philanthropic support.

They will have a primary responsibility for developing a portfolio of Individual Supporters and Prospects, substantially growing this income stream in line with RIAM’s Strategy and corresponding Development and Fundraising Plan.

The Development Manager – Individual Giving is responsible for looking after RIAM’s Friends community, growing, cultivating and stewarding individuals, applying to relevant Grants and Foundations and developing our Legacy programme. Supporting the ongoing stewardship and continuity of RIAM’s existing and prospective relationships across an assigned portfolio of supporters will be a key responsibility.

The role will also involve supporting the Head of Development in raising transformative levels of funding, from a range of sources, including major donors and foundations, to support the next stage of RIAM’s development and delivering on our strategic ambition to become a National Conservatoire of Global Consequence.

The Opportunity

At RIAM, we are at the midpoint of an exciting and ambitious journey.In 2023 we opened a new €27m, 6,500 sq m campus and recital hall, putting on us a par with the best conservatoires in the world.This has created the platform for the next 10-year stage of our transformation.Our current Strategy outlines ambitious and far-reaching plans for the Academy. At the heart of this strategy is a cultural shift: a collective embrace of music as both an art and a science, and a recognition of its profound societal impact.

Development and Fundraising will be central to delivering on this ambition.

This is a wonderful opportunity for a motivated, hard-working and strategically minded individual to play a significant role in delivering RIAM’s bold vision and contribute to a vibrant, ambitious future for classical music in Ireland and beyond.

The Development Manager will have autonomy to drive their own income generation working closely with the Head of Development as well as RIAM’s Director.

Over the last 10 years, RIAM has created a core group of supporters who have given significant levels to the Capital Campaign. In addition, annual development income from corporate and individual supporters has grown substantially in recent years.

The Development Manager will work to build on this recent success, working as a senior member of an ambitious team and an expanding and growing Development department tasked with raising transformative levels of private funding to underpin RIAM’s strategic development over the next 5-10 years.

The postholder will be expected to contribute significantly towards annual fundraising targets as part of RIAM's Development and Fundraising Plan.

RIAM has a 501(c)(3) foundation, which serves our US donors, and has also been a recipient of donations through the Ireland Funds. RIAM is a registered charity (RCN: / CHY: 1794)

ROLE RESPONSIBILITIES

• Strategic planning in conjunction with the Head of Development to develop and implement priority projects for RIAM requiring philanthropic and sponsorship support
• Play a leading role in identifying, cultivating, and securing donations from a range of sources with a particular emphasis on growing individual giving.
• Agree and meet annual targets around income, stewardship and engaging prospects
• Develop and prepare prospect lists, marketing and communication materials, proposals and other relevant assets
• Plan and host campus visits and engagement events for our Friends, Legacy, and Individual supporters as well as Corporate prospects
• Maintain excellent relationships and lead on engagement and stewardship of existing supporters including proposals and contracts, patron benefits, concerts and events, reports and impact management
• Help and support the delivery of RIAM’s new highly ambitious Capital Campaign, supporting the next organisational strategy, contributing ideas and recommendations, and working on their implementation
• Work closely with the Head of Development in identifying prospects and developing cultivation events for the Capital Campaign - in Ireland, the US and the UK
• Maintain accurate data on supporters, prospects, donors and partners to ensure accurate prospecting, cultivating and stewarding across all income streams.Work to integrate a new CRM system across all development activities
• Leading and supporting development events for campus donor experiences, including concerts, receptions and dinners as well as supporting the Head of Development with international events
• Build strong working relationships across the Academy including Senior Management Team, Heads of Faculty and Board of Trustees to support delivery of all relevant activities
• Oversee financial records management, budgetary planning, and monitoring and coordination of income raised from individual giving and other development income streams
• Represent RIAM at internal events and concerts on a regular basis and at external industry events, availing of networking opportunities
• Contribute to the growth and development of the expanding Development Team including long term planning and strategic implementation
• Other duties as deemed appropriate by the Head of Development / Director

EXPERIENCE, QUALIFICATIONS AND KNOWLEDGE

• Hold a third level qualification in a relevant discipline and/or professional qualification with a minimum of five years' relevant fundraising, business development or stakeholder engagement experience (Essential)
• Experience of working in music, music education, the arts or higher education is advantageous
• Experience in the Private and/or Public Sector with proven customer engagement (Essential)
• Experience in the broader charitable sector and/or business development is welcome
• Demonstrate a minimum of five years’ experience and success in fundraising and/or business development (Essential)
• Proven experience of growing fundraising income across a range of sources including Friends Membership Schemes, Corporate Partnerships, major donors and legacies (Essential)
• Evidence of strong customer service and of interacting with diverse stakeholders, e.g. senior management, academic staff, individual and corporate donors, alumni, students, etc. (Essential)
• Experience in maintaining accounts and financial records (Desirable)
• Experience of working with US donors and engagement with the Ireland Funds (Desirable)
• Proven experience in representing an organisation at a senior and wider community level (Essential)
• Experience of working as a member of a team, providing leadership, support and assistance where needed (Desirable)
• Excellent working knowledge of Microsoft Office 365, including Word, Excel and PowerPoint with excellent presentation skills (Essential)
• General understanding of the structure of RIAM, Music Education, Higher Education, or the Arts in general (Desirable)
• Experience in the use of databases and/or Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems (Essential)

RIAM is committed to building a diverse, inclusive and equitable workplace. We welcome applications from all sections of the community and are committed to ensuring an inclusive recruitment process.

Contact information

For further information please contact Ruth Meehan