What are the responsibilities and job description for the Principal Gifts Officer position at Boston Lyric Opera?
Boston Lyric Opera (BLO) seeks a proven and entrepreneurial Principal Gifts Officer (PGO) to join the Company at a time of vibrant renewal and ambition. Buoyed by the arrival of a new Artistic Director, the near completion of a successful $11 million Opera & Community Studios campaign, and receipt of a capacity-building grant, BLO has set the stage for a comprehensive 50th Anniversary campaign in the 2026/27 Season. A highly strategic fundraiser, the PGO will bring experience with blended asks and demonstrate an understanding of how complex financial assets might unlock donor potential in ways that inspire transformational giving. Employing innovative approaches and a robust cadence in a personal portfolio that includes BLO’s constellation of supporters in New England and beyond, the PGO will play a critical role in identifying and securing principal gifts that fuel the comprehensive campaign and fortify BLO’s national reputation for the quality of its artistry and vibrant role in the city’s artistic life.
Boston Lyric Opera is dedicated to creating compelling operatic experiences throughout the greater Boston area that welcome new audiences, break new ground, and enrich community life. BLO offers an evocative, intersectional approach to storytelling, music, and design that welcomes fresh perspectives and celebrates the rich history of opera while reenvisioning the art form in ways that inspire new connections, making opera accessible and relevant to today’s culture. Carefully cultivated community connection is a fundamental part of BLO’s DNA: for decades the Company has featured leading and emergent artists, conductors, directors, and designers from around the world for its mainstage season, while working with nonprofit, educational, and community partners across New England to offer hundreds of free and affordable all-ages and youth-focused programs in classrooms, public venues like BLO Street Stage, and digital productions. Now, BLO is expanding its reach by offering a window into the creative process with rehearsals and events at its new headquarters and community studios. This inclusive approach is one that invites and embraces all audiences from performance attendees, arts patrons, and neighbors, to deeply engaged donors and volunteers, and BLO is seeking a seasoned fundraiser who can harness the Company’s innovative spirit and expanding audience to garner philanthropic support.
The Philanthropy team, led by Chief Philanthropy Advisor Ishan Johnson, works with Stanford Calderwood General Director & Chief Executive Officer Bradley Vernatter to secure major, planned, and principal gifts, partnering closely with the board and BLO’s artistic leaders. The PGO will use creative and sophisticated identification, cultivation, and solicitation methods to deepen relationships with high-net-worth donors and their networks, with a focus on closing gifts of $1 million and above. Along with the Director of Campaign and Philanthropy Operations, the PGO will serve as co-liaison to the Campaign Committee, leading strategy and training support for prospect identification and peer solicitation activities. The PGO will be knowledgeable about the nuances of fundraising for the arts and the budget model for performing arts nonprofits.
Candidates should have at least seven years of directly applicable fundraising experience, proficiency in a resource-lean organization, and ability to craft creative cultivation plans. Leading candidates will have broad experience in principal and planned gifts from which to draw when guiding complex gift conversations and strategies—ideally in a campaign setting. Attuned to delivering an exceptional donor giving journey, PLO candidates will exhibit strength in building nurturing productive, collaborative relationships with leaders and staff across an organization and a coordinated and thoughtful approach to all activities meant to engage prospects and donors—from identification and solicitation to gift closure and stewardship. The ideal candidate will be a self-assured, results-oriented individual who leads by example with a collegial and accessible style.