Individual Giving Officer

ROCO, Houston’s Chamber Orchestra, seeks to hire an experienced Individual Giving Officer. This newly created role will play an important part in advancing the organization’s continued growth through the development and implementation of Annual Fund and mid-level giving programs. Reporting to the Director of Development, the Individual Giving Officer will help strengthen ROCO’s culture of philanthropy by creating meaningful donor experiences that deepen engagement, inspire generosity, and build long-term support for the organization’s mission.

The ideal candidate is a detail-oriented, organized, self-starting, and creative thinker who thrives in a collaborative environment and is equally comfortable managing projects independently. This position is an exciting opportunity for a relationship-oriented fundraiser to help shape and expand a growing individual giving program at one of Houston’s most innovative and forward-thinking arts organizations.

The Individual Giving Officer will lead the execution of Annual Fund campaigns and manage a portfolio of mid-level donors and prospects. The role blends donor communications, relationship management, stewardship, strategic planning, and data-informed decision making, and requires someone who can balance thoughtful relationship-building with strong project management and execution. The Individual Giving Officer will also support donor stewardship initiatives and cultivation events throughout the season, helping ensure donors feel connected to ROCO’s musicians, mission, and impact year-round.

This position requires availability to work some evenings and weekends for concerts and donor events.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Annual Fund Management

• Assist with the development and execution of overall Annual Fund strategy and campaigns
• Develop campaign materials and collateral, including direct mail appeals, email campaigns, social media content, and on-site fundraising materials
• Coordinate campaign timelines and production schedules to ensure successful execution of appeals and communications
• Partner with the Marketing & Communications team to integrate Annual Fund and other fundraising-focused messaging across social media channels to help drive donor engagement and participation
• Pull donor and prospect data and analyze lists to determine appropriate segmentation strategies for appeals and other communications
• Coordinate with mail house vendors and other external partners for campaign production and distribution
• Track campaign performance and donor participation metrics to evaluate effectiveness and inform future strategy
• Assist with development of donor acquisition, retention, and upgrade strategies

Mid-Level Giving

• Manage and grow a portfolio of mid-level donors and prospects in support of ROCO’s mission and fundraising priorities
• Identify, qualify, cultivate, solicit, and steward donors and prospects giving up to $2,500 annually, including direct solicitation of philanthropic support
• Develop and implement personalized donor engagement strategies through written, virtual, phone, and face-to-face communication
• Conduct prospect research, maintain accurate donor records, and track engagement activity
• Collaborate with leadership on donor strategy, relationship management, and stewardship opportunities

Donor Stewardship and Engagement

• Coordinate acknowledgements and stewardship communications for Annual Fund and mid-level contributions
• Assist with the planning and execution of donor cultivation and stewardship events throughout the year
• Coordinate invitations, guest lists, and RSVP tracking for donor events and receptions
• Assist with the creation of donor impact reports, updates, and stewardship materials
• Help ensure donors experience meaningful and consistent engagement with ROCO throughout the year
• Ensure that Annual Fund and mid-level donors receive appropriate recognition, stewardship, and benefits based on ROCO’s donor programs

Other

• Maintain accurate donor records and interactions in the organization’s CRM database
• Generate reports and track fundraising progress toward goals
• Support additional development initiatives and projects as assigned

QUALIFICATIONS

• Commitment to ROCO’s mission of shaping the future of classical music through experiences that are accessible, bold, innovative, and welcoming
• Demonstrated success securing philanthropic support and cultivating relationships with donors, patrons, civic leaders, and stakeholders
• Experience managing an Annual Fund preferred
• Strong project management skills, including the ability to collaborate across teams and execute effectively within defined timelines
• Ability to analyze data and use insights to inform strategy and decision making
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail
• Comfort working with donor databases; experience with Salesforce or similar CRM platform preferred
• A collegial and collaborative work style that values teamwork, creativity, and strong interpersonal relationships
• Self-motivated, proactive, and comfortable working in a fast-paced environment
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Minimum of 2 years of experience in fundraising within a nonprofit organization
• Experience in the arts and culture sector is preferred
• Knowledge of classical music is not required; however, curiosity, openness, and a lifelong-learning mindset are essential
• Bachelor’s degree required

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

This position is budgeted for a salary of $65,000 annually and includes health, vision, and dental insurance, a 401(k) retirement plan, and unlimited PTO.

APPLICATION PROCESS

ROCO is proud to have been shaped by the contributions of talented individuals with a broad range of experiences and perspectives. We encourage all interested candidates to apply. ROCO is an equal opportunity employer.

Candidates should submit a resume and cover letter to: 

jobs@roco.org

Attn: Sherry Rodriguez, Director of Development 

Subject Line: ROCO Individual Giving Officer – YOUR NAME

The cover letter should describe how the candidate’s background and experience align with the priorities outlined in this position description and why ROCO appeals to their next career iteration.

Applications submitted without a cover letter will not be considered.

Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. Candidates selected to move forward should expect a multi-step interview process involving the Founder/Artistic Director, leadership team, and ROCO team.

ABOUT ROCO (See https://roco.org/about-roco/ for more information)

ROCO is Houston’s deeply local, globally impactful 40-piece professional chamber orchestra. Founded in 2005 by Julliard-trained oboist Alecia Lawyer, ROCO has experienced robust growth throughout its 21 seasons and is poised to continue to be on the forefront of the classical field. With a mission of shaping the future of classical music, ROCO envisions a world in which human connection through the shared language of music is abundant and available to all. To achieve this mission, ROCO provides performances and experiences that are accessible,

approachable, bold, and innovative.

Each season, ROCO produces four to five full-orchestra concerts, alongside more than a dozen smaller chamber concerts featuring programs that are site-specific, some curated by core musicians. Of ROCO’s 40 professional musicians, half reside locally and half travel to Houston to perform. Twenty-eight of the original ROCO musicians play with the orchestra to this day. ROCO concerts also feature internationally recognized guest conductors, composers, and artists.

NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS INCLUDE:

• ROCO’s debut album, Visions Take Flight, recognized with a GRAMMY® Award for Producer of the Year, Blanton Alspaugh
• Alecia Lawyer, ROCO’s Founder and Artistic Director, recently named the 2025 inaugural Texas Classical Musician of the Year
• The Donne Foundation’s recent global report ranked ROCO as second internationally, after the BBC Symphony, in programming works by women and composers of color.

With 155 world premieres alongside classics and rarely-heard gems. ROCO concerts are multigenerational, multimedia experiences that have been produced in over 80 different venues across Houston to date. Pay-What-You-Wish ticketing for most concerts, free global livestreaming, and on-demand access to concert audio and video recordings.

ROCO has pioneered the use of technology in service of deeper audience engagement. Inviting audiences to turn ON their smartphones and tablets, initiatives include a digital app (search ROCOhouston in the App store), with the unique ability to view scores and parts to each piece during concerts. The trailblazing initiative ROCO on the Go, places QR codes throughout Houston in parks, hospitals, and schools which connect directly to curated playlists within ROCO’s free digital library of 1,500 tracks.

CLARITY ON OUR MISSION:

• Main stage performances
• Mission-driven collaborations
• Cultivating a culture of kindness
• Learning and new experiences for all ages and all people
• Human/musician-centered service for full access and main-stage artist connection to our community

ROCO prioritizes the impact of at-capacity audiences instead of selling out shows; relationships instead of transactions; and access instead of outreach. The whole organization is a vibrant and growing nonprofit committed to building a team that represents a wide range of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills, creating an employee experience that encompasses appreciation, belonging, growth, and purpose for everyone. ROCO operates as a team, and the organizational culture is highly collaborative: all members' thoughts, ideas, and opinions are valued and encouraged. All are invested in pushing ROCO forward and finding new and better ways to serve the community through music.