Chief Development Officer

The Perlman Music Program is pleased to work with DRG to conduct this search.

Perlman Music Program

Chief Development Officer

New York, NY

(Hybrid, with 4-6 seasonal trips to Shelter Island, and additional occasional travel)

BACKGROUND

The Organization

Founded by Toby Perlman in 1994, The Perlman Music Program (PMP) offers musical training to young string players of rare and special talent. With a faculty led by Itzhak Perlman, PMP is developing the future leaders of classical music within a nurturing and supportive community.

PMP offers a year-round curriculum of programs and performance opportunities for exceptional string players ages 12 and up, focused on community building, musical excellence, and each child’s individual needs. Two signature summer residency programs – the Summer Music School and the Chamber Music Workshop – are hosted on PMP’s historic waterfront campus on Shelter Island, NY. A fall chamber music retreat, a winter residency in Sarasota, FL, and a biennial spring travel program in Tel Aviv are also offered to the student community, along with moments of mentorship and connection throughout the year. Concerts are regularly hosted in private and public venues in New York City and the East End of Long Island. The administrative team is primarily based in the NY/Metro area, with a permanent office in New York City.

To learn more about PMP, visit perlmanmusicprogram.org.

The Position

PMP seeks a dynamic Chief Development Officer (CDO) to join a world-renowned organization shaping the next generation of classical musicians in a deeply inspiring and collaborative environment. Reporting to and partnering closely with the Executive Director, the Chief Development Officer will be a key member of the senior leadership team, playing an active role in strategic decision-making and the organization’s long-term sustainability.

The Chief Development Officer will design and lead a comprehensive fundraising strategy that deepens philanthropic engagement, expands PMP’s visibility and impact, and strengthens its long-term sustainability, with particular emphasis on advancing the organization’s ambitious capital campaign. Leading a growing team of four high-performing professionals across development and communications, the CDO will drive fundraising for PMP’s $3.5M annual operation, broaden and diversify the donor pipeline, and secure support for new and evolving initiatives.

Working in close partnership with the Board of Trustees, the CDO will empower and support trustees to take on more active fundraising roles and will play a central leadership role in advancing PMP’s ongoing $60M capital campaign to strengthen the organization’s endowment and enhance its Shelter Island campus. As PMP looks to the future, this leader will help build a more robust, resilient fundraising enterprise while ensuring the success of a capital campaign that is critical to the organization’s artistic excellence and mission endurance for generations to come. Success in this role will be defined in large part by the ability to drive campaign momentum, secure transformational gifts, and inspire confidence among trustees and top donors.

ROLE OVERVIEW

Fundraising and Donor Engagement:

• Set and lead PMP’s overall fundraising strategy, with a focus on growing the existing donor pipeline and increasing annual support year over year
• Initiate and manage fundraising campaigns generating approximately $2.5M annually
• Oversee donor stewardship and acknowledgment efforts to ensure donors are informed, recognized in meaningful ways, and appreciated throughout the year
• Oversee the planning and execution of two annual marquee events—a spring wine auction and a summer gala—as well as additional special events in Palm Beach, New York, and other major cities.
• Develop and grow PMP’s planned giving program
• Actively engage and energize board members, committees, and donors to achieve fundraising goals
• Oversee the application, tracking, and reporting processes for foundation and government grants
• Oversee the development database (Bloomerang) and ensure accurate, timely data management
• Develop and manage the development department budget

Capital Campaign and Major Gifts:

• Serve as a visible internal leader and external ambassador for PMP’s capital campaign, building enthusiasm, momentum, and confidence among trustees, donors, and key stakeholders
• Plan, implement, and lead second phase of comprehensive capital campaign, securing $40 million to support strategic and infrastructure initiatives
• Ensure rigorous campaign management, including prospect tracking, revenue forecasting, stewardship planning, and regular progress reporting
• Develop and execute tailored cultivation and solicitation strategies for an active pipeline of major gift prospects, focusing on identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding high-net-worth individuals and foundations, based in NYC, Shelter Island, the Hamptons, Palm Beach, Chicago, and the West Coast.
• Translate campaign priorities into actionable fundraising opportunities, and create compelling campaign materials and donor communications that clearly article PMP’s vision, funding priorities, and the long-term impact of campaign investments.

Communications:

In partnership with staff, shape and communicate PMP’s mission, programs, and achievements in a compelling, donor-centered manner across multiple platforms, including solicitation materials, email campaigns, social media, press, and print publications

Board Engagement:

• Staff and support the Board’s Campaign Committee, Nominating & Governance Committee, and Special Events Committee, and collaborate closely with the Executive Director and Board Liaison to engage and steward the full Board of Trustees
• Partner with board members to maximize fundraising outreach within their personal and professional networks
• Ensure accurate, up-to-date records and produce clear progress, revenue, and pipeline reports for the Board
• Work with the Executive Director and Nominating Committee to strengthen and expand the board pipeline

Team Leadership:

• Mentor and manage a growing full-time team of four direct reports
• Collaborate with leadership to build and restructure the development department, including the recruitment and addition of seasoned gift officers
• Serve as a player-coach with a positive, accessible, and collaborative leadership style
• Set and uphold high standards for professionalism, quality of work, and collegiality, and hold staff accountable to those standards

Additional Qualifications

• Passion for PMP’s mission, with the ability to translate that commitment into meaningful philanthropic partnerships
• Proven success building, expanding, and stewarding high-level donor relationships over time, including major gifts
• Demonstrated experience in planning and execution of a multi-year capital campaign
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with confidence engaging trustees, principal donors, artists, and senior leadership
• Highly organized, agile multitasker who can manage competing priorities and deadlines, and with clarity and calm
• Accomplished people manager with a track record of building, mentoring, and empowering high-performing development teams
• Strategic and analytical thinker who is also hands-on and execution-oriented, able to move seamlessly from big-picture planning to day-to-day fundraising activity
• Professional, resourceful, and solutions-driven leadership style, with sound judgment and discretion when working with sophisticated donors
• An inspiring, optimistic leader who brings energy, credibility, and momentum to the organization’s fundraising efforts

WORK ENVIRONMENT

PMP operates from an office on the Upper West Side in NYC, with the development team currently working two days per week from the office and three days remotely. Evenings and weekends will be occasionally required.

Travel to the Shelter Island campus will be a regular requirement between Memorial Day and Labor Day (estimated at 4-6 annual trips with PMP provided accommodations). Additional travel will be required occasionally throughout the year, including but not limited to the Palm Beach area, Chicago, West Coast, the East End of Long Island, and more.

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

Salary: $220,000-240,000

Selection of Benefits

• Comprehensive medical benefits through Anthem, dental through Guardian, and vision through VSP, all with options for employee only/spouse/children/family plans
• Flexible Spending and Health Savings Accounts plans in addition to life and disability insurance
• Paid time off, including 15 days PTO (increasing to 20 days after 3 years), 13 federal holidays (or substitute days), plus one optional holiday
• Retirement benefits include 100% match up to 3% of annual salary
• Discretionary bonus based upon effort, performance and success in achieving goals (up for year-end consideration, after a full year of employment)