Description

Title:  Philanthropy and Communications Associate 
Department: Philanthropy; Marketing, Communications, and Alumni Affairs 
Reports To: Vice President for Philanthropy and Vice President for Marketing, Communications, and Alumni Affairs 
Supervises: Student Workers 
Internal Contacts: Faculty, Staff, Students 
External Contacts: Donors, Vendors, Advertisers, and other external contacts as required 
Employment Status: Full-time; Non-exempt 
Salary Range: $55,000 - $60,000 

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Position Summary: 
The Philanthropy and Communications Associate reports to and supports both the Vice President for Philanthropy and the Vice President for Marketing, Communications, and Alumni Affairs, providing administrative assistance, ensuring the smooth day-to-day operations of their respective offices, and managing special projects. 

 
Domains: 

Philanthropy 

• Provide administrative support for the Vice President for Philanthropy, including scheduling internal and external meetings; ensuring adequate departmental office supplies; reordering fundraising brochures, biennial reports, donor thank you gifts, and other materials; and troubleshooting computer issues.  
• Support the International Advisory Board and Board of Trustees’ Committee on Philanthropy by taking and producing minutes at in-person and virtual meetings; arranging catering for on-site meetings; preparing PowerPoint presentations and meeting materials; and confirming board meeting attendance as needed.
• Assist with donor events, including arranging catering for donor lunches and other important meetings; managing RSVPs for donor stewardship events; updating RSVP lists and confirming guest attendance; and greeting guests and assisting with check-in, including the Annual Gala, an annual scholarship donor luncheon, and monthly events for the Virtuoso Society patron program. 
• Manage donor recognition and stewardship programs, including annually updating a digital donor wall with photographs of student performances; reserving performance tickets for major donors throughout the eight-month performance season; tracking and updating lists of named seats and seat inscriptions in Neidorff-Karpati Hall, MSM’s mainstage; and ordering photo prints from donor events and creating Shutterfly photo albums for VIP guests.  
• Assist with data entry during times of peak activity. Regularly upload correspondence and other important documents (gift agreements, proposals, solicitations etc.) to the Raiser’s Edge NXT database management system and to Microsoft Teams.  
• Submit invoices to Finance; maintain accurate records of departmental expenditures; and reconcile the VP’s American Express statements, submitting monthly reports for approval.  
• Mentor and oversee student workers, including those who conduct thank you calls to donors. Submit timecards for student workers to Payroll.  
• Promote MSM’s Neighborhood Pass through which community residents (10027 zip code) may obtain free tickets to concerts and performances. Supervise the quarterly distribution of Neighborhood Pass flyers to neighborhood businesses, apartment buildings, restaurants, and community centers. Build relationships with community members, including Columbia Neighbors, the Morningside Area Alliance, and the neighboring Morningside Gardens, to increase awareness of the Neighborhood Pass.  
• Act as a liaison with concierges at Claremont Hall and the Vandewater, luxury condominiums near the School, to coordinate student recitals and to promote awareness of the MSM Neighborhood Pass.
• Prepare materials for donor presentations and meetings of the International Advisory Board, Committee on Philanthropy, and the Office of the President, including the creation of PowerPoint presentations. 
• Assist the Office of the President in preparing for quarterly Board of Trustees’ meetings and board receptions and dinners.
• Coordinate the assembly of student thank you letters and videos sent to donors of named scholarships and commencement awards.  
• Utilize the DonorSearch and iWave platforms to prepare research profiles on prospective and current donors.  
• Update city, state, and federal government portals with financial documents, including Form 990, audit, and CHAR500.
• Update the School's Philanthropy-related website pages and coordinate with the Design Office on the placement of Philanthropy solicitations and promotions in MSM concert programs.
• Perform other duties as assigned. 

 
Marketing, Communications, and Alumni Affairs

• Provide administrative support for the Vice President for Marketing, Communications, and Alumni Affairs, including scheduling team meetings, reconciling American Express statements, and submitting monthly expense reports for approval.  
• Coordinate print and digital advertising purchases with a large number of publications, including Broadway World, Downbeat, International Piano, and Musical America Worldwide.
• Assist with enrollment marketing by placing ad reservations with youth orchestras nationwide and by tracking their placement in Airtable. 
• Support performance and concert attendance by coordinating the placement of bus shelter advertisements and by placing ads in digital and e-newsletters to increase outreach to local audiences.  
• Track advertising deadlines and liaise with the Design Office to ensure timely submission of artwork, maintain advertising schedules, and produce ongoing reports as needed.  
• Assist the department in responding to inquiries from faculty and staff.
• Submit invoices to Finance for advertisements, printing of concert programs, and website maintenance.  
• Coordinate the creation of quarterly MSM Neighborhood Pass flyers with the Design Office.  
• Ensure new contacts are added to the School’s email marketing lists.
• Perform other duties as assigned. 

Requirements

• An undergraduate degree and three or more years of experience are required, preferably for cultural institutions or in higher education.
• Knowledge of the Microsoft Office suite, especially Word, Excel, Teams, and PowerPoint.
• Understanding of Raiser’s Edge NXT or similar database management systems. 
• Ability to multi-task in a deadline-driven environment.
• Strong interpersonal and organizational skills, with a courteous, collaborative approach and a positive, can-do attitude.
• Professional and ethical work behavior with the ability to maintain the highest level of discretion with confidential information.  
• Excellent customer service/donor stewardship skills.
• Strong interest in music and music education.