Chief Philanthropy Officer

The Philadelphia Orchestra and Ensemble Arts seeks an accomplished and strategic Chief Philanthropy Officer (CPO) to provide astute leadership, vision, and direction for all philanthropic activities at an exciting time of transformation, growth, and momentum. Reporting to the newly appointed President and CEO, Ryan Fleur, early in his tenure, the CPO will lead this unified organization’s efforts to deepen and broaden its engagement with current and prospective donors locally, nationally, and internationally, and importantly define the roadmap for the organization’s future fundraising success.

For 125 years, the world-renowned Philadelphia Orchestra has strived to share the transformative power of music with the widest possible audience, creating joy, connection, and excitement through music in the Philadelphia region, across the country, and around the world. Through innovative programming, robust education initiatives, a commitment to diverse communities, and the embrace of digital outreach, the ensemble is creating an expansive and inclusive future for classical music and furthering the place of the arts in an open and democratic society. In June 2021, The Philadelphia Orchestra and its home, The Kimmel Center, united to form The Philadelphia Orchestra and Ensemble Arts (PO/EA). Today, PO/EA brings the greatest performances and most impactful education and community programs to diverse audiences, showcasing more creativity and tenacity for advancing the arts than ever before.

The Philadelphia Orchestra marks its 125^th anniversary in the 2025-26 season, and Ensemble Arts Philly presents multi-genre audience engagement and educational activities, together welcoming more than one million people annually in Philadelphia and thousands more through its global reach. The CPO will define and implement a strategic and comprehensive vision for fundraising at PO/EA, overseeing the evaluation and achievement of the organization’s annual philanthropic goals and positioning PO/EA to achieve long-term contributed revenue and endowment growth. In addition, the CPO will serve as a liaison to the Board of Trustees and its Development Committee. Most immediately, the CPO will successfully steward and execute the organization’s current comprehensive campaign, for which more than 85 percent of the $330 million goal has been secured, and will leverage the success of this multi-phase campaign to prepare for and embark on a future, more ambitious campaign endeavor as the unified organization prepares to unveil a new strategic plan.

The CPO will expertly guide and support the President and CEO in development-related activities at the highest giving levels, as well as engage with trustees, the Orchestra’s Music and Artistic Director, and other senior leaders across the organization through fundraising and engagement activities. A valued and contributing member of the senior management team, the CPO will be expected to provide meaningful input on the full range of issues facing the organization. This individual will establish priorities, objectives, and aspirations for a comprehensive development team of 27 across major, planned, annual, and institutional giving; campaigns; donor engagement and stewardship; donor communications and events; and development services. Leading by example, the CPO will personally manage a select portfolio of major and principal gift prospects and donors, leading the cultivation and solicitation of transformative gifts and operationalizing bold new ideas as well as time-tested techniques that will elevate PO/EA to even greater levels of funding.

The ideal candidate will demonstrate an appreciation for the unique role that PO/EA plays in Philadelphia and beyond, as well as for the major issues facing all performing arts and orchestra organizations, from changing demographics to matters of access, technology, sustainability, and resources. This individual will possess a minimum of 15 years of experience in positions of increasing responsibility within development, with at least 10 years of experience leading complex fundraising programs and teams. The incoming CPO will bring strong managerial, strategic planning, and motivational skills; a keen understanding of fundraising best practices, including a depth of campaign experience; and a track record of personal success in donor cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship at the seven- and eight-figure levels. PO/EA seeks a CPO who is inventive, strategic, and capable of articulating the overarching strategy and, with a keen eye for operational efficiencies, recognizes the importance of the daily management as well as the largest donor strategies. Critically, this individual will embrace and embody PO/EA’s core values and share in its commitment to creating an inclusive, diverse, equitable, and accessible culture.

Jack Gorman is leading this search with Nicole Poe and Lisa Clayton.

The Philadelphia Orchestra and Ensemble Arts does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, gender (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, parental status, or military service.