Sr. Director of Development

Brief Description

Reports to: ArtsQuest President and CEO

Direct Reports: Senior Manager of Membership, Strategic Systems Support Administrator, Manager of Donor Relations, Development Coordinator

Position Summary

The Sr. Director of Development is accountable for organizational development within ArtsQuest. This includes development and growth within Membership, Circle, Unrestricted Giving, Annual Campaigns, Major Gifts and Grants. The Sr. Director of Development is also responsible for the development and relationship management of major donors and supporters of ArtsQuest. Acting as one of the primary points of contact with donor prospects, the Sr. Director of Development oversees the Development department, is responsible for meeting annual fundraising and membership goals and works with the President and CEO on all ArtsQuest capital campaigns and major fundraising endeavors.

Job Responsibilities

Leadership

• Overall management level leadership and responsibility of the Development department of ArtsQuest.
• Ability to communicate in a transparent and positive manner with all stakeholders.
• Foster a success-oriented, accountable environment within the organization.
• Communicate the mission and goals of ArtsQuest in an effective manner.
• Develop and execute a strategic plan for ArtsQuest’s Development team which creates funding pipelines within Major Gifts, Planned Gifts, Membership, Annual Campaigns and Grants.
• Develop a strong Development portfolio of activities and outreach that engage and build support for ArtsQuest and/or the ArtsQuest Foundation.
• Hire, fire, promote, train and provide annual reviews for direct reports.
• Assure the Development team’s administrative processes are clearly outlined and regularly updated in guides with responsible staff and backups assigned.
• Lead recurring department meetings, including Sustaining Donor, Stewarding, Weekly Team Meetings and Department Strategic meetings.
• Be part of ArtsQuest’s leadership team, attending and contributing to appropriate cross team meetings like Compass Point and Roundtable.
  
  

Fundraising

• Maintain a working portfolio of individual major and planned gift prospects and current donors, including but not limited to new major gift prospects, Circle Donors, Members & Annual Donors.
• Qualify, cultivate, and solicit major and deferred gifts.
• Secure renewal gifts from current major donors for ArtsQuest.
• Work with the Development team to secure, cultivate and grow ArtsQuest Member & Circle Donors.
• Work with the ArtsQuest’s President and CEO to grow the ArtsQuest Foundation’s endowment funds.
• Lead the Year End Appeal Initiative.
• Collaborate with the President and CEO to lead the Linny Awards event, the major fundraising vehicle that supports the annual operating expenses of the Foundation, into an event that is recognized as the leading program honoring visual and performing artists as well as those that support the arts.
• Work with the Development team on timely donor acknowledgements, accurate Raisers Edge (RE) reporting, donor prospecting lists and follow-up, active stewarding of Members, Circle Donors & Annual Fund Donors, collection on accounts receivable and growing sustaining donor initiatives.
• Collaborate with Sponsorship team and internal stakeholders to call upon prospective donors and sponsors, understand their needs and offer partnership or sponsorship packages to meet those needs.
• Perform other duties and responsibilities assigned by the President and CEO.
  
  

Capital Campaigns

• Work collaboratively with the President and CEO, other ArtsQuest senior staff, campaign leadership, ArtsQuest Board of Trustees, ArtsQuest Program Boards, and campaign counsel to develop and implement Capital Campaigns.
• Participate in Campaign structures, strategies, timelines, meetings, receptions, gatherings, events, and visits by ArtsQuest President and CEO and other key volunteer leaders and groups of major donor prospects.
• Develop individual strategies and follow-through for cultivation and solicitation of major donors.
• Communicate timely information including goals and milestones with major donors.
• Major donor and prospect research in collaboration with the President and CEO, Strategic Systems Support Administrator and fundraising staff.
• Collaborate with ArtsQuest’s President and CEO in the creation of clear and compelling campaign materials and proposals as well as naming opportunities, major donor recognition, benefits, and acknowledgements.
• Work with ArtsQuest’s President and CEO and COO to assure Campaign fundraising initiatives for Planned Gifts, Major Gifts and Grants align.
  
  

Knowledge, Skills And Abilities Required

• Strong experience in nonprofit leadership, business, marketing, advertising or related field or equivalent combination of 8-10 years combined education and experience required; advanced degree in Nonprofit Management a plus.
• Certified Fund-Raising Executive (CFRE) credentials preferred.
• 8-10 years of demonstrated success achieving measurable fundraising results with major donors, gifts and endowments; a proven track record of working at increasing levels of responsibility and success.
• Strong sense of personal accountability and follow-through.
• Ability to motivate, lead and set objectives, and foster an environment of creativity and professional growth within his/her team.
• Experience or knowledge of the Lehigh Valley community and its non-profit and government institutions and leaders.
• Have an ability to work with a broad-based constituency.
• Exceptional, assertive project management skills.
• Ability to develop and manage ArtsQuest’s Development Team and Capital Campaigns.
• Ability to design, implement and direct multiple projects, setting deadlines and ensure program accountability.
• Ability to think strategically and create comprehensive and breakthrough strategies and plans.
• Must be goal-oriented and driven to achieve and exceed results.
• Understanding of Charitable Gift vehicles (Charitable Gift Annuities, IRA Rollovers, etc.), preferred.
• Must have the ability to work independently, and creatively problem solve.
• Strong development experience with five years of demonstrated success closing five and six-figure gifts from individuals and donors.
• Understanding of major and planned gifts fundraising best practices and ability to both think strategically and execute a tactical plan.
• Ability to cultivate the creative ideas of others, make connections between ideas and project potential outcomes.
• Excellent organizational, interpersonal, and verbal and written communication skills are required.
• A proven ability to handle multiple priorities and deadlines.
• Must be comfortable in a diverse range of social and business settings and speaking in public.
• A passion for the community, arts and culture and the mission of ArtsQuest.
• Ability to maintain a high level of confidentiality with sensitive information.
• Have a valid driver’s license and a functioning personal vehicle required for travel to and from current and potential business partner locations as well as between our different office locations and venues, locally and regionally.
• Proficiency with all Microsoft Office products including Excel, Word, Outlook and Power Point, experience with CRM system required.
• Ability to work flexible hours such as evenings and weekends in order to meet business and customer needs.
  
  

Knowledge, Skills And Abilities Preferred

• Experience with fundraising and donor software i.e., Raiser’s Edge.
• Working knowledge of components of planned giving.
• Knowledge of the programming and mission of ArtsQuest.
  
  

Other Duties

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

Requirements

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities Required:

• Strong experience in nonprofit leadership, business, marketing, advertising or related field or equivalent combination of 8-10 years combined education and experience required; advanced degree in Nonprofit Management a plus.
• Certified Fund-Raising Executive (CFRE) credentials preferred.
• 8-10 years of demonstrated success achieving measurable fundraising results with major donors, gifts and endowments; a proven track record of working at increasing levels of responsibility and success.
• Strong sense of personal accountability and follow-through.
• Ability to motivate, lead and set objectives, and foster an environment of creativity and professional growth within his/her team.
• Experience or knowledge of the Lehigh Valley community and its non-profit and government institutions and leaders.
• Have an ability to work with a broad-based constituency.
• Exceptional, assertive project management skills.
• Ability to develop and manage ArtsQuest’s Development Team and Capital Campaigns.
• Ability to design, implement and direct multiple projects, setting deadlines and ensure program accountability.
• Ability to think strategically and create comprehensive and breakthrough strategies and plans.
• Must be goal-oriented and driven to achieve and exceed results.
• Understanding of Charitable Gift vehicles (Charitable Gift Annuities, IRA Rollovers, etc.), preferred.
• Must have the ability to work independently, and creatively problem solve.
• Strong development experience with five years of demonstrated success closing five and six-figure gifts from individuals and donors.
• Understanding of major and planned gifts fundraising best practices and ability to both think strategically and execute a tactical plan.
• Ability to cultivate the creative ideas of others, make connections between ideas and project potential outcomes.
• Excellent organizational, interpersonal, and verbal and written communication skills are required.
• A proven ability to handle multiple priorities and deadlines.
• Must be comfortable in a diverse range of social and business settings and speaking in public.
• A passion for the community, arts and culture and the mission of ArtsQuest.
• Ability to maintain a high level of confidentiality with sensitive information.
• Have a valid driver’s license and a functioning personal vehicle required for travel to and from current and potential business partner locations as well as between our different office locations and venues, locally and regionally.
• Proficiency with all Microsoft Office products including Excel, Word, Outlook and Power Point, experience with CRM system required.
• Ability to work flexible hours such as evenings and weekends in order to meet business and customer needs.
  
  

Summary

Salary and Benefits

ArtsQuest strives to be competitive in its compensation practices. We seek to pay base salaries at the market average, while recognizing organizational, team, and individual success. Our base pay rates, salary structure and other compensation practices are created using industry-recognized methods and data sources. We have a generous time off policy; benefits include medical, dental, vision, term life, accidental death and long-term disability insurance, as well at a 403(b)-retirement savings plan and discretionary match, an EAP and discounts on organizational programs and events when available as well as partner PERK’s when offered.

FLSA Status: Exempt/in-person

About Us

ArtsQuest is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Our mission is to provide access to exceptional artistic, cultural, and educational experiences using arts and culture as key elements of economic development for our urban communities.

Through festivals such as our flagship event, Musikfest; Banana Factory Arts Center; ArtsQuest Center, and SteelStacks arts and cultural campus, ArtsQuest's programming reaches more than 1.9 million people annually. Our programs and events, approximately 50 percent of which are free to attend, have a combined economic impact of more than $136 million annually in the region.

Position Type/Expected Hours of Work

This is a leadership full-time position. Normal business hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., however the employee must be willing and able to work outside normal business hours to support our events and activities throughout the year as needed, including evenings, weekend and holidays when necessary and during events and festivals in various weather conditions.

Travel: Travel is required between buildings, for off-site meetings and cultivation events and is expected for this position. Employees should have a reliable means of transportation to enable them to travel between our buildings, facilities and festivals.

Working Conditions

• ArtsQuest offices are smoke-free.
• Ability to work harmoniously in a diverse office environment.
• Normal working environment is mostly indoors, however, the ability to work indoors and outdoors in all types of weather conditions during festivals and events is required.
  
  

Core Values

ArtsQuest demonstrates its Core Values of: Serve our Communities, Be Curious, Act Generously, Be Transparent and Find Joy in all aspects of our culture. It is our goal to maintain these values to consistently deliver exceptional experiences to our employees and our community.

Our employees are the most valuable assets we have. The collective sum of the individual differences, life experiences, knowledge, inventiveness, innovation, self-expression, unique capabilities, and talent that our employees invest in their work represents a significant part of not only our culture, but our reputation and the organization’s achievement as well.

ArtsQuest is a workplace where all employees feel valued and respected whatever their age, color, disability, ethnicity, family or marital status, gender identity or expression, language, national origin, physical and mental ability, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, and/or veteran status. We embrace and encourage our employees’ characteristics that make them unique, because we value and appreciate life experiences.

ArtsQuest is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer.