Director of Philanthropy
Job Title: Director of Philanthropy
Reports to: Executive Director
FLSA Status: Exempt
Classification: Full-Time Salary
Salary: $140,000 – $160,000 (commensurate with experience)
Summary/Objective:
The Director of Philanthropy leads Ballet Arizona’s fundraising strategy and operations, including giving from individuals, foundations, corporations, government, and other sources; special events, annual fund, leadership annual giving / membership, major and principal gifts, grants, and planned gifts; for operations, special initiatives, endowment, and campaigns. The role directs the Philanthropy team, partners with and supports senior leadership and the Board in their fundraising activity, and advances prospect and donor engagement and relationship management, donor stewardship, and revenue goals to support organizational mission and growth
Essential Functions:
Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these essential functions.
- Lead relationship management – from identification, qualification, engagement, cultivation, solicitation, renewal, and stewardship – of major and principal prospects and donors, personally managing a portfolio of high-value, high[1]potential major and principal-gift prospects and donors.
- Oversee and manage a comprehensive fundraising operation, including:
- Giving from individuals, foundations, corporations, government, and other sources
- Special events, annual fund, leadership annual giving/membership, major and principal gifts, grants, and planned gifts
- Temporarily and permanently restricted funding for operations, special initiatives, endowment, and campaigns.
- Implement and execute three-year annual plans and three-year performance reports for the department through an iterative process that distributes ownership, responsibility, and accountability across the team.
- In partnership with the executive director, direct all activities related to major campaigns and other fundraising initiatives.
- Actively support the Executive Director in her fundraising activity.
- Actively support and strategically deploy the Artistic Director and other artistic leadership in their fundraising activity.
- Plan and actively support the role of the Philanthropy Committee, Campaign Cabinet, and other development-related task forces.
- Build and implement strategies to identify, acquire, retain, upgrade, and reactivate donors across multiple channels.
- Facilitate strong working relationships within the organization to support all fundraising opportunities.
- Participate in strategic and operational planning with the Executive team to ensure that common objectives are met.
- Maintain the cohesion, effectiveness, and efficiency of the team.
- Ensure business processes are in place for efficient prospect and donor/ grant/ event / moves management, etc. Processes should promote data and audit integrity, especially for restricted donations and endowments.
- Knowledge of using performance metrics and donor pipeline analysis to set individual and team goals; provide constructive feedback and coaching for continuous improvement.
- Be knowledgeable about and oversee fundraising operations and donor services, assuring that Ballet Arizona carries out these processes at the highest level of standards. These include:
- Data and information management
- Prospect and donor tracking and relationship management, including prospect and donor identification and qualification, engagement and cultivation, solicitation, renewal, and stewardship.
- Moves management
- Gift and pledge processing
- Donor acknowledgment and recognition
- Donor stewardship and accountability
- Gift acceptance standards and Donor Bill of Rights
- Financial management and reporting
- Ensure the ethical handling of all confidential donor and prospect information.
- Regularly audit development department activities to ensure goals are being met and necessary improvements made.
- Create and prepare correspondence, proposals, promotional pieces, articles, and other printed material in support of all fundraising initiatives.
- Perform other related duties as assigned.
- Provide ongoing training, mentorship, and coaching for philanthropy staff to ensure professional growth, increased fundraising effectiveness, and strong career pathways.
- Foster a culture of continuous learning within the philanthropy team, encouraging participation in professional development, conferences, and certifications.
- Commitment to developing others, with demonstrated ability to coach and mentor staff to higher performance.
- Knowledge of current trends and best practices in fundraising, with the ability to share and apply them across the team.
- Promote a culture of philanthropy throughout the organization.
Competencies:
- Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.
- High digital literacy; proficiency with Microsoft Office and fundraising CRMs (Tessitura experience strongly preferred).
- Strong strategic, analytical, and project management skills.
- Proven leadership, staff management, and team development capabilities.
- Meticulous attention to detail and commitment to data and audit integrity.
- Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with senior leadership and Boards.
- Ability to provide training and coaching for Board and committee members in donor cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.
- Commitment to equity, inclusion, and culturally responsive fundraising practices.
Supervisory responsibilities:
Directly manages Associate Director of Philanthropy, Corporate & Foundation Manager, and Events & Volunteer Manager; provides leadership and oversight for Philanthropy staff. Directly manages staff through clear goal-setting, regular performance feedback, and coaching. Invests in professional growth opportunities for team members.
Work Environment:
- Primarily office and community partner site work; event support at main office and external sites required.
- Evenings, weekends, and travel for performances and donor cultivation/events will be required.
Physical Demands:
- Physical requirements include sitting for long periods of time and heavy computer usage.
- Light physical effort is required – must be able to lift up to 20 pounds.
Travel Required:
- Travel to and from external event sites (within Maricopa County) is required.
- Must be willing and able to commute to and from the office and event sites on a regular basis.
Required Education and Experience:
- Bachelor’s degree in a related field
- 8-10 years of successful experience in fundraising and relationship building at a senior level
- Demonstrated record of accomplishment in managing significant contributed revenue programs
- Experience and proficiency in working with integrated fundraising/ticketing databases
Preferred Education and Experience:
- CFRE preferred
- Preference for candidates who have led departments that successfully raised a minimum of $3M annually, and who have demonstrated the ability to grow contributed revenue on a consistent, sustainable basis
- Proficiency in Spanish desirable
- Experience with Tessitura strongly preferred
- Experience working in the arts and/or with artists
Work authorization/security clearance requirements:
- Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States.
Ballet Arizona provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.
This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.
How To Apply:
Qualified applicants can apply at www.balletaz.org or may submit a letter of interest, resume and contact information to Human Resources via e-mail to HR@balletaz.org. Please note that NO telephone calls will be accepted.
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