VICE PRESIDENT, ADVANCEMENT

REPORTING RELATIONSHIPS

The Vice President, Advancement reports directly to the Executive Director (ED) and manages a team of five Advancement staff, including Individual and Major Gifts, Institutional Giving, and Special Events and collaborates with the Marketing team on marketing-based sponsorships. The Vice President also works in close collaboration with the Artistic Director (AD), Senior Leadership Team, Board of Trustees and other volunteer leadership.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• The Vice President is responsible for planning, implementing and assessing Atlanta Ballet's fundraising, stewardship and event plans in support of the organization's strategic vision and growth.
• The Vice President will effectively represent the organization's interests and priorities to internal and external constituencies, and will work in close collaboration with the ED, AD and the Board of Trustees and other volunteers to achieve Atlanta Ballet’s philanthropic goals.
• The Vice President will maintain and develop a robust portfolio of major gifts donors and prospects and lead by example in a mission-driven working environment that balances the need and relevance of programs with the efficiency of best business practices, fiscal accountability and institutional impact.

Development responsibilities will include, but are not limited to:

• Create and implement a strategic fundraising plan to expand Atlanta Ballet’s donor community and grow contributed income from approximately $5M annually to greater than $10M by 2026.
• Collaborate with ED, AD and Board leadership to develop short- and long-term fundraising goals, strategies and benchmarks to strengthen commitment from current donors and to expand the pipeline of new funders.
• Participate in the development and implementation of Atlanta Ballet’s Strategic Plan and develop a vision for raising funds that integrates and aligns with Atlanta Ballet’s goals, values and mission.
• Execute that vison by attracting and mentoring a talented team of fundraisers and staff.
• Steward and support the Board Advancement Committee, mobilizing the Board and Executive Leadership to be successful fundraisers through major donor engagement, solicitation and stewardship.
• Actively utilize effective storytelling across channels to engage, cultivate, solicit and steward donors and prospects.
• Develop and oversee an effective donor communications plan, including proposals, solicitations, appeals, reports, presentations and newsletters.
• Collaborate with the Marketing team to ensure consistent messaging and outreach strategies as they affect all development efforts.
• Support the ED in the identification, cultivation and recruitment of prospective Board members and steward the efforts of the Board Nominating and Governance Committee.
• In partnership with the ED and CFO, develop and manage fundraising budgets; be accountable for benchmarks related to fundraising and revenue goals; and ensure effective use of analytics, data and metrics to forecast and track progress and success of fundraising strategies and tactics.
• Leverage technology platforms that best serve fundraising activities, including maximizing the utility of Tessitura CRM, social media, research and analytics.
• Participate fully, proactively and collaboratively in the Executive Leadership Team.
• Other duties as assigned.

DESIRED TRAITS, CHARACTERISTICS & QUALIFICATIONS

• Minimum 10 years of experience as a senior development or advancement officer, ideally in the arts and arts education, with a solid track record of raising funds from individuals, foundations and government institutions and corporations.
• Bachelor’s degree required, Master’s degree and/or advanced fundraising certifications preferred.
• Commitment to and track record of advocating for diversity and equity in the workplace.
• Excellent spoken, written and presentation skills; goal- and detail-oriented.
• Strong financial management and budgeting skills, with a fluency on non-profit accounting principles.
• Proven success managing and implementing a comprehensive fund development program and increasing financial results across campaigns.
• Planned giving knowledge and ability to market, cultivate and solicit planned gifts including bequests, charitable remainder trusts, gifts of property, stocks, IRAs and more.
• Ability to "lead through others" and gracefully inspire excellence in them.
• Knowledge and experience in all aspects of philanthropy, including giving trends, benchmarks and best practices; research; fundraising techniques and strategies; data analytics; and development operations, such as gift processing, prospect and donor research, and fundraising reporting.
• Track record of successfully establishing and nurturing effective working relationships with leadership, Board, donors, prospects and staff.
• Highest ethical standards and respect for confidentiality.
• Ability to travel regionally to meet with donors, prospects and volunteers, and occasionally work nights and weekends, as required.
• Energy, initiative, creativity and drive; ability to perform at a high level in a fast-paced environment and manage multiple projects to meet deadlines.
• Experience and comfort with technology including fundraising CRMs (Tessitura experience preferred), Microsoft Office Suite, wealth screening tools, and other technology as needed.
• Passion for and dedication to the mission of Atlanta Ballet.