Director of Institutional Giving

POSITION: Director of Institutional Giving
REPORTS TO: VP for Development; President & CEO
STATUS: Full-time, exempt
COMPENSATION: $50,000 – $60,000

THE ORGANIZATION:
The Dayton Performing Arts Alliance is a single, integrated organization that encompasses the Dayton Ballet, Dayton Opera, Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra, and a wide range of learning programs for children, youth, and adults. The annual budget is in the range of $7-8 million.

Our driving purpose is to inspire as many people as possible to fall in love with the classical performing arts. Ten years after the merger of three historic organizations, we are completing the journey of becoming a single, integrated organization working together toward that shared, driving purpose. We believe that the arts are for everyone, and we strive to put that into practice in everything we do. We believe that in order to serve our community well, we must reflect it well. Inclusion, diversity, equity, and access are central to our journey as an organization, and we seek new colleagues who, whatever their responsibilities, can help us make progress on that journey with commitment and authenticity.

Greater Dayton is a well-kept secret, a robust, thriving, and affluent community characterized by major military, health care, and educational institutions as well as thriving manufacturing, distribution, and technology sectors. The population of young, well-educated professionals in Dayton is growing because of these economic anchors and the myriad small- to medium-sized businesses that are thriving and growing along with them. Dayton ranks fifth in the United States for the economic security of its senior citizens and is home to a surprising number of citizens who have chosen to retire in the area from elsewhere. Dayton also boasts a Chamber of Commerce that ranks among the top 20 in the US, and over the last decade, its downtown has been undergoing a renaissance that includes a large amount of new downtown housing as well as restaurants and a minor-league baseball stadium, all of which has attracted a large number of both young and recently retired downtown residents. The major anchor of downtown is the Schuster Center, home to DPAA as well as a wide variety of national touring productions from Broadway and elsewhere. Dayton’s arts community is a major strength and of higher quality and richness than most communities its size. We believe that a thriving arts community is crucial to the quality of life, and a major priority for us is educating the business community to see how the arts help attract and retain a high-quality workforce.

POSITION SUMMARY:
The Director of Institutional Giving will be the critical relationship manager for DPAA’s corporate and foundation donors and sponsors, raising their philanthropic sights and generating significant philanthropic revenue for the organization.

Working under the guidance of a President experienced in, and committed to, disciplined and strategic major-gift and institutional fundraising, the position engages foundations and corporations to write grant and sponsorship proposals that help fulfill the philanthropic and sponsorship objectives of these funders as well as the mission of DPAA. Equally important is reporting back to donors according to their timelines and formats, as well as engaging program officers or representatives throughout the process. The position will work closely with the President to manage his portfolio of principal institutional donors. The successful candidate will have five years of non-profit development or comparable experience, but previous institutional giving experience is not required. Writing grant proposals and reports constitutes a major portion of the job’s responsibilities, and previous incumbents have also supported the development team with other donor-facing communications. DPAA will consider appointing a candidate at the Manager level who does not have the requisite fundraising experience but who is an excellent writer with a nonprofit background who wishes to move deeper into fundraising and is otherwise an excellent match for the position.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience or education.
• 5-7 years of experience in non-profit fundraising, with an established record of success in securing gifts from foundations and corporations through writing effective proposals.
• The ability to balance multiple, complex, overlapping priorities while unfailingly meeting deadlines.
• Outstanding general communication skills—interpersonal, verbal, and written.
• The ability to compile, write, edit, revise, and proofread high-quality proposals and reports with clarity and compact brevity, and with a minimum of proofreading from others; the ability to synthesize complex information into compelling prose and to effectively tailor messaging to different audiences.
• Experience working with nonprofit budgets.
• Aptitude for developing relationships with foundation and corporate donors is required; experience writing grant proposals.
• A strong entrepreneurial drive combined with the ability to collaborate fruitfully as a member of a team.
• Ability to communicate the DPAA’s mission, goals, and activities.
• Strong interpersonal skills, demonstrating leadership and initiative, tact, diplomacy, attention to detail, creativity, and cultural sensitivity.
• Strong organizational, analytical, and project management competencies with demonstrated aptitude for multitasking, attention to detail, and meeting deadlines.
• Familiarity with, and adherence to, best practices, standards, and ethics in fundraising and private philanthropy.
• Established record of meeting and exceeding financial goals, fundraising targets, and performance objectives.
• Ability to take responsibility for the planning and execution of fundraising activity with autonomy.
• Ability to provide first-class customer service and donor care to institutional funders, board members, and other constituents.
• Understanding of, and commitment to, working in non-profit organizations.
• Ability to work evenings and weekends throughout the performance season.
• Proficiency in Raiser’s Edge or similar relationship management database; proficiency in the Microsoft suite of products required.
• Significant familiarity with the performing arts, preferably with experience working in an arts organization.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Write grant proposals and reports to raise significant revenue from foundation and corporate donors. Maintain strict and proactive adherence to funders’ guidelines and formats for proposals and reports.
• Work proactively and collaboratively with artistic, education, marketing, and development colleagues to prepare proposals and reports.
• Understand the missions, funding priorities, and application processes for all institutional donors, and ensure that proposals adhere closely to these while supporting identified priorities and projects of DPAA.
• Establish and maintain relationships with institutional funders by telephone, email, written correspondence, and in-person meetings. Involve artistic staff, development colleagues, and the President as appropriate.
• Manage the President’s interactions with key institutional funders; assist in preparing his visits with them, accompany him on such visits, and manage follow-up.
• Establish fundraising goals for each funder in the portfolio based on the funder’s history of giving, capacity rating, and areas of interest to secure, retain, and upgrade these donors.
• Ensure corporate funders are aware of the benefits associated with their level of support and collaborate with assigned staff on the delivery of those benefits, especially public recognition.
• Work with funders to design and execute appropriate funding or sponsorship agreements.
• Participate in DPAA donor events and Philharmonic, Ballet, and Opera performances as required to establish and sustain contact with donors.
• Enter strategies, action plans, and call reports in the fundraising database in a timely fashion, to support accurate and timely reporting of fundraising performance.
• Collaborate with other fundraising colleagues to share knowledge and experience on strategy, relationship management, and knowledge of donors, and other areas of best practice.
• Maintain membership in relevant professional associations to build knowledge, learn methods, and upgrade fundraising skills.
• Perform other donor engagement activities as may be required.

WORK CONDITIONS:

• Significant evening or weekend functions, meetings, appointments, or performances.
• Standing for extended periods of time.
• Ability to operate a computer keyboard, mouse, telephone, and other office equipment.
• Moving/lifting objects, boxes, and furniture as needed/allowed, not to exceed 20 lbs.

This position description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee. Nothing in the position description restricts management’s right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to position at any time.

ABOUT THE DAYTON PERFORMING ARTS ALLIANCE (DPAA):
The Dayton Performing Arts Alliance (DPAA) was formed in July 2012 as the result of a groundbreaking and innovative merger between the Dayton Ballet, the Dayton Opera, and the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra. Today, the DPAA is the largest performing arts organization in the greater Dayton community, with a mission to be the community’s indispensable source for traditional, diverse and innovative experiences in ballet, opera, and orchestral music. DPAA performances reach an audience of more than 90,000 people annually, and its rich arts education programming serves over 60,000 schoolchildren in 150 schools in the Miami Valley.

Website: DaytonPerformingArts.org

BENEFITS:
• 403(b)
• Dental and Vision Insurance
• Health Insurance
• Paid Time Off

APPLICATION PROCESS:

To apply, please submit a letter detailing reasons for interest in this position and addressing the specific qualifications outlined above, along with salary requirements and four professional references by email only  to  careers@daytonperformingarts.org.

In accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws, the DPAA is committed to a policy of nondiscrimination and equal employment opportunity. All employment decisions will be made without regard to race, color, gender, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, age, pregnancy, marital status, political affiliation, veteran status, non-job-related handicap, or any other protected characteristic. This applies to all areas of employment, including but not limited to recruitment, selection, promotion, compensation, and termination.