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Director of Development- College Art Association

Employer
College Art Association
Location
New York, United States
Salary
$100,000.00 - $140,000.00
Closing date
Aug 27, 2022

Organization

The College Art Association (CAA), as the preeminent international leadership organization in the visual arts, promotes the arts and its understanding through advocacy, intellectual engagement, and a commitment to the diversity of practices and practitioners. Based in New York City, CAA is a learned society and a professional association that supports those who study, teach, write about, advocate for, and/or create art and design. CAA honors human diversity and acknowledges the extraordinary range of backgrounds, cultures, perspectives, work styles, education, rank, skills, and experiences that make the advancement of art and design integral to culture.

Of paramount importance to CAA is the promotion of inclusion, diversity, equity, and access within the fields of art, art history, and design. As CAA strengthens and builds its programs, committees, staff, and board it aspires to foster an inclusive culture welcoming of visible and invisible differences, including but not limited to age; ethnicity; gender; gender identity; language differences; nationality; parental status; physical, mental, and developmental abilities; race; religion; sexual orientation; skin color; socioeconomic status; and human styles. CAA defines inclusion as a collaborative work-in-progress. It encourages all CAA constituents to embrace and adopt the ongoing practice of inclusion while advancing art, design, and their histories.

CAA advances the highest standards of instruction, knowledge, and practice in the visual arts to stimulate intellectual curiosity and advance skills that enrich the individual and society. To realize this vision CAA:

  • Represents, promotes, and advocates for the visual arts nationally and internationally;
  • Creates new opportunities for dialogue among members;
  • Explores new forms of communication using innovative and improved technology;
  • Addresses career development and workforce issues to assist professional growth; and
  • Strengthens organizational leadership, membership, and financial support.

CAA’s Annual Conference is among the largest international gatherings of post-secondary visual arts and design professionals in the country, celebrating, advancing, and sharing research and creative work. In 2021, the first ever all-digital conference included over 365 sessions, a book and trade fair, and a range of content that spanned from traditional fields of study to contemporary issues. CAA also publishes four scholarly journals in art and art history—The Art Bulletin, Art Journal, Art Journal Open, and caa.reviews—as well as a weekly email newsletter. In addition, CAA provides grants to subsidize the publication of scholarly manuscripts in art, art history, and visual studies.

Over the past two years CAA has worked to build a stronger community and lay the framework for long-term sustainability. A six-year strategic plan was launched in 2020 aligned with five fundamentals to create a long-term sustainable business model for the association. It includes a multifaceted development function and an emphasis on utilizing digital-first technologies to provide value to an expanded membership by championing access, inclusivity, and diversity.

CAA is governed by an actively engaged board of directors of approximately 24 members, the officers of which compose the Executive Committee and is led by the President, who is elected by the board. Jennifer Rissler is the current President. Board members are elected by the CAA’s individual members. CAA is led by Executive Director and CEO Meme Omogbai and has a staff of 15 full-time employees, all located in its New York City office. In the fiscal year ending June 30, 2021, CAA reported revenues of nearly $4.2 million, with approximately 25 percent (over $1 million) from contributions and grants, 50 percent ($2.1 million) from program service revenue, and 25 percent (over $1 million) from investment and other revenues. CAA is audited yearly by outside firm EisnerAmper.

 

Position Summary

The Director of Development (DoD) will be responsible for the implementation and execution of CAA’s strategic fundraising initiatives across the range of constituencies: individuals, corporate, foundation, and government as CAA goes through a strategic repositioning process. Reporting to the Executive Director and CEO (ED/CEO), they will serve as a thought partner to the ED/CEO, working collaboratively to establish and evaluate a fundraising strategy while also ensuring tactical delivery. With an entrepreneurial approach and enthusiasm and fluency in both in-person and on-line fundraising, communication, and relationship-building, this individual will play an essential role in growing CAA’s portfolio supporting its digital transformation as it expands to engage with a global constituency. The DoD will be a self-starter committed to building an infrastructure and a team that works to cultivate new donors, steward existing individual and institutional members, and expand outreach into the global corporate and foundation community to build support relationships. This individual will be an experienced proposal writer with a robust knowledge of corporate giving trends. The DoD will be responsible for leading the development department and directing the activities of the Development Associate to achieve annual fundraising goals.

 

Roles and Responsibilities

Fundraising Leadership and Membership Growth

  • Lead the implementation and execution of CAA’s strategic fundraising initiatives, emphasizing digital strategies to grow donor participation.
  • Identify, cultivate, and successfully solicit major gifts from a diverse group of donors, with an increased focus on corporate, foundation, and government entities in the United States and globally.
  • Utilize exceptional writing skills to generate grant and funding proposals through established relationships and newly identified sources.
  • Assist in cultivating and increasing the membership base by creating compelling opportunities for members while actively developing a pipeline for increased membership support.
  • Design strategies to increase donor engagement and participation, especially at the annual CAA conference.
  • Cultivate and inspire legacy gifts and oversee the stewardship and benefit of planned gifts to CAA.
  • Oversee the planning, production, and hosting of fundraising events with Institutional Events and other CAA staff as required.
  • Manage the execution of donor recognition and stewardship programs.

Development Planning and Operations

  • Formulate annual development budgets, track financial performance, prepare the necessary interim financial reports and fundraising projections, and monitor expenditures.
  • Prepare a comprehensive, written annual development plan and calendar with clearly defined goals, objectives, timelines, and assigned responsibilities.
  • Train, mentor, and support colleagues and CAA board members and volunteers in donor and prospect engagement activities, seeking ways to maximize donor participation.
  • Lead and support all staff with information retrieval for related fundraising and sponsorship activities.
  • Prepare briefing materials and help conduct research for the ED/CEO, development committee, and board members as it relates to donor outreach and prospecting.
  • Adhere to the codes of conduct and ethical principles set forth for all CAA employees through direct and honest communication, follow through on commitments, and ability to build confidence and respect.
  • Maintain knowledge of the latest giving and philanthropic trends and guide the systems and tools necessary to maintain a best-practice development department.

External Relations and Communications

  • Be a passionate, visible, and informed advocate for CAA, actively seeking opportunities to engage with the broader community and to participate in events that position CAA towards improved fundraising and visibility.
  • Communicate CAA’s mission with information and materials highlighting the products, services, and value proposition of being a philanthropic partner or sponsor of the association.
  • Participate in local, national, and international meetings and conferences to share the CAA’s story and to engage new advocates and supporters.
  • Create and present reports and provide information to the board and other constituents.
  • Oversee development communications and correspondence including community facing donor news, institutional briefings and reports, donor-facing proposals, and stewardship materials.
  • Guide the ED/CEO, board committee members, and CAA staff in the identification of donor prospects and the cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of donors.
  • Assist the ED/CEO with fundraising and communication projects as needed.

 

Traits and Characteristics

The Director of Development will be a natural connector who embraces their role as a leader within the organization and throughout the community. They will be an experienced development professional with an entrepreneurial inclination and a demonstrated capacity to achieve contributed revenue goals. They will understand how to plan a course of action that will support the present organizational needs as well as future goals. A confident fundraiser and self-starter, they will be knowledgeable of strategies and best practices and willing to work as part of a team while strongly valuing service to and engagement with CAA’s members and stakeholders. This individual will have the ability and cultural competence to build authentic relationships with people from diverse backgrounds. A strong commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion in all its forms is a must.

Other key competencies include:

  • Teamwork – The agility to cooperate with others to meet objectives, organize and motivate others while creating a sense of order, direction, and active participation among the board, the officers, the staff, volunteers, and other stakeholders to achieve collective goals.
  • Resiliency – The dexterity to quickly recover from adversity with the flexibility to remain optimistic in the face of setbacks and challenges in recognizing that these are part of learning and growth that informs new strategies and tactics.
  • Influencing Others and Interpersonal Skills – The ability to personally affect others’ actions, decisions, opinions or thinking and the commitment to build rapport while effectively communicating with diverse stakeholders nationally and internationally.
  • Time and Priority Management – The capacity to prioritize and complete tasks to deliver desired outcomes within allotted time frames and the willingness to initiate and pursue a robust work plan and be responsible for initiatives, decisions, and actions.
  • Member/Customer Focus – The dedication to anticipate, meet, and/or exceed the needs, wants, and expectations of members and key stakeholders.

 

Qualifications

A bachelor’s degree (advanced degree desirable) with a minimum of five to eight years of professional experience and at least three to five years of fundraising experience at nonprofit, professional, academic, or learned society is required. Significant knowledge of the professional fields of visual arts, educational institutions (especially higher education), and related arts organizations is necessary. Track record of grant and proposal writing is essential. Strong computer skills, including Microsoft Office (Teams, Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and customer relationship management and association management systems, are strongly preferred.

 

Compensation and Benefits

CAA offers competitive and equitable compensation with an anticipated starting salary range between $100,000 to $140,000 commensurate with experience; and a benefits package including health insurance, retirement plan, paid time off, holidays, and periodic travel. This position is based in New York City with the option for hybrid remote work.

 

Applications and Inquiries

To submit a letter and resume with a summary of demonstrable accomplishments (electronic submissions preferred), please click here or visit artsconsulting.com/employment. For questions or general inquiries about this job opportunity, please contact:

 

Ms. Wyona Lynch-McWhite, Senior Vice President

292 Newbury Street, Suite 315

Boston, MA 02115-2801

Tel       (888) 234-4236 Ext. 225

Email:   collegeart@ArtsConsulting.com

 

CAA is a proud Equal Opportunity Employer. It celebrates diversity in all forms.

It welcomes qualified candidates who will bring diverse perspectives to CAA’s community.

CAA will consider all applicants for employment regardless of their age; race; ethnicity; skin color; gender; gender identity; sexual orientation; socioeconomic status; nationality; genetics; physical, mental, and developmental abilities; parental status; veteran status; and language differences.

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