Director of Development

The Director of Development is an entrepreneurial leader willing to pursue new and innovative strategies to ensure United Arts’ mission and vision are realized. They will partner with the President & CEO on all strategies related to fundraising. By strengthening United Arts’ own internal capacities for fundraising beyond the Collaborative Campaign, United Arts holds the potential to also build the fundraising capacities of its regional constituent organizations.

The successful candidate for this position will be able to authentically form deep relationships with individual donors as well as steward strategic alliances and engage publicly with a diverse array of stakeholders and perspectives. They will have a proven track record of identifying, cultivating, and closing major gifts, by communicating a clearly articulated case for support. The Director of Development should have the ability to think analytically and creatively, using strategic knowledge of best practices and significant trends in philanthropy to adapt fundraising strategies as needed. They will exercise independent judgment and discretion. They will be passionate about representing the organization and its mission internally and externally. 

Orlando is a very young and diverse community, which will require a compelling and charismatic leader who can inspire donors and move team members forward with a keen sense of humor and joy in their interactions with people from all racial, political, socioeconomic, and cultural backgrounds. 

Essential responsibilities include: 

Providing general oversight of all development activities and managing its daily departmental operations  Growing, managing, and developing departmental staff Monitoring the progress of fundraising activities in coordination with the CEO, Development Committee of the Board, and appropriate Board members  Engaging staff and board leadership along with other key stakeholders in developing a fundraising vision and strategy to meet revenue goals, ideally with the potential to produce continued growth results  Partnering with the Finance Director to ensure sound fiscal operation of the development function, including timely, accurate and comprehensive budgeting monitoring, forecasting, and reporting donor contributions, grants, and department expenses Working closely with marketing and communications and understanding the importance of strategic collaborations Acting as a representative and ambassador to raise resources, promote positive relationships, and develop strong resource partnerships for the benefit of the organization

Essential Job Functions 

Organizational Leadership

Drive United Arts’ resource development capacity to meet the growing needs of the cultural sector in the Central Florida region Serve as a strategic thought partner to the CEO on fundraising efforts Serve as a member of United Arts senior leadership team, collaborating on high-level planning and decision-making Create a development staffing model that advances United Arts’ mission and is designed to meet the needs of agency funding initiatives Provide supervision and mentorship of the development team and represent them to the leadership team, creating a positive workplace environment that promotes employee engagement and satisfaction that aligns with the culture of the organization Foster a culture of philanthropy and collaboration among the various departments of the organization and the Board of Directors Work in service of United Arts’ expansive vision to ensure all people of Central Florida have access to quality arts and cultural experiences Promote and represent United Arts’ core values of Excellence, Impact, Transparency, Fairness and Care

Fundraising 

Design and implement a comprehensive annual development plan (long-and short-term), in collaboration with the CEO and the Finance Director Set benchmarks and evaluation procedures for individual, foundation, corporate giving, and public funding goals Align all fundraising efforts with the agency’s strategic goals Establish and maintain a personal portfolio of current and prospective major donors Oversee federal, state, and local grant funding efforts As the staff liaison for the Board Development Committee and in collaboration with the CEO, encourage board member Individual Development Plans and leverage members’ networks and experience with a particular emphasis on major gifts Develop and oversee evaluation and reporting systems for fundraising so that leadership and the CEO have timely information and key metrics to measure progress Actively seek out and develop new opportunities for investment, revenue generation, and strategic partnerships Identify, develop, and maintain long-term relationships with major donors, foundations and corporate contributors, and other key stakeholders, including significant personal solicitations/asks Accurately forecast revenue and expenses from all fundraising activities Work with the CEO to utilize their and other key stakeholders’ time effectively and efficiently in meeting with donors

Team Management

Attract and retain high-performing team members, while empowering them to continually elevate their level of responsibility, sense of agency, and performance Set development staff goals, monitor work, and evaluate results to ensure that the department meets organizational objectives and operating requirements and is in line with the needs and mission of the organization Develop a positive, healthy workplace culture for the department Oversee the development team and ensure that there is technical support within the department for using Blackbaud’s Raiser’s Edge and donor prospecting software Work with fundraising staff to develop systems to ensure consistent, high-quality project management

Qualifications 

Diversified fundraising experience in a nonprofit environment, including collaborative or federated campaigns, major gifts, annual gifts, and corporate and foundation philanthropy; as well as state and federal funding sources Proven knowledge of and track record for identifying, cultivating/stewarding, soliciting, and closing major gifts and corporate sponsorships  Energetic and enthusiastic leadership style, strong management skills, and a collaborative spirit  Ability to plan both short- and long-term strategically and aspirationally  Experience working successfully and collaboratively with a Board of Directors, senior management, and professional colleagues  Experience developing and executing a relationship-based fundraising program with an emphasis on gifts over $5K Demonstrated ability to collaborate with leadership around goal setting and the strategies to achieve those goals Ability to give and take advice and support to ensure the fulfillment of the organizational mission Adherence to deadlines, strong organizational and time management skills with attention to detail Ability to be flexible and adaptable to situational changes Experience working with CRM databases and Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge Ability to manage and build consensus across internal and external constituents  Proven understanding of inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility, the role that racial inequity plays in our society, and a demonstrated ability to effectively communicate and collaborate across differences Excellent interpersonal, verbal, and written communications skills 

Not sure you meet 100% of our qualifications? Research shows that cis-men apply for jobs when they fulfill an average of 60% of the criteria. Yet, women and other people who are systematically marginalized tend only to apply if they meet every requirement. If you believe that you could excel in this role, we encourage you to apply. 

We are dedicated to considering a broad array of candidates, including those with diverse workplace experiences and backgrounds. So, whether you're returning to work after a gap in employment, simply looking to transition, or taking the next step in your career path, we will be glad to have you on our radar. 

Please use your cover letter to tell us about what you hope to bring to this role.