Development Director

CircEsteem - Uniting Youth Through The Circus Arts

Development Director

Job Description

2024

Job Title: Development Director 

Reports to: Executive Director 

Supervises: Grants Manager, Communications Manager, Events Manager

Employment Status: Full-Time (40 hrs/wk)

Applications Deadline: August 30, 2024 

Applicants will be accepted on a rolling basis until the position is filled, however applicants received within the Resume and Cover Letter Collection window will be given priority review. 

CircEsteem’s mission is to unite youth across all backgrounds and identities by fostering self-esteem and mutual respect through the practice and performance of circus arts. Social circus, the methodology used by CircEsteem, is an approach that uses circus arts to impact social change through instilling confidence and leadership in young participants. We are creative leaders with a passion for youth development who are role models facilitating, culturally, responsive, relationships within our community through education and dialogue around social emotional intelligence, diversity, equity, and inclusion. We approach this work with humanity, patience, love, and continued self-reflection. We are active participants and strengthening our organizational culture.

CircEsteem values a diverse workplace and strongly encourages women, BIPOC, LGBTQ+ individuals, people with disabilities, members of ethnic minorities, foreign-born residents, and veterans to apply.  CircEsteem is an equal opportunity employer who deeply believes in diversity, equity and inclusion.  Applicants will not be discriminated against because of race, color, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, religion, national origin, citizenship status, disability, ancestry, marital status, veteran status, medical condition or any protected category prohibited by local, state or federal laws.

We are looking to hire an experienced development professional to lead our growing organization’s fundraising and development efforts.  The ideal candidate for this position will be a strategic, proactive, and highly collaborative development leader.  They will leverage available networks to cultivate new and existing funding relationships.  They will partner with the board of directors and CircEsteem’s leadership team to identify and cultivate a pipeline of donors.  The Development Director will oversee all aspects of fundraising to grow and diversify CircEsteem’s contributed support revenue streams. 

Summary:

CircEsteem’s mission is to unite youth across all backgrounds and identities by fostering self-esteem and mutual respect through the practice and performance of the circus arts.  CircEsteem promotes the development of self-esteem, personal success and empowerment by (i) promoting the practice of circus arts; (ii) uniting youth from varying backgrounds; (iii) providing social and emotional skill building; (iv) providing youth opportunities to participate in leadership training which results in paid opportunities throughout their participation with CircEsteem.

Responsibilities:

The Development Director (DD) will be a member of CircEsteem’s Leadership Team.  The DD must be able to work in a fast-paced and multi-tasked environment with confidence and efficiency while also knowing how to slow down enough to pause, notice and reflect on the performance of our fundraising capacities and systems. The ideal candidate will be creative, organized, and able to create and implement strategies based on a framework of goals created with the leadership team and also nurtures and bolsters a culture of learning, collaboration, continuous improvement.

The DD has primary responsibility for overseeing fundraising operations, development strategies, donor engagement and cultivation, special events and communications.  They will supervise 3-5 members of the development team. 

This position will have a regular work week of Monday through Friday, approximately 9am – 5pm. CircEsteem is an in-person workplace. Occasional weekend and evening special events occur throughout the year.

Development/Fundraising: 

In collaboration with the Executive Director and the Board’s Development Committee, develop and execute an annual fundraising plan that aligns with CircEsteem’s strategic goals and aspirations.  With support from the Grants Manager, secure financial support from individuals, foundations, and corporations through comprehensive prospecting, proposal development, and donor outreach and cultivation.  In collaboration with the Executive Director and Grants Manager, identify grant opportunities from foundation and government funders that align with CircEsteem’s strategic goals and support the application and reporting processes.   Leverage existing networks and create new relationships to develop and maintain ongoing relationships with major donors Oversee individual donor stewardship, including acquisition and cultivation activities like acknowledgments, campaigns and other innovative ways to engage current and potential donors.

Special Events and Fundraising Events

Develop annual calendar of events, in collaboration with the Executive Director and the Board’s Development Committee, ensuring adequate donor engagement, fundraising capacity, and equitable opportunities for community members to participate in the uplifting of CircEsteem’s mission. Foster a culture of cross-functional collaboration amongst all departments with relation to special events, ensuring alignment and maximum capacity to achieve event goals. Oversee and support Events Manager in producing organization’s annual fundraising and special events

Communications

Oversee and support the Communication Manager in creating the organization’s annual report, informational collateral, program and organizational promotional opportunities, and regular communications for both internal and external stakeholders. Support the annual advertising budget creation and implementation. Attend networking events to build relationships with potential organizational partners. Work together with the Communication Manager to implement donor engagement strategies through emails, social media, online presence and in person engagement events. 

Qualifications:

Proven success leading a Development department for non-profit with an annual operating budget of at least $2m.  Existing relationships with foundations and corporate donors interested in funding youth development, arts education and violence prevention.  Minimum 7 years of experience in a leadership role of an organization with more than 10 full-time employees. The ability to collaborate effectively while working independently and actively uses feedback to assess both. A solid understanding of spreadsheets (Excel and Google Sheets preferred), Google Drive, Calendar, and email, and other online/computer software used for organizing and communicating. Demonstrated excellence in organizational, managerial, and communication skills including strong oral and writing skills, detail-orientation, managing multiple email accounts and engaging with internal staff and external partners. Candidates must demonstrate high levels of self-awareness and the ability to actively listen, be empathic and build strong relationships with a diverse group of individuals and groups that reflects our organizational vision, mission and core values. Understanding youth programs, program delivery, and the operational indicators of success. Proven experience working cross-functionally amongst multiple departments. Keeps up with trends and best practices in the field of development 

Compensation and Benefits: 

Scheduled 40 hours per week, year round Annual salary: $90,000 Generous Benefit Allowance including: 

Health Insurance (100% premium for self and partial contribution for dependents)

Employer contributions toward a 403b retirement account 

20 days of PTO, 10 days of public holidays 3-months paid parental leave Quarterly Mental Health Stipend

Hiring Timeline

July 22 - August 30: Resume and Cover Letter Collection September 2nd - September 13th: Phone Interviews Round September 16th - September 20th: In-Person Interview with Hiring Panel September 23rd - September 27th : Lunch with Development Committee September 30th - October 2nd: Fit Conversation with CE Leadership Team October 16th: Expected Start Date

Apply Now: If you are interested in applying for this position, please complete this google form and upload your resume.  

Note: Applicants who apply through “easy apply” links on job boards or through email will not be considered.