Development Director

The Development Director is responsible for the preparation and execution of the annual development plan and budget, ensuring that adequate resources will be available to support I-Park’s mission, programs and operations. The Development Director reports to the President and is a member of the senior management team. Top goals for the position: improved systems and results in the realm of donor identification and cultivation, higher levels of productivity and results within the grant writing function, enhanced impacts from fundraising and community events and continued growth in the annual fund.  

 

 

I-Park is a relatively young, ambitious non-profit (determination letter received in 2011) and has not previously had a full-time Development Director. The inaugural Development Director will have a major role in shaping I-Park’s transition from an emerging to a thriving non-profit. I-Park has made strides every year in income generation and is committed to professionalize this important function. I-Park appreciates that to achieve long-term sustainability and deepen our cultural impact, it will require a multi-year sustained effort, including additional staff and new technology. Initially, the Development Director will be a “one-unicorn shop” with the full support of an engaged board of directors, part-time staff and interns.  

 

 

Sited within a 450-acre nature preserve, I-Park has sponsored over 1200 fully funded artists’ residencies since 2001 and built an outstanding reputation within the field. I-Park is both an open-air and a closed-studio laboratory for individual creative pursuits in the fields of visual arts, music composition, creative writing, moving image, interdisciplinary practice, architecture and landscape design. 

 

 

I-Park’s nurturing, retreat-type setting allows artists to experiment with new ideas, do research and undertake aesthetic investigations; they develop existing projects and start new ones.  I-Park’s rich, varied landscape has inspired a special interest in site-responsive environmental art, to which many of our artists have been drawn. 

 

 

I-Park is a stimulating environment in which to work and grow. Surrounded by an international mix of highly creative individuals, and in the midst of a peaceful, though dynamic, landscape/artscape, you will be readily inspired to lead the organization’s development and sustainability efforts.   

 

Duties and Responsibilities

 

 

Organizational Leadership, Management and Strategy 

 

Develop and champion the annual development plan and budget.

 

Create a compelling narrative and a fundraising recap for the organization’s annual report.

 

Provide guidance, support and structure for the board development committee.  

 

Liaise with individual board members

 

Advise the President on strategic and operational development-related activity and serve as a partner on the senior management team.

 

Manage and motivate staff members, interns and volunteers.

 

Produce periodic analytical reports that identify encouraging trends and opportunities as well as challenges.

 

Oversee the donor contact management system to be sure it’s capturing reliable, actionable data to inform the development effort.

 

Manage timely and effective gift processing, ensuring accurate data entry and recordkeeping, prompt gift acknowledgement and appropriate donor recognition.

 

Oversee the recordkeeping on events attendance and guest feedback.

 

 

Individual Giving 

Update and execute the organization’s strategy for the identification, cultivation and stewardship of individual donors at all levels, with a special focus on those who are enthusiastic about our mission or predisposed to become so. 

 

Create and implement a planned giving program.

 

Consider new ways of creating a rewarding value proposition for potential friends and supporters on an individual basis.

 

 

Institutional Support 

 

Seek out additional new, and further cultivate existing, sources of institutional support, including foundations, corporations and public entities. 

 

Oversee the grant research and grant writing functions.  

 

 

Fundraising and Cultivation Events 

 

In collaboration with the board and staff, plan and execute engaging, memorable public events/experiences, leveraging the I-Park grounds and facilities, as well as off-site venues, for maximum impact.  

 

Create and help implement a new strategy for soliciting various levels of sponsorship for these events.

 

 

Community Engagement 

 

In certain settings, serve as a public speaker and advocate for I-Park and its mission.

 

Attend I-Park as well as local cultural, civic and related events to broaden awareness of our mission and programming and garner feedback on how we’re doing and being perceived in the field.

 

 

Skills and Experience

 

A passion for the mission, vision and values of I-Park.

 

5 to 7 years of progressively more challenging fundraising and development experience preferably in an arts or similar cultural environment.

 

Proven experience and a successful track record raising funds from wide-ranging sources, including individuals, foundations, corporations and government agencies.

 

Entrepreneurial, with a high level of personal initiative, integrity, positive energy and “can-do” spirit

 

Knowledge of and connection to the local community is a plus; knowledge of the state and national arts funding community is advantageous.

 

Experience with planned giving, endowment and/or capital campaigns is a plus. 

 

Communication skills: exceptional writing skills; the ability to succinctly, engagingly articulate the I-Park mission; economic, empathetic use of language; discretion in terms of safeguarding confidential donor information and a sensitivity to delicate interpersonal dynamics, e.g., a knack for making brilliant seating assignments. 

 

Computer skills: DonorPerfect or equivalent, MS Office, Google docs. 

 

Time management: while often juggling multiple priorities, should be able to stay focused on the major, long-term goals of the department and the organization.

 

Judgment, wisdom, patience: an ability to manage expectations, work with adequate but limited resources, weigh costs and benefits, decide which battles to undertake and which to postpone. 

 

A Bachelor’s degree or equivalent.  

 

 

Attributes and Expectations

Professional demeanor and presentation.

 

Ability to work independently.

 

Focus: must be comfortable in a fast-paced, goal-oriented environment.

 

Ability to travel locally and, when needed for major public and donor cultivation events - work some nights and weekends. 

 

Compensation: I-Park offers a hybrid office environment, competitive compensation package and generous benefits, including health insurance and paid vacations. Salary range: $75,000 to $85,000. 

Send resume and letter of interest to career@i-park.org. Your letter of interest should include any experience relevant to the job profile that you would like to highlight, why you consider yourself a good fit for this opportunity and your salary requirements. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis with a deadline of January 30, 2025. Candidates of interest will be contacted directly.

I-Park Foundation, Inc. provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, disability, genetics or any other legally protected classifications. In addition to federal legal requirements, I-Park complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment.