Institutional Giving Director

Institutional Giving Director

About Arts for Learning Maryland

Arts for Learning Maryland (formerly Young Audiences of Maryland) is devoted to enriching the lives and education of Maryland’s youth through educational and culturally diverse arts programs. Through Arts for Learning, professional teaching artists from all disciplines partner with educators, schools, and school districts to provide -- on average -- over 560,000 hours of learning in, through, and about the arts to more than 155,000 Maryland students annually.

Arts for Learning is a mission-driven organization that values community, innovation, and passion. The staff, board, and teaching artists have a shared commitment to advance equity in the field of education by working tirelessly to generate opportunities for students to imagine, create, and realize their full potential through the arts.

Job Description:

The Institutional Giving Director will lead institutional giving for the organization, working in close partnership with the Individual Giving Officer to lead the development team and implement strategies to increase contributed revenue.

We are looking for a leader who is excited to strategize, plan, and work towards ambitious goals; build buy-in among A4L staff and board members; inspire and coach at least one direct report; and roll up their sleeves and get the job done to ensure that the organization secures its annual fundraising goals. In fiscal year 2024, the development team raised approximately $4.5m of the organization's $17m budget.

The Institutional Giving Director is a full-time, exempt position and will report to the Chief of Engagement.

Responsibilities Include:

Strategy & Leadership

• In partnership with the Chief of Engagement, develop an ambitious grants (corporate, foundation, and government) fundraising strategy that achieves annual financial goals and grows and diversifies A4L’s institutional donor base.
  • Regularly monitor and communicate progress against annual financial and donor engagement goals.
• Support board committees and leverage the talent and enthusiasm of the board and volunteers to secure new and increased grants.
• Partner with the President & CEO, Chief of Engagement, and board to plan and execute large-scale, multi-year fundraising campaigns.
• Develop collaborative relationships and systems between the development team and programmatic teams to ensure efficient information sharing required to submit proposals and reports.
• Embody the attributes of an antiracist leader, including actively reflecting, learning and growing, and reimagining existing systems and practices, in order to advance Arts for Learning equity goals.
• Manage the Grant Writer, ensuring that they meet expectations with regards to high-quality and timely grant submissions and have the support they need to thrive in their role.
• Regularly evaluate the effectiveness of institutional fundraising activities, systems, and processes; learn and make changes for continuous improvement.

Institutional Giving Portfolio Management

• Manage A4L’s annual grants calendar:
  • Determine responsibility for the creation and submission of grant materials (proposals, letters of intent, and reports) for each institution. Responsibility may be split between the Institutional Giving Director and the Grant Writer. Contract grant writers may be brought in as needed.
  • Ensure the on-time and high-quality submission of all grant materials to align with the funder’s area of interest and meet all funder requirements.
    • Oversee the creation, review and submission of materials from the Grant Writer and potential grant contractors.
    • Write, edit, and submit grant materials as needed.
• Ensure active relationship building with both current and prospective funders, including regular outreach and in-person cultivation.
• Ensure grant compliance with current funders.
• Maintain accurate donor files and ensure timely institutional gift acknowledgements.

Budget Management & Reporting

• Manage the institutional giving budget, including completing monthly reports and reconciliations with finance, supporting organizational reprojections and cash flow reporting, and developing reconciliation reports with other departments.
• Support the Finance Director with the annual audit.

Qualifications:

While no one candidate will possess every quality outlined for this position, the successful candidate will possess many of the following professional qualifications and personal attributes. If you are excited about this role, and hold some of these attributes, we encourage you to apply!

• You are an exceptional grant writer and relationship builder, and are able to increase contributed revenue and diversify funding sources.
• You understand the institutional fundraising environment, including current challenges and strategic opportunities for A4L.
• You are an exceptional manager and teammate, skilled at building community, cultivating trust, giving and receiving feedback, coaching others, and creating a collaborative team environment where all staff, including staff of diverse backgrounds, can thrive. You are excited to bring groups together to achieve shared goals.
• You are self-reflective and eager to grow and learn.
• You enjoy problem-solving and creatively tackling new challenges.
• You are committed to racial equity and excited to examine and reimagine systems and practices, including traditional best practices in philanthropy, to advance equity and liberation.
• You have experience in budget development, monitoring, and reporting in a timely manner.
• You have strong organization and communication skills.

Compensation:

We offer a starting annual salary of $90,000 and an attractive benefits package that includes medical, dental, and vision healthcare coverage, retirement contributions, and a flexible paid time off policy.