Director of Development

About Us:

At The Center for Arts & Innovation, we believe that creativity is a powerful force capable of transforming lives and communities. Our purpose is to ignite curiosity by reimagining the spaces, experiences, and opportunities where people connect, create, and confidently bring bold ideas to life. As we shape a future where curiosity never fades and creativity is essential, we empower individuals to explore and express their full creative potential.

Our vision is simple but bold: a world where everyone has the confidence to turn ideas into innovation, where creativity fuels personal growth and drives societal progress. To achieve this, we offer transformative experiences, thought leadership, and collaborative spaces designed to spark discovery, challenge boundaries, and elevate the art of possibility.

At the heart of our mission lies a commitment to fostering an environment of boldness, excellence, grace, curiosity, and stewardship. We take risks, push creative limits, and redefine what’s possible, all while holding ourselves to the highest standards of performance and integrity.

We are looking for someone who shares our passion for making a lasting impact and building meaningful connections. This is an exciting opportunity to play a key role in shaping the future of The Center, working alongside a visionary team dedicated to empowering creativity and inspiring change. If you're a strategic, forward-thinking leader who thrives in a collaborative, mission-driven environment, we invite you to join us on this incredible journey of curiosity, creativity, and collaboration.

Job Summary:

The Director of Development is a senior leader responsible for shaping and executing the organization’s comprehensive fundraising strategy to support the mission of The Center for Arts & Innovation. Reporting directly to the Chief Executive Officer, this role leads the development team and is responsible for all aspects of fundraising operations, including donor identification, cultivation, solicitation, stewardship, and data-driven strategy execution. The Director will design and implement systems that maximize fundraising efficiency and efficacy, elevate donor experiences, meet fundraising targets, and ensure long-term financial sustainability. This role is accountable for meeting clearly defined performance metrics and KPIs tied to revenue targets and fundraising outcomes. Ideal candidates will bring proven experience in fundraising leadership, a deep commitment to relationship-building, a collaborative leadership style, and a results-driven mindset rooted in analytics and innovation within a collaborative, fast-paced, and–at times–evolving environment.

Duties/Responsibilities:

• Donor Database Management: Oversee the management of the donor database (CRM), ensuring efficient data management and accurate segmentation, tracking, and reporting.
• Performance Monitoring & Data: Leverage data and analytics to inform decision-making, identify trends, forecast revenue, and guide donor engagement strategies. Establish and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure progress and continually optimize fundraising outcomes.
• Strategic Fundraising Plan Development: Develop and lead a comprehensive fundraising strategy that aligns with organizational priorities, setting annual fundraising goals and strategies to attract and retain funding from individuals, foundations, corporations, and government agencies.
• Fundraising Plan Execution: Lead the development and solicitation of high-level naming opportunities in partnership with the CEO and board members.
• Donor Pipeline Oversight: Lead donor pipeline development, including identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of individual, corporate, foundation, and government donors.
• Prospect Research & Targeted Outreach: Lead prospect research efforts and manage systems that ensure accurate donor segmentation and targeted outreach.
• Executive & Board Collaboration: Collaborate closely with the CEO and board members to support high-level donor engagement and solicitations. Partner with Board Members to activate their networks, deepen their engagement, and support their roles as ambassadors and fundraisers.
• Strategic Donor Communications: Provide strategic oversight and leadership for donor communications in partnership with the marketing team to ensure consistent, compelling messaging.
• Finance & Compliance Partnership: Lead collaboration with finance to ensure the development team is upholding accurate gift reporting, financial forecasting, and compliance with all charitable giving regulations.
• Philanthropic Trends & Innovation: Stay ahead of philanthropic trends and innovations, applying best practices and bold ideas to continuously strengthen the organization’s fundraising strategy.
• Donor Relationship Management: Build and maintain strong relationships with current and potential donors, including cultivating new relationships, conducting outreach, and ensuring donor satisfaction.
• Revenue Generation Through Grants & Partnerships: Lead the research and identification of potential funding sources, prepare and submit grant proposals, and cultivate relationships with foundations and corporate partners.
• External Representation & Stewardship: Serve as a key spokesperson for the organization, attending donor events, cultivating relationships, and representing The Center’s mission and vision to potential donors and stakeholders.
• Cross-Departmental Collaboration: Work collaboratively across departments, particularly with executive leadership, marketing, finance, and operations to ensure alignment and integration of development strategies with broader organizational goals.
• Team Leadership & Development: Lead and mentor development staff, fostering a culture of curiosity, boldness, accountability, and continuous improvement to drive team success.
• Accountability & Tracking: Track and report on all fundraising progress transparently and regularly to CEO, Board, and other stakeholders. Manage the development department’s budget and participate in organization-wide financial forecasting related to philanthropic revenue. This role is directly accountable to the CEO and will be evaluated on quarterly performance metrics tied to fundraising benchmarks, donor pipeline development, team collaboration, and strategic leadership

Education and Experience:

Qualified candidates will have the following education and kinds of professional experience:

• 10+ years of progressive development experience, with a strong track record of leading successful fundraising campaigns.
• Demonstrated success in designing, launching, and leading multi-million-dollar capital campaigns, with experience managing campaign committees, establishing key milestones, and securing underwriting for operations, programming, and endowments.
• Proven ability to identify, solicit, and steward major gift donors ($1,000,000+), with a strong personal portfolio of donor relationships.
• Ability to craft and oversee compelling cases for support and campaign materials in collaboration with marketing and executive teams.
• Demonstrated experience in leadership and staff management, including mentoring and providing regularly scheduled performance reviews
• Comfort and fluency with fundraising CRMs, donor analytics tools, and virtual engagement platforms.
• Experience in planned giving and legacy programs is a plus.

Key Qualities and Expectations:

• Alignment: Ability to live by The Center’s core values. We are as committed to how the work is done as we are to what gets accomplished. Ideal candidates will exhibit humility, self-awareness, and a collaborative spirit in line with our values of excellence, grace, and stewardship.
• Accountability: Demonstrated ability to receive feedback with humility, maintain a collaborative mindset across reporting relationships, and uphold professional standards of conduct in high-stakes environments.
• In-Person Commitment: Commitment to being physically and emotionally available and present to realize and exceed expectations of the position.
• Communication: Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to articulate the purpose, vision, mission, and various ideas clearly and the ability to collaborate effectively across diverse teams.
• Adaptability: Thrives in a fast-paced, start-up, dynamic environment, maintaining flexibility while managing multiple priorities and tight deadlines. Also open to adapting to or learning new techniques, systems, and technological software or tools. Understands that The Center is a “growth-stage” nonprofit that values entrepreneurial leadership.
• Collaboration: Strong ability to work effectively with colleagues from diverse backgrounds and skill sets to drive cross-functional success. Must foster trust and partnership with internal teams through open communication, follow-through, and respect for diverse viewpoints, while modeling a leadership style rooted in integrity and mutual respect.
• Strong Organizational Abilities: Exceptional time management and attention to detail, with the capacity to oversee, manage, and execute complex projects while ensuring accuracy and follow-through.
• Bold & Strategic Mindset: A visionary thinker who embraces innovation, takes bold, calculated risks, and aligns development efforts with long-term organizational goals.
• Results-Driven & Self-Motivated: Highly proactive and goal-oriented, with an intrinsic drive to exceed fundraising targets and deliver tangible and goal-aligned results.
• Emotional Intelligence & Relationship-Building Skills: Deep interpersonal awareness, empathy, and trust-building capabilities that lead to lasting donor and team relationships.

What We Offer:

• Dynamic Work Environment: Join a passionate, creative team that is committed to redefining the future through curiosity, creativity, innovation, and collaboration..
• Professional Growth: Opportunities for continued learning, leadership development, and career advancement.
• Impactful Projects: Contribute to a once-in-a-generation initiative with the power to shape creative culture and community for decades to come.
• Energizing Culture: Collaborate with fun, imaginative, driven colleagues in an environment that thrives on bold ideas, creativity, and collective energy.
• Comprehensive benefits: Health, vision, and dental insurance, 401(k), long- and short-term disability, life insurance, PTO, vacation and holidays—because your well-being and work-life balance matter to us.

The Opportunity:

If you’re ready to lead one of the most exciting cultural and civic endeavors of our time—and bring your full creative and strategic self to the role—we welcome your application.