Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance

Director of Development

The Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance is dedicated to leading, strengthening and amplifying the voices of Greater Philadelphia’s cultural community. Founded in 1972, we are recognized as one of the nation’s best-known and most effective arts service organizations.  We operate in five counties surrounding Philadelphia, and also serve southern New Jersey and Northern Delaware as part of our metropolitan region.  We have over 450 nonprofit and for-profit members, but the Alliance serves the entire cultural sector – over 1,500 performing arts, visual arts, history, science, horticulture, arts education, community art centers and other cultural organizations.  

 

We are currently searching for a Director of Development to join our team.

 

Position Overview

 

The Director of Development reports directly to the President & CEO and functions as part of the Leadership Team of the Alliance, working to achieve the Cultural Alliance’s strategic goals and to sustain our work.  It is a highly visible leadership role in the arts and culture sector of Greater Philadelphia, acting as an ambassador, connector and resource.  The key challenge of this position is to realize the Alliance’s contributed revenue goals and to align our development strategies with the organization’s strategic goals. The Director of Development will manage the Development Manager to ensure the coordination and timely execution of all development-related activities.

 

Primary Role & Responsibilities

 

General

  • Collaborate with the President and Leadership Team to define projects and approaches for all development, stewardship, and fundraising activities
  • Create and manage the annual Development Department budget to effectively meet departmental goals and key metrics
  • Supervise all members of the Development team, developing workplans, conducting performance reviews and supporting their professional development
  • Work with the Leadership Team to ensure all programmatic activities (research, advocacy, membership, communications, community engagement, grantmaking, and creative youth development) are incorporated in a comprehensive annual development plan. Collaborate with the team to develop additional supportive development strategies as needed 
  • Oversight and management of the development database
  • Managing development staff to ensure database management, timely acknowledgement of gifts, maintenance of the grants calendar and other development-related administrative tasks

 

Fundraising

  • In coordination with President and Leadership Team, pursue and facilitate beneficial partnerships with funders, donors, and key stakeholders to reach contributed revenue requirements
  • Oversee all fundraising activities, including individual and board giving, foundation strategies, government grants, corporate grants/sponsorships and special events
  • Manage relationships with the Alliance’s current and potential institutional funders, keeping them abreast of the organization’s work and determining projects that align our priorities with theirs
  • Direct foundation relations, stewarding relationships, developing contributed revenue strategies, writing quality applications and the timely submission of reports 
  • Design major-gifts strategies in close partnership with the President
  • Engage the Board in fundraising activities, supporting the Development Committee and the board giving campaign 
  • Serve as staff liaison to the Development Committee, and supporting the work of board committees relating to Development as assigned
  • Design and manage all development-related special events, and support the Cultural Alliance’s annual meeting through overseeing all fundraising activities
  • Keep abreast of local and national funders and philanthropic trends through relationships with peers; professional development opportunities; general interest and trade publications; and online and library-based research tools

 

 

Skills and Experience

  • A Bachelor’s degree or related field or relevant experience is required
  • 7 to 10 years of relevant senior-level nonprofit development and communications experience
  • Strategic thinker
  • Ability to align high-level goals with metric-driven design and implementation strategies
  • Strong team management experience 
  • Demonstrated success in building relationships with key stakeholders, soliciting and closing gifts and managing volunteer committees
  • Familiarity with fundraising platforms, Salesforce and other CRM programs
  • Successful design and management of special events
  • Outstanding writing and communication skills
  • Well-organized, with attention to accuracy and detail
  • Ability to work independently as well as part of a team
  • An interest and desire to contribute to the region’s cultural sector and advance Greater Philadelphia’s reputation as a leading center of arts and culture

 

Compensation

 

This is a full-time position with a salary range of $75,000 - $85,000. The Cultural Alliance provides a generous benefits package including medical, dental and vision benefits, a 403b plan, short- and long-term disability, and Paid Time Off.  

 

This is a hybrid remote/in-person position based in Philadelphia.

To apply, please email sarahw@philaculture.org with the subject line Director of Development <Last Name>, <First Name> , and include the following:

 

  • Resume
  • Cover letter detailing your relevant experience and interest
  • Two references

 

The Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.  We strongly encourage candidates with lived experiences from a wide range of communities to apply and we welcome applicants of all backgrounds. Our office is located in The Philadelphia Building, which is an accessible space in Center City Philadelphia. 

 

The Cultural Alliance Work Environment Values Statement

 

As the Cultural Alliance serves our members and the broader arts and culture sector, we also celebrate the people who make that vital work possible. We know that as happy, healthy and fulfilled individuals, we are better advocates for the Cultural Alliance and its constituents. 

We create an inclusive and supportive environment by practicing respect, empathy and valuing the diversity and perspective of each individual. Through our actions, we are accountable to our mission and values and considerate of each other and our stakeholders. We encourage work/life balance because we know that our unique backgrounds, passions and interests outside of work help to inspire innovative solutions. 

 

We believe that we are all leaders, all possessing important insight into the mission of the Cultural Alliance, and all deserving of opportunities for advancement and professional development. We work as a team to build trust and collaborate in a way in which everyone’s input is heard and their contributions appreciated. We promote creativity and out-of-the-box thinking and challenge ourselves to continually ask what a strong organization looks like.