Arts for LA Director of Development → Los Angeles, CA

Title:Director of Development
Status / Classification:Full-time / Exempt
Compensation:$90,000 – $96,000
Benefits:Health, vision, dental, PTO, retirement opt-in, and coworking space membership
Location:Hybrid (remote with regular in-person activity required)
Reports to:Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
Start Date:May 2024

About Arts for LA

Arts for LA (AFLA) leads communities, artists, and organizations to advocate for an equitable, healthy, vibrant, and creative Los Angeles region through the arts. AFLA believes that by identifying and eliminating barriers to equity, access, and inclusion, all of Los Angeles will thrive. AFLA invests in leadership development, growing networks of civically engaged advocates, building deep relationships with elected officials, and working in partnership across sectors to make Los Angeles a vibrant, prosperous, creative, and healthy society. Today, AFLA is the only cross-sector and cross-discipline arts advocacy organization in Los Angeles County. Our powerful community includes 75,000 supporters, 400 Member Advocates, and 185+ Member Organizations. More information can be found at .

Position Summary

AFLA seeks a full-time Director of Development to lead the cultivation, securing, and stewardship of foundation, corporate, and individual donors, and the expansion of earned revenue partnerships with organizational and individual members. This position is critical for the organization’s long-term financial sustainability and is responsible for fostering strong relationships with our funding partners, community members, and key stakeholders. The Director of Development will build AFLA’s fund development plan and maintain development-related information technology systems. This role will also support the earned revenue arm of the organization by establishing and maintaining cross-sector (government, nonprofit, and business) sponsorship opportunities. Reporting to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), this position is an integral part of AFLA’s senior staff team and will work closely with other key staff and AFLA Board leaders. AFLA is committed to building a people-centered work culture in every aspect of its work, with all positions at the organization abiding by the organization’s equity plan and people-centered organizational values.

Candidate Profile

The ideal candidate is a creative thinker with a solid understanding of current philanthropic thinking, strategies, and tactics in this fast-changing societal landscape. They are interested in the arts, the creative workforce, community-building, and have a love for Los Angeles and the arts workers who live and work in the region. Their work is mission-driven and embraces innovation, future-thinking, growth, and sustainability. They have an understanding that the work of building financial stability for this organization secures a stronger voice for the creative economy. They embrace and feel comfortable working as part of a small but mighty team and have a growth mindset. They are eager to be AFLA’s champion in all areas relating to the financial health and well-being of the organization. They share values of equity, interdependence, creativity, and movement-building. They are capable and ready to: jump into serving as a team leader and team member; think strategically and creatively; and are comfortable with both overseeing and doing the work to ensure success for themselves, the AFLA team, and the LA arts and culture sector.

Key Responsibilities

• Prospect, cultivate, and steward relationships to increase financial resources for AFLA through individual donations, grants, and corporate sponsorships.
• Lead efforts in the areas of individual giving across the organization, including major gifts and the annual fund; collaborate with the CEO to identify major gift prospects and cultivation strategies for supporters with a capacity to give $10K+.
• Oversee strategy and implementation of direct mail and digital campaigns to support annual giving in collaboration with the communications team.
• Lead efforts to develop and implement strategies to engage new and existing foundation and institutional partners; work with the contracted grant support staff and the AFLA team to prepare funding proposals, manage active foundation and government grants, and prepare reports.
• Manage funder and contractor relationships and ensure grant compliance and accurate reporting.
• Lead efforts to secure corporate sponsorships with partners that align with AFLA’s organizational values and identify opportunities to build sustaining revenue streams.
• Manage the maintenance and use of the database for donor management, engagement, and revenue reporting.
• Oversee AFLA’s donor recognition and retention program and ensure efforts are being tracked in the donor database.
• Work with the Board Advancement Committee to organize and oversee AFLA fundraising activities in collaboration with event-planning staff.
• Be the point person for tracking Board giving and fundraising, including administering the Board’s individual contributions.

Membership (30%)

• Lead the AFLA organization and individual membership program (earned revenue) by securing renewals of existing memberships, recruiting new members, and serving as the first point of contact for current and potential members.
• Develop campaigns for engaging members in AFLA’s advocacy efforts, including exploring new or expanded revenue models for membership programs.
• Oversee strategy and implementation of direct mail and digital campaigns to support the membership program in collaboration with the communications team.
• Develop short- and long-term strategic goals for Arts for LA’s fundraising, including timelines, revenue projections, and budgets; assess areas for growth, and support launching new donor and event-related initiatives.
• Conduct research of donor prospects, including, individuals, corporations, and foundations for priority alignment and supporter activity.
• Understand and modify as needed any systems for collecting, tracking and maintaining data on all aspects of revenue generation.
• Lead the creation of a three-year fund development plan in partnership with the Board and executive leadership team.
• Work with the AFLA staff team to support programs, advocacy campaigns, and long-term initiatives by ensuring revenue streams are in line with the work of the organization.

Other (10%)

• Share in the day-to-day operations of the organization as it relates to the duties of the position or as in the normal course of operations as do the other staff members (e.g., special projects, conferences, logistics, etc.).

Required Knowledge, Skills, & Qualifications

• Experience in planning, leading, and managing contributed revenue goals and strategies, including coordinating with peers to achieve desired outcomes and tracking and reporting on progress to the Board of Directors and the AFLA executive leadership team.
• 5-7 years of progressive fundraising experience with a proven track record in work that results in organizational financial stability, including fundraising, grant writing, corporate sponsorships, membership, sales, etc., that contribute to the increasing visibility, impact, and financial resources of an organization over time.
• Profound and confident understanding of foundation priorities and grantmaking practices to make strategic decisions with funding requests.
• Exceptional comprehension, analysis, and writing skills, including the ability to articulate and explain complex program and financial issues in a clear, jargon-free manner.
• Demonstrated level of comfort with public speaking and presenting complex information in a compelling manner to a variety of audiences.
• Experience building organizational systems and processes, including onboarding new software and management tools/systems.
• Detail-oriented, highly organized, and able to prioritize time to set and meet goals and deadlines.
• Strong multitasking and problem-solving skills; ability to achieve in a fast-paced, ever-changing environment and proven experience managing large-scale projects.
• 3+ years of direct staff supervision experience.
• Self-starter and a team player with the ability to develop and maintain a goal-oriented, positive attitude; must be able to interface equally well with all AFLA stakeholders, including the Board of Directors, Staff, corporate and community partners, donors, and the broader AFLA community.
• Flexible and adaptable work style in both remote and in-person work environments while maintaining productivity.
• Ability to use industry-standard software and platforms such as Google Workspace, video conferencing (e.g., Zoom, Google Meet, etc.), CRMs (e.g., Bloomerang, JoinIt, etc.), design (e.g., Canva, Adobe, etc.), and a general embrace of technology to support the operations of the organization.

Preferred Knowledge, Skills, & Qualifications

• Advanced degree in a related field and/or relevant professional certification (such as CFRE).
• Experience interacting with nonprofit boards.
• Experience with government grants, contracts, reporting, and compliance.
• Familiarity with the Los Angeles arts and culture community and local government structures.
• Public relations, community organizing, or communications experience.
• Bilingual applicants are encouraged to apply.

Position Experience

This is a full-time, exempt position. Days and hours of work are Monday-Friday from 9 AM-5 PM, with some weekend and evening hours required. This position operates in a hybrid remote/in-person work environment. AFLA currently uses a coworking space located in Downtown Los Angeles. This position requires local travel, as well as occasional travel within the state of California.

Other Duties

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice at the discretion of AFLA executive leadership.This work is performed in a traditional office environment (remote or in-person) and requires the ability to operate standard office equipment and keyboards. The candidate may be requested to lift and carry packages/parcels and walk short distances. They must have reliable transportation to get to work-related events and obligations.

Supervisory Role

This position is responsible for supervising independent contractors and consultants to support the implementation of diverse fundraising strategies at AFLA. This position will also supervise internal development and membership staff positions as the organization grows.

Compensation

The salary range for this position is $90,000-$96,000, depending on experience. Benefits include health, vision, dental, paid time off, retirement opt-in, and a coworking space membership (currently located in Downtown Los Angeles).

How to Apply

Submit a resume, cover letter, and writing samples (e.g., development plan, grant application, membership solicitation, or sponsorship deck) via email to with “Director of Development” as the subject line. Please combine all requested materials into one single PDF document. References will be requested for candidates who advance to final consideration. Applications are due by 11:59 PM Pacific Time on Friday, April 26, 2024. Applications without a cover letter or sample material will not be reviewed.