Director of Major Gifts & Individual Giving

Salary | Full-Time

Posted March 11, 2024

Ailey is seeking an experienced fundraising professional to lead the organization’s individual giving strategy reporting to and partnering with the Managing Director of Development.

Position Summary

The Director of Major Gifts and Individual Giving (“Director”) leads a four-person team dedicated to raising $3.8M+ each year from individuals. The Director develops and implements strategies to maintain and increase revenue from individual donors, including targeted major gift solicitations, direct mail campaigns, online campaigns, planned giving, and special events. The position will have a strong focus on building and managing individual connections through in-person visits and personalized, direct, written and telephone communications is key.

This is a senior administrative position on the Development Team and is responsible for developing and managing talented and committed staff. The Director will also work closely with the Board of Directors, as appropriate, to support their fundraising efforts. This full-time position will be housed in the New York City office, with a network, reach, and community in New York and beyond.

Essential Job Responsibilities

Managing an individual giving team (three full-time and one part-time) responsible for meeting annual contributed revenue goals.
Supervising, mentoring, and cultivating staff members to meet their individual goals in service of the team’s fundraising plan(s), as well as contributing to the cultivation of their expertise, interests, and skills.
Developing and implementing strategies for the research, cultivation, stewardship, and solicitation of donors and prospects to grow engagement and contributed revenue.
Creating and implementing a strategy for AILEY’s major gifts program and donor pipeline in collaboration with the Chief External Affairs Officer, Managing Director for Development, and individual giving team.
Working with the Executive Director, Artistic Director, Development Committee of the Board, and Board of Trustees overall on cultivation, stewardship, and solicitation of donors and prospects.
Conducting research into AILEY’s current individual donors to determine opportunities for increased giving potential, as well as researching the donor potential among other AILEY constituencies, such as ticket buyers, parents of children enrolled in The Ailey School, and adults taking dance classes through the popular Ailey Extension program.
Creating cultivation events and other opportunities to engage individual donors and build relationships.
Soliciting contributions from individuals with the goal of growing the Artistic Director’s Circle membership program ($10,000+annual membership) and other groups of major donors.
Overseeing monthly, quarterly, and yearly plans to quantify individual giving and special events moves management and outcome goals. Director should furnish the organization with ambitious evidence-based revenue projections annually, while establishing longer term goals. Director will monitor goals' efficacy over time and course correct as necessary.
Partnering with content creation staff, alongside the Managing Director of Development and Chief External Affairs Officer, in ensuring to produce written and online fundraising collateral and maintain the integrity of AILEY’s messaging and case for support.
Working with Programmatic staff to align AILEY’s fundraising with programmatic priorities and meaningfully include Programmatic staff in Development activities, as appropriate.

Candidate Profile

While no one candidate will possess every quality outlined for this position, strong candidates will bring many of the following professional qualifications and personal attributes:

Expertise in Individual Giving

The Director of Major Gifts and Individual Giving must possess exceptional communication and organizational skills and the ability to manage multiple projects while maintaining deadlines. The Director manages a team of fundraisers who are responsible for all aspects of individual giving. In addition to developing fundraising strategies and formulating solicitation procedures for the full team, the Director is responsible for the cultivation and stewardship of AILEY’s individual major donor program and the development of a systemized approach for cultivating and securing increased gifts from those donors, while also identifying and pursuing new prospects in the NYC-area and in key tour markets.

Relationship Builder

Critical to success in this role, the Director will be skilled at building and sustaining excellent relationships internally and externally. The Director will be a natural partner with a demonstrated ability to connect and build bridges. A highly adept and fluent communicator, this leader will attract and steward high-level donors by effectively conveying AILEY’s case for support. The ideal candidate will take a creative approach to proposing pathways for new, innovative methods of broadening AILEY’s base for support, resulting in long-term relationships.

Inclusive and Strategic Leader

The Director will be highly strategic, having the ability to set priorities decisively but collaboratively, delegate responsibilities, ensure accountability, and allocate resources to guarantee results. This leader will bring experience affecting change in a complex organization and a proven record of converting strategy into effective execution. The ideal candidate will be an innovative and energetic individual who functions well in a fast-paced team environment, which includes cross-department coordination. Moreover, this leader will build bridges and engage colleagues interdepartmentally. Most importantly, the Director will possess a strong sense of confidence and an adaptable style that will resonate with all internally and externally.

Passion for the Legacy and Mission of the Ailey Organization

The Director will embody the values and mission of the organization and, as a result, will inspire and motivate others. This leader will treat others with respect and lead by example, understanding that at times, empathy and humor are essential qualities. In addition, the Director will be an individual of unquestioned integrity, ethics, and values—someone who can be trusted without reservation. Moreover, the ideal candidate will believe in the power of dance to transform individuals and communities and create social change.

Minimum Qualifications

Minimum of 10 years of successful fundraising experience, with emphasis on individual giving.
Strong interpersonal and communication skills.
Excellent organizational skills with great attention to detail.
Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, goal-oriented work environment.
Working knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite and Salesforce.

Compensation

The salary range for this role is $150,000-$170,000 and it is offered along with a competitive benefits package, which includes employer-provided health/dental insurance (including EAP), a Flexible Spending (FSA), retirement plan and savings on transit/parking.

The advertised pay rate is not a promise of a particular wage for any specific employee. The specific compensation offered to a candidate may be dependent on a variety of factors including, but not limited to, the candidate’s experience, education, special licensing or qualifications, and other factors.

How to Apply

Koya Partners, the executive search firm that specializes in mission-driven search, has been exclusively retained for this engagement. Chartise Clark and Tracy Michelle León of Koya Partners have been exclusively retained for this search. To express interest in this role please submit your materials at the apply now link below. All inquiries and discussions will be considered strictly confidential.

Koya Partners is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals living with disabilities. If you are a qualified individual living with a disability and need assistance expressing interest online, please email NonprofitSearchOps@divsearch.com. If you are selected for an interview, you will receive additional information regarding how to request an accommodation for the interview process.

Apply Now

About Koya Partners
Koya Partners, a part of Diversified Search Group, is a leading executive search and strategic advising firm dedicated to connecting exceptionally talented people with mission-driven clients. Our founding philosophy—The Right Person in the Right Place Can Change the World—guides our work as we partner with nonprofits & NGOs, institutions of higher education, responsible businesses, and social enterprises in local communities and around the world. At Koya, we don’t just accept difference—we celebrate it, support it, and thrive on it for the benefit of our team, our clients, and the communities we serve. For more information about Koya Partners, visit koyapartners.com.

NOTE: Due to the volume of submissions from job applicants, we are only able to follow up with candidates who we believe are a strong match to the requirements of the position as advertised. Thank you for your interest in working at Ailey.

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EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

Alvin Ailey Dance Foundation is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Employment is based upon personal capabilities and qualifications without discrimination based on race, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, marital status, veteran status, citizenship status, or any other protected characteristic as established by law.

ABOUT AILEY

Alvin Ailey Dance Foundation is a nonprofit organization comprised of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Ailey II, The Ailey School, Ailey Arts In Education & Community Programs, and Ailey Extension.

The organization’s mission is to further the pioneering work of the choreographer, dancer, and cultural leader Alvin Ailey by establishing an extended cultural community which provides dance performances, training, and community programs for all people.The Ailey organization uses the beauty and humanity of the African-American heritage and other cultures to inspire and unite people of all races, ages, and backgrounds.

Annually, nearly 500,000 people experience Ailey performances and programs. Designated “Cultural Ambassador to the World” by the U.S. Congress, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater has 32 of the most talented dancers in the world and a diverse repertory that is unparalleled in modern dance. A typical year includes engagements in its home base of New York City with five weeks each winter at New York City Center, a North American tour that visits 20+ cities, and extensive international touring.

The multi-faceted Ailey organization also encompasses: Ailey II, a widely-touring second company that showcases "the next generation of dance"; The Ailey School, which provides world-class training to students ages 3-25; Ailey Arts In Education & Community Programs, which provide people from diverse cultural and economic backgrounds with the opportunity to explore dance, build self-esteem, and develop life skills; and Ailey Extension, which offers dozens of “real classes for real people” each week at Ailey’s building in midtown Manhattan, The Joan Weill Center for Dance.