Director of Advancement

Job Title: Director of Advancement
Status: Full-Time, Exempt, Onsite with a hybrid work option
Salary: $85,000-$90,000 annually
Benefits: Subsidized medical and dental, vacation and sick days, retirement fund and match, and professional development funds.
Department: Advancement
Reports To: Executive Director
Supervises:  FT Advancement Manager, Contract Grants Manager
Coordinates with: Sr. Events & Exhibition Manager, Communications Manager

Drawing on our Legacy, Shaping Our Future
At Gage Academy of Art, we believe that artists are made, not born. And, that high-quality art education is an essential part of a strong, flourishing community. Join us as our Director of Advancement as we extend the reach of our mission and reshape the way Gage interacts with our community.

GAGE MISSION:
Gage Academy of Art strives to educate, enrich, and engage artists and the community in the visual arts. Gage offers instruction in principles of drawing, painting, and sculpting and is dedicated to helping students of all ages and skill levels realize themselves as artists in contemporary society.

BACKGROUND:
Gage has locations in the north end of Capitol Hill in Seattle and in Georgetown. We are in an exciting growth period for the organization as we have launched a Capacity Campaign to move our Capitol Hill campus to a new building in the vibrant South Lake Union community. The Advancement Director will play a key role in this effort.

Gage staff are the most important asset in creating our rich environment for learning and experiencing art. Our staff, faculty, and instructors receive outstanding benefits and professional growth opportunities in an environment of passion, respect, community involvement, intellectual excitement, artistic pursuits, and urban vibrancy.

Guided by our executive team (executive director, program director, advancement director, facilities director, and faculty director) and an engaged volunteer board of directors, Gage Academy of Art is reimagining the organization for growth as it enters its next 30 years and a post-COVID world.

WHO YOU ARE:
You are a Dedicated Leader in the field of non-profit fundraising.
You are a Connector who loves to learn about people’s passions and align those passions to Gage’s mission.
You are a Collaborator who likes to be part of a small, cohesive administrative team and nurture team members’ talents and knowledge to help advance the organization.
You are Entrepreneurial, thinking of innovative approaches to building new and current relationships with diverse groups of supporters and centering the community in your fundraising work.
You know the Impact of the Arts Learning because, either personally or professionally, you have experienced how the arts can enhance social, emotional, and cognitive development at any age.
You believe that Art is Essential to thriving cities.

POSITION DESCRIPTION:
Reporting to the Executive Director, the Director of Advancement plays a pivotal role in ensuring Gage’s continued sustainability and growth of contributed revenue. The position performs and/or oversees essential development functions including individual and institutional giving campaigns, fundraising and event planning, corporate partnerships, grant submissions, budget, and data management, as well as sharing stories to galvanize new donors, Gage alumni, community partners, and innovate to expand contributed income streams.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:
Fund Development (60%)
Launch a comprehensive development plan aligned with organizational financial goals and priorities, in collaboration with the Executive Director, and Board of Directors’ Fund Development Committee
Oversee planning, execution, monitoring, and evaluation of fundraising events and campaigns
Foster new relationships and sustain and grow interactions with individual donors through the full process of donor prospecting, cultivation, stewardship, gift solicitation, and acknowledgment.
Build and launch a formalized Major Donor Program to include strategies, stewardship, tracking movement and setting goals.
Collaborate with a contract grant writer to prospect, solicit and manage foundation, government, corporate grants.
Formalize a corporate sponsorship program, including prospect research, developing benefit levels and building relationships.
Develop planned giving and alumni giving programs.
Work with Advancement Manger to coordinate in-kind donation process.

Special Events (20%)
In conjunction with ED, Board of Trustees, and other Gage departments, develop fundraising goals and logistics for Gage’s Annual Art Auction and Spring Events
Set the vision and contributed revenue goals for special events. In coordination with the Events Manager determine location, entertainment, refreshments, décor, art procurement, live and silent auction, procurement, etc.
Co-produce with the Marketing department event and appeal communications
Coordinate direct asks and matching gifts from board and major donors
Create strategic alignments with Program activities that will attract and engage new and current donors, such as gallery exhibits, learning events, etc.

Management and Supervision (15%)
Supervise and train development staff and volunteers
Supervise Advancement Manager’s coordination of Gage’s Scholarship programs.
Guide, coordinate and coach the Executive Director and Board of Trustees on specific strategies to grow donor involvement and contributed revenue
Build organizational knowledge of fundraising trends and strategies such as, Community Centric Fundraising principles, digital crowd funding, and social impact investing

Administration (5%)
Serve as a development partner to the Executive Director to build the organization’s contributed income, fundraising, budgeting, and administrative processes – with an eye to continuously analyzing and improving systems
Act as liaison to Board Development Committee, producing timely reports and attending committee meetings as requested by the Executive Director
Develop department budget and manage and track income and expenses.
Spearhead the selection of strategic fundraising tools – database software, digital records, and data management solutions
Comply with all institutional, local, state and federal fundraising regulations, and ensure all fund activities are compliant with nonprofit policies and ethical practice
Performs other duties as requested

QUALIFICATIONS:
We place a high value on commitment, trustworthiness, diversity, and a growth mindset coupled with professional experience. We’re looking for a candidate with:
Required
Direct experience in growing contributed revenue, preferably to a level of $750,000 – $1 million annually.
Experiential understanding of corporate/government/foundation structures, grant writing and submission processes, and nonprofit organizations and regulations
Previous use of data to inform fundraising strategy and competency with CRM/donor database tool
Commitment to racial equity and advancing anti-racist practices in fundraising systems, including a working knowledge of Community-Centric Fundraising principles.
Clear, concise and compelling communication skills (written and verbal)
Preferred
A bachelor’s degree or equivalent educational background in development, nonprofit leadership, fund management, or communications.
Board relations experience
Experience in arts or education administration

GAGE’S COMMITMENT TO EQUITABLE HIRING PRACTICES
At Gage, we embrace our team’s diverse experiences and perspectives, and we strive to be reflective of the community we serve. We empower our team to be their authentic selves and always be open to learning from one another. We foster an inclusive and equitable environment where all members of our community – including staff, students, faculty and a broad spectrum of Gage supporters – are treated with dignity and respect.  Our hiring practices are reflective of these values: As an equal opportunity employer, all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, age, protected veteran or neurodiversity, disability status, or genetic information.

Data shows that women and BIPOC candidates more frequently do not apply to a job because they don’t feel that they meet all the qualifications listed.

We strongly encourage applications from people with diverse backgrounds and lived experience, even if you have most but not all the qualifications listed above. If you feel passionate about our mission and believe that you have the skills to contribute to the growth of our organization, we want to hear from you.

HOW TO APPLY: Please send a cover letter and resume to hr@gagaeacademy.org. The position is open until filled, though applicants are encouraged to apply by December 4. The anticipated start date is January 2024.

Gage By-the-Numbers

34–Years delivering art education excellence to the Seattle community
3,000–Students enrolled in classes every year
8,000–People attending community events, lectures and exhibits, many of which are free, annually
50,000–Adults trained in art classes over the past 34 years
7–Distinct ateliers for immersive, mentored training with an esteemed artist and a community of dedicated peers
600–13- to 18-year-olds engaging with art each year at our weekly free Teen Art Studios in three locations
75–Full-and part-time teaching artists supported annually, most of whom live and work in the Seattle area
16–Free or low-cost art lectures on our three campuses and at a Town Hall Lecture Series every year
$91,000–Annual scholarships awarded to atelier students (in addition to our tuition assistance program)
25—Years of summers offering art camps for kids ages 7 to 11 (with before- and after-care) so that they can gain the confidence that comes from creating art