VP, Community & Artist Support

The Arts & Science Council, a supporting organization of Foundation For The Carolinas, nurtures Charlotte-Mecklenburg’s cultural ecosystem by supporting local creatives and nonprofits. Its mission is to foster community retention, drive economic growth, and enhance residents' quality of life. 

As both a funder and fundraiser, ASC offers grants, manages public art, supports community-led programs like Culture Blocks, and provides educational programming for PreK-12 students. As an advocate and resource, ASC also provides funding support, workshops, and cultural education. ASC’s work aims to remove barriers, ensure cultural access for all, and promote upward mobility.

The Vice President of Community & Artist Support leads ASC's Grants & Services team and is an essential member of ASC’s leadership team. This position reports directly to the Executive Director and is responsible for overseeing the administration of ASC’s grants, capacity-building programs, and support for individual artists. The VP manages a complex portfolio of funding opportunities and collaborates closely with program officers to handle contracts and evaluations, ensuring all initiatives align with ASC’s mission, values, and goals. In this role, the VP is crucial in managing the relationship between the creative community and ASC. 

The ideal candidate will have a strong commitment to community engagement and will work to connect with ASC’s constituents by effectively managing both public and private resources to strengthen support programs while maintaining a focus on community relevance and access.

Strategic Leadership and Program Development

• Lead, manage, and inspire a team responsible for delivering impactful community and artist support initiatives, fostering both their personal and professional development.
• Collaborate with the Philanthropy team to secure funding and promote community and artist support programs.
• Partner with the Marketing team to effectively communicate program initiatives, successes, and opportunities to the community, stakeholders, and broader audiences.
• Supervise the Grants & Services Team (currently 3 staff members).
• Manage relationships with contractors who provide capacity-building support.
• Develop a comprehensive strategic plan for Community & Artist Support that directly impacts the community, collaborating with and guiding program officers of grant programs, fellowships, and funding opportunities, including Culture Blocks.
• Develop and manage program and operational budgets to ensure financial sustainability while overseeing budgets, timelines, and resource allocation to achieve program goals effectively and efficiently.
• Lead the development, implementation, communication, evaluation, and dissemination of program plans, strategies, and outcomes to ensure sustainable impact, fully aligned with ASC’s mission and overall strategy.
• Implement robust and consistent methodologies for measuring and evaluating program impact and outcomes and continuously refine programs based on data, feedback, and strategic priorities.
• Establish and implement diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives for individual artists and nonprofit organizations as part of departmental goals.
• Establish KPIs to track program success, such as grant disbursement rates, participation in capacity-building sessions, and artist retention metrics.

Operating Support and Project Grants

• Oversee ASC’s Operating Support Grant, Project Grants, and Capacity Building programs.
• Set guidelines for all Grants & Services programs.
• Help applicants understand grant guidelines and prepare applications.
• Collaborate on activities that support the local cultural community.
• Collect data and success stories from grantees to support ASC’s advocacy efforts.
• Coordinate workshops that help cultural organizations and artists build skills in equity, entrepreneurship, and nonprofit management. 

Community Engagement

• Build community connections to raise awareness of ASC’s grant and support programs.
• Serve as the point of contact for cultural programming staff in Mecklenburg County’s towns.
• Maintain positive relationships with cultural organizations, community leaders, and the public

The ASC team works in a hybrid environment, with 3 days per week at the Foundation for the Carolinas office and regular site visits. This position also requires attendance at events outside regular office hours, and the ability to occasionally lift up to 20 lbs. 

• Education and Experience: 5-8 years of experience in arts administration or non-profit management.
• Skills: Excellent communication skills (bilingual in English/Spanish preferred), problem-solving, strategic thinking, and organizational skills.
• Technology Proficiency: Proficient in MS Office; experience with databases is a plus (ASC uses Blackbaud Grantmaking). 
• Additional Qualifications: Strong commitment to service, ability to manage multiple priorities, and understanding of the impact of cultural planning on economic development.