Director of Institutional Giving and Operations

The School of American Ballet (SAB) seeks a Director of Institutional Giving and Operations to lead and expand its robust institutional giving program, comprised of foundation, government, and corporate foundation giving components. As a member of the School’s development staff, the Director of Institutional Giving and Operations will be responsible for raising over $1.5 million annually, plus additional capital and endowment fundraising as needed. Reporting to the Director of Development and Marketing, this position leads and grows the School’s institutional fundraising, oversees gift entry and database management, and is a leader and resource for department-wide staff and volunteers. The Director of Institutional Relations and Gift Operations also directly supervises and mentors two staff members and volunteers.  

The Director of Institutional Giving and Operations is responsible for the following:  

• Manage and expand the School’s institutional giving strategy to secure more than $1.5 million, with gifts ranging from $1,000 to $250,000 . 

• Build and manage relationships with 40 foundations, corporate, and government donors to ensure strong engagement with SAB and steward lasting support. 

• Identify and strategically cultivate institutional prospects; implement tailored engagement strategies; solicit and secure gifts personally and as part of a team; and steward donors to maintain and strengthen long-term relationships. 

• Work closely with SAB-wide staff to conceive of and submit persuasive, well-written, and applicable proposals and reports, with accompanying budgets and support materials, on behalf of student life programming, the scholarship fund, and other priority initiatives. 

• Oversee a comprehensive donor communication strategy, ensuring timely and high-quality engagement through acknowledgement letters, written correspondence, invitations, mailings, visits, calls, newsletters, and e-blasts. 

• Develop strong relationships with Board members and coworkers; engage the Board’s Development Committee in cultivating and stewarding institutional donors; and serve as a resource to the Board and senior leadership team in their fundraising efforts. 

• Guide prospect solicitation and donor stewardship efforts by the Executive Director and Board through the preparation of research, talking points, email drafts, and meeting briefings. 

• Establish, improve, and oversee the implementation of procedures for gift entry, donor records, Raiser’s Edge, and other database management systems. 

• Ensure timely and accurate gift processing, maintenance of donor database records, and successful imports of student/parent and constituent data. 

• Manage ongoing collaboration with the Finance department, including obtaining data for grant reports and ensuring consistency and alignment between Development and Finance records. 

• Play a role in the planning, execution, and fundraising for future capital and endowment campaigns. 

SUPERVISION 

• Mentor, train, and supervise staff in Institutional Giving and Operations to ensure that departmental goals and needs are being met, and that staff are continually developing in their roles. 

• Oversee the work conducted on behalf of Institutional Giving and Operations by department staff and volunteers. 

• Supervise the maintenance of tracking systems, Institutional Giving mailing lists, and electronic and physical donor records. 

• Manage Institutional Giving’s expense budget. 

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES 

• 5 years of demonstrated success in institutional giving; knowledge of New York area funders. 

• Possess excellent written and oral communication skills; fluency in budgeting and data analysis; ability to manage time and projects in a fast-paced environment. 

• Proven track record of securing institutional gifts at the $100,000 level. 

• Polished and professional demeanor, with the ability to speak on behalf of the School at events. 

• Proficiency in Raiser’s Edge or a similar donor database. 

• Tasks might include some lifting, including heavy items that require use of carts. 

• Evening and weekend hours required for donor events. 

SAB offers a superior benefit package, including full health benefits, four weeks of vacation (plus two holiday weeks in December), and generous retirement savings benefits.  

The School of American Ballet is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Diverse candidates are encouraged to apply. 

The annual salary range for this position is $90,000-110,000.

Salary : $90,000 - $110,000