What are the responsibilities and job description for the Vice President of Development position at The Charleston Gaillard Center?
Position: Vice President of Development
Reports to: President/ Chief Executive Officer
Location: Downtown Charleston, SC
Hours: Full-Time, Salary, Exempt
Organization Background
A leader in the performing arts in the Southeast, the Charleston Gaillard Center commissions, supports, and presents ambitious, multidisciplinary cultural programming and provides access to the best local, national, and global artists and companies on its stage. Through programming on its public campus and extensive arts education initiatives, the Gaillard Center serves as a platform to participate in community building and essential dialogue.
The Gaillard Center was established as a non-profit in 2015. Its campus includes the world-class 1,818-seat Martha and John M. Rivers Performance Hall, a 26,000 square-foot Exhibition Hall that includes the Grand Ballroom and Salons, and a Terrace Lawn.
For more information about the Charleston Gaillard Center, please visit https://www.gaillardcenter.org.
Position Summary
The Vice President of Development is responsible for all annual fundraising activities for the Charleston Gaillard Center. With a staff of three full-time employees, the Vice President of Development will report to the President/Chief Executive Officer of the Gaillard and will work closely with members of senior management and the Board of Directors. By developing innovative fundraising strategies and fostering a culture of philanthropy, this leader will play a pivotal role in elevating Charleston’s artistic and cultural landscape.
Responsibilities
Strategic Fundraising Leadership:
- Champion the mission, vision, and values of the Charleston Gaillard Center, driving strategic fundraising efforts that support the performing arts in Charleston and the Lowcountry.
- Design and execute a comprehensive Annual Fund strategy, ensuring alignment with the strategic growth plan to achieve revenue goals identifying a minimum of 10% in new funding.
- Lead the development of organizational and project budgets related to fundraising initiatives, ensuring financial goals align with strategic priorities.
- Serve as a visible and engaged leader in Charleston, participating in Gaillard Center performances, Charleston Symphony, Spoleto Festival, and other community arts programs to strengthen donor and sponsor relationships.
- Provide leadership in public relations and media outreach efforts that enhance the Gaillard Center’s visibility and reinforce its role as a premier cultural institution.
Fund Development:
- Monitor and report regularly on the progress of development programs to the Gaillard Center President & CEO and Board members.
- Establish and grow a high-level sponsorship program, cultivating partnerships with leading businesses and corporate donors across South Carolina.
- Develop and implement a national foundation fundraising strategy, expanding the Gaillard’s portfolio of foundation relationships and securing major institutional support.
- Ensure strategic stewardship activities are integrated into events and performances to maintain donor engagement.
Major Donor & Individual Giving:
- Manage a personal portfolio of key prospects and donors, leading cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship efforts.
- Leverage relationships with high-net-worth individuals, utilizing knowledge of tax reduction strategies, intergenerational wealth transfer, and wealth management trends to optimize philanthropic giving.
- Develop and expand planned giving opportunities to secure long-term financial sustainability.
Board Engagement:
- Serve as the staff liaison for the Board Development Committee, providing strategic insight and direction for fundraising initiatives.
- Actively engage in key organizational committees, including the Strategic Planning Committee, to ensure fundraising strategies align with broader institutional goals.
- Work closely with Board members and CEO to develop a Gala Committee and fundraising strategy for the 10-year anniversary of the Gaillard Center in October 2025.
Talent & Team Development:
- Lead, mentor, guide, and manage a team of three direct reports focused on Annual Giving, Membership, Foundations, and Sponsorship fundraising.
- Cultivate a collaborative and donor-centric culture, ensuring best practices in donor engagement, solicitation, and stewardship including a presence and meaningful engagement at events and performances.
- Build and maintain strong working relationships across the Gaillard team, Rivers Performance Hall Foundation, and Board Committees, ensuring seamless coordination of fundraising efforts.
Marketing & Communications:
- Develop and oversee comprehensive donor communication strategies, ensuring consistency across all fundraising platforms, including digital, print, and event-based campaigns.
- Work closely with the marketing team to create engaging fundraising collateral, donor impact reports, and compelling storytelling that highlight the Gaillard Center’s artistic and educational mission.
- Implement targeted email and social media campaigns to enhance donor engagement, cultivate new prospects, and increase participation in annual giving initiatives.
- Ensure strong event-based fundraising messaging, coordinating with communications and marketing teams to align sponsorship and donor engagement strategies.
Qualifications
- Development professional in a non-profit cultural center, arts festival, symphony orchestra, festival, or presenting hall.
- Experience working with current information technology to manage fundraising database (Raiser’s Edge experience a plus).
- Demonstrated leadership ability, team management, and interpersonal skills.
- Deep regard for the Charleston and Lowcountry community, knowledge of its history and its current arts and cultural organization and the philanthropic landscape of Charleston and the surrounding area is a plus.
- Experience working with high-net-worth individuals, a working knowledge of tax reduction strategies, intergenerational transfers of wealth and current issues in tax and wealth management fields.
- Excellent analytical and abstract reasoning skills, plus excellent organization skills.
- Flexible and a self-starter; able to multi-task while also being detail-oriented.
- Ability to professionally interact with the Board Development Committee, the Strategic Planning Committee and the Board of Directors.
- Experience in organizational and project budget development, administration, and monitoring.
- Exceptional written, oral, interpersonal, and presentation skills and the ability to effectively interface with a Board of Directors, senior management, and staff.
- Innovative thinker, with a track record for translating strategic thinking into action plans and output.
- Excellent judgment and creative problem-solving skills, including negotiation and conflict resolution.
- Superior management skills.
Personal Attributes:
- A passion for the arts and arts education.
- Strong Leadership.
- Collaborative and Creative Spirit.
- Strategic Focus and attention to detail.
- Ability to manage multiple priorities in a deadline-driven environment.
- Visionary thinker combined with a practical approach to problem solving.
- Impeccable personal ethics.
- A belief in and alignment with the Gaillard Center’s values of access and relevance.
Pre-Employment Requirements
- Must submit to a criminal background check.
- Applicant must be eligible to work in the U.S.
Physical Requirements
- Work may include prolonged periods of sitting, typing, or looking at a computer screen.
Pay and Benefits
Pay is commensurate with experience. Please state your wage requirements in your cover letter.
The Charleston Gaillard Center provides a competitive benefit package that includes:
- Fully paid medical, vision, and dental insurance at the employee level
- Optional life and disability insurance
- 4 weeks of paid time off
- 403(b) with a company match
- Free and/or discounted tickets to performances
- Employer paid parking
