Classification:                                   Director, Leadership Gifts

Department:                                     Development

FLSA Status:                                    Exempt

 

The Mission 

The mission of American Ballet Theatre is to create, to present, to preserve, and to extend the great repertoire of classical dancing, through exciting performances and educational programming of the highest quality, presented to the widest possible audience. 

 

The Company 

American Ballet Theatre (ABT) is recognized as one of the great dance companies in the world. Few ballet companies equal ABT for its combination of size, scope, and outreach. Recognized as a living national treasure since its founding in 1940, ABT is the only major cultural institution that annually tours the United States, performing for more than 450,000 people. Over its 77-year history, the Company has also performed in a total of 139 cities around the world. As a result of this vast domestic and international reach anchored in its American roots in 2006, by an act of Congress, American Ballet Theatre became America's National Ballet Company.® In October 1992, former American Ballet Theatre Principal Dancer, Kevin McKenzie, was appointed Artistic Director. McKenzie is committed to maintaining the Company's vast repertoire, which includes preserving the classic story ballets from the late 19th and 20th centuries and commissioning and propelling new and exciting work by the best choreographers working today.

 

The Role 

The Director, Leadership Gifts will report to ABT’s Chief Advancement Officer (CAO) and serve as a senior member of the Development team. The primary role of the Director, Leadership Gifts will be to work closely with the CAO and ABT Leadership to facilitate the execution of ABT’s Capital Campaign by coordinating information, facilitating efficient communication, leveraging resources, managing prospects and solicitations, and acting as a bridge between the CAO and the members of the Individual Giving team. The Director, Leadership Gifts will also work closely with the Associate Directors of Major Gifts to strengthen the Major Gifts program.  

This role is both strategic and facilitative and requires a combination of focus and flexibility. The Director, Leadership Gifts must be a highly resourceful individual with strong emotional intelligence, self-motivation, adaptability and analytical skills. In addition, the Director will develop and implement an ambitious and innovative plan to maintain and expand ABT’s Major Gifts programs to enable ABT to achieve its financial, cultural and educational objectives. The individual in this role will be tasked with evaluating current giving programs and donor benefits and setting interdepartmental and individual goals to achieve increased revenue from current and new donors contributing to ABT’s annual and capital funds.   

 

Responsibilities 

GENERAL

- Work with the CAO and other leadership to develop and execute a comprehensive and compelling strategy to raise game-changing capital and endowment campaign funding, as well as expand philanthropic support from major donors giving at $100,000 and above to create a sustainable culture of philanthropy in support of ABT’s programming and operations. 
- Serve as a strategic thought partner to the CAO to optimize the workings and structure of the Development department to create efficiencies that will enable the team to work to their greatest capabilities. 
- Co-staff the Development and Campaign Committees of the Board with the CAO. 
- Hold the Development team accountable for results; lead team to high performance levels to achieve successful completion of strategic initiatives and provide resources and guidance on activities needed for execution of tactical objectives. 
- Develop strategic partnerships and strong relationships with ABT’s Marketing and Communications teams, as well as across the organization to achieve goals. 
- Manage automated systems to track goals and revenue, and donor and prospect stewardship. 
- Inspire, mentor and develop up-and-coming Development department talent. 
- Perform other duties as assigned. 

 

INDIVIDUAL GIVING

- Identify prospects for major gifts, including the Board, program funding, capital, endowment, etc., strategize and help execute the best cultivation/engagement approach for each. 
- Identify, manage, cultivate and solicit a portfolio of leadership donors and prospects both locally and nationally for annual and capital/endowment support. 
- Lead and motivate the Major Gifts team to increase revenue and participation in high level donor groups, programmatic support, and production underwriting. 
- Identify and cultivate prospects (local, national, international)a??for renewable, mission-focused support for programming, production underwriting, dancer creativity/well-being.
- Create, develop and implement new funding streams and donor engagement ideas. 
- Help advance ABT story-telling through solicitations, donor communications and activities. 

 

Position Qualifications 

- Bachelor’s degree and extensive experience in not-for-profit development and campaign. 
- Management experience and successful major gifts record. 
- Ability to work effectively with a limited staff and resources. 
- Excellent interpersonal, verbal and written communication skills and an exceptional capacity for detail.  
- Low-ego, hands on, results-driven leadership style with down-to-earth, collaborative, “roll-up-your-sleeves” personality, who can rally others to take the initiative in their areas of expertise. 
- Ability to manage and motivate staff to effectively meet financial goals and deadlines.  
- Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously. 
- Ability to work collegially across departments and across the organization. 
- Proficiency in Microsoft Word, Outlook, Excel, and Power Point.   
- Proficiency in Raiser’s Edge and digital research tools, including Wealth-X.   
- Weekend and evening hours are required, especially during performance seasons. 

 

Primary Reporting Responsibility: Chief Advancement Officer  

 

To Apply: Please send a cover letter and résumé to jobs@abt.org. Include in the subject line “Director, Leadership Gifts.”  No phone calls, please. Only qualified candidates will be contacted. 

 

ABT is an equal-opportunity employer and is committed to providing a workplace free from harassment and discrimination. We are committed to recruiting, hiring, training and promoting qualified people of all backgrounds, and make all employment decisions without regard to any protected status.