Job Description

JOB TITLE: Senior Director of Development and Donor Services

DEPARTMENT: Development

REPORTS TO: President and CEO

Position Description: The August Wilson Center for African American Culture (AWC) seeks a Senior Director of Development and Donor Services to provide strategic leadership in the development and completion of successful capital, operating and endowment campaigns that will accelerate the growth of the AWC and the delivery of service excellence to the AWC’s donors.

This individual will be an extraordinary leader within the Western Pennsylvania region, and have at least 10 to 15 years of experience in development and donor services as well as demonstrated success in fundraising with an emphasis on campaign leadership. This individual will also have knowledge of the region’s philanthropic and not-for-profit communities, and a track record of developing and cultivating relationships with individuals, corporations, and financial and educational institutions. Excellent communication, organizational and supervisory skills are a must.

The individual chosen must possess high energy, a strong work ethic, and an unquestioned reputation for honesty and integrity. Additionally, this individual must have outstanding interpersonal skills, a collaborative leadership style and the ability to work in partnership with a wide variety of constituents.

Essential Job Function
Responsibilities of the Senior Director of Development and Donor Services include the three areas of development, donor services and management:

Development

• Design and implement successful strategies for obtaining capital and operating campaign goals.
• Plan, organize, direct and implement a major endowment campaign.
• Identify and cultivate relationships with prospects and their financial advisors to solicit major gifts.
• Participate in appropriate local and national industry groups to promote the AWC and its services throughout the 67-county region and nationally.
• Work closely with the Board of Directors and Capital Campaign Steering Committee.
• Emphasis on creating and sustaining public awareness regionally and nationally. Build, maintain, and in particular manage the reputation of the AWC in order to gain understanding and support, and influence opinion and behavior.
• Develop, implement and manage a yearly gala event and other cultivation events throughout the year.
• Develop annual giving strategies, including government, institutional and planned giving.

Donor Services

• Create and implement a service strategy that aligns the level of donor services with the corresponding level of donor contributions and potential commitment to endowment building.
• Design and direct donor stewardship and cultivation events and fundraising strategies to support these events.
• Work closely with the finance department to ensure timely and accurate financial transactions and gift instruments for donors, assuring donor intent in grant distribution.
• In collaboration with the public programs/education department, leverage financial commitments to support and increase the effectiveness of programs presented to the community.
• In collaboration with information technology staff, identify opportunities to improve technology functions and enhance donor services.

Management

• As a member of the senior management staff, provide overall strategy and management of the development and donor services department.
• Select, train, manage, motivate and evaluate the development staff.
• Foster collaboration among the AWC’s departments.
• Develop and monitor the department’s annual operating budget.
• Serve on various internal and interdepartmental committees.
• Improve tracking procedure to track proposals, grants and reporting to ensure timely deliverables.

Qualifications
The Senior Director of Development and Donor Services will bring the following professional experiences and personal characteristics:

• Demonstrated success in fundraising, with strengths in both individual and major gifts, and campaign leadership.
• Ten to 15 years of experience in development and donor services. Grant writing experience preferred.
• Knowledge of current trends in fundraising.
• Excellent communication skills: written, verbal and presentation.
• Collaborative leadership style and supervisory experience required.
• Ability to develop and cultivate relationships with individuals, corporations, community groups, financial and educational institutions.
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Ability to think strategically and creatively about fundraising opportunities for the AWC.
• Knowledge of western Pennsylvania region, and African American, African community.
• Must possess high energy, a strong work ethic, and an unquestioned reputation for honesty and integrity.
• Must display a corporate image that reflects sense of taste, culture and class.
• Graduate degree and/or CFRE preferred.

Compensation
Compensation will be commensurate with experience and record of successful achievement.

To Apply
Forward your resume and cover letter indicating your interest in the position to the attention of Cassandra Payne, Manager of Administrative Affairs, August Wilson Center for African American Culture, Suite 1750, Pittsburgh, PA 15219 or e-mail to cpayne@AugustWilsonCenter.org

August Wilson Center for African American Culture is an equal opportunity organization, and does not discriminate against employees or applicants for employment based upon race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age or disability.