Now Hiring: Development Director
The Union for Contemporary Art strengthens the cultural and social landscape of our community by using the arts as a vehicle to inspire positive social change. We are currently seeking a passionate and self-motivated individual to join our leadership team to manage The Union’s development strategy.
At The Union, we embrace an organizational culture rooted in Servant Leadership – striving to lead with a serve-first mindset, focused on empowering and uplifting those who work for and with us. A servant-leader focuses primarily on the growth and well-being of people and the communities to which they belong. The servant-leader shares power, puts the needs of others first and helps people develop and perform as highly as possible. We would ask that interested candidates take a moment to review our Core Values and Statement of Cultural Equity to gain a deeper understanding of the commitments we’ve made to our stakeholders, greater community, and team members.
POSITION Development Director
DIRECT REPORTS: Grants Manager, shared management of Operations Manager with Deputy Director
REPORTS TO: Executive Director
The Development Director is mainly responsible for cultivating and maintaining donor relationships, identifying new funding opportunities, and overseeing fundraising and development staff. This position manages all fundraising and development activities, ensuring the development and implementation of a comprehensive fundraising plan that includes individual giving, major gifts, corporate sponsorships, grants, and fundraising events. The Development Director plays a crucial role in ensuring that the organization is financially sustainable, can pace its growth, and continues to meet its mission and goals.
This position works collaboratively with the leadership team on organization-wide strategy, goals and objective setting, planning and budgeting, and team management. The Union’s current budget is just above $2.1 million. In Fall 2023 we will complete construction on our second building, expanding our campus along North 24th Street. With this new addition, we anticipate exciting new opportunities to expand our team and our work and are looking for a Development Director who can lead our efforts to achieve this growth.
COMMITMENT This is a full-time, exempt salaried position. The Union strives to be a human-first organization. We work on a 32-hour work week. This position allows for the employee to determine if 4 workdays at 8 hours or 5 workdays at 6.5 hours is best for them.
Please Note: The Union for Contemporary Art requires all staff members to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, which includes receiving booster shots, as suggested by the CDC. If you have questions about this policy, please contact our Executive Director at brigitte@u-ca.org.
COMPENSATION $75,000 annual salary, health/dental/vision benefits with The Union covering 80% of employee and family premiums, accrued PTO, 6 paid holidays including a paid winter holiday break from Christmas Eve to New Year’s Day, 56 hours mental health/sick days, 40 hours paid volunteer service hours, Employee Assistance Program, $25,000 employer-paid life insurance policy, and 401k with automatic, fully-vested 3% employer contribution.
ABOUT YOU
You are dedicated to arts access as a human right. To us, the arts are not a thing of privilege, or strictly academic. Our work is dedicated to making space for everyone in the arts.
Minimum of 5 years of experience in fundraising and development, with a proven track record of success in new donor recruitment, stewardship, and securing major gifts. This includes experience in individual giving, corporate sponsorships, grants sourcing, and event planning.
You are motivated to cultivate and sustain new donor relationships for The Union.
Knowledge of fundraising best practices, trends, and regulations. You are familiar with fundraising regulations, such as tax laws, reporting requirements, and gift processing.
Strong leadership and management skills, with the ability to motivate and inspire staff and volunteers. You have experience managing teams and working collaboratively with other departments.
Passion for the mission and values of The Union for Contemporary Art, and a commitment to advancing its goals through fundraising and development efforts. You are able to effectively communicate The Union’s impact to donors and stakeholders.
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build and maintain relationships with a diverse group of stakeholders.
You are a self-starter. If you have questions, you jump in to find the answer. If you have an idea, you lead the process to make it happen.
Altru experience or familiarity with a similar donor CRM is a plus.
ABOUT THE POSITION
In this role, you can expect to:
Develop and implement a comprehensive fundraising plan that meets The Union’s organizational budget and sets the organization up for future growth.
Cultivate and maintain relationships with donors, sponsors, and other stakeholders through regular communication and stewardship. This includes identifying and engaging with new donors and sponsors, as well as maintaining positive relationships with existing supporters.
Identify and pursue new funding opportunities to expand The Union's donor base and revenue streams. This includes researching potential funding sources and seeking out new corporate sponsorships and partnerships.
Ideate and facilitate annual fundraising events, which will include securing sponsorship opportunities and donations and leading the overall event strategy and execution.
Contribute to the development of grant proposals in collaboration with our Grants Manager. However, this position is less writing, more relationship building.
Work and correspond with The Union’s Board of Directors, keeping them fully informed of the organization’s fundraising initiatives and assisting them with the successful implementation of their annual Board campaign.
Manage and oversee all development staff, including setting goals, providing guidance and support, and evaluating performance. The Development Director should be able to motivate and inspire their team to achieve fundraising goals and meet The Union's needs.
Collaborate with other departments, such as marketing and communications, to ensure that all fundraising and development activities align with The Union's mission, goals, and values. This includes coordinating with other departments to develop and execute fundraising events and campaigns.
As a member of our Director’s Circle, the Development Director will play a collaborative role in stewarding the overall health of our organization which may include presence at Union events, representing the organization at public functions, and providing input on strategic organizational decisions.
Champion The Union at events and in other professional contexts.
Assist with the 360° evaluation of direct reports – this position currently manages one staff position.
Contribute to events and activities in various ways that support the whole of our mission.
TO APPLY
Please send one-page cover letter summarizing your interests and experience, a resume or CV, and contact information for three references to jobs@u-ca.org with the subject Re: Development Director position or mail your application to The Union re: Development Director, 2423 N 24th Street, Omaha, NE 68110. This position will remain posted until filled.
The Union for Contemporary Art is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of age, race, religion, color, disability, gender identity, physical condition, sexual orientation, or national origin. Period.