Director of Development

DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT

Reports to: Executive Director

ABOUT THE CROSSING

The Crossing is a Grammy-winning professional chamber choir conducted by Donald Nally and dedicated to new music. It is committed to working with creative teams to make and record new, substantial works for choir that explore and expand ways of writing for choir, singing in choir, and listening to music for choir. The Crossing collaborates with some of the world’s most accomplished ensembles and artists, including the New York Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, American Composers Orchestra, and The International Contemporary Ensemble.

Similarly, The Crossing often collaborates with some of the world’s most prestigious venues and presenters, such as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Disney Hall in Los Angeles, The Kennedy Center, Park Avenue Armory, Annenberg Center at the University of Pennsylvania, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Philadelphia Museum of Art, and the Menil Collection

Many of its nearly 150 commissioned premieres address social, environmental, and political issues. With a commitment to recording its commissions, The Crossing has issued 28 releases, receiving two Grammy Awards for Best Choral Performance (2018, 2019) and seven Grammy nominations.

More about The Crossing at: www.crossingchoir.org/about-the-crossing

JOB DESCRIPTION

We are seeking a Director of Development who, in collaboration with our Executive Director, will be responsible for implementing and growing a comprehensive fundraising program designed to provide increased and significant contributed income to The Crossing.

This position will require initiative and drive, and there will be a notable learning curve at the beginning, but there's a lot of room to shine and to play a significant role in helping to shape our future and to grow with our organization. This is an excellent opportunity for a dynamic entrepreneurial-minded person who's passionate about our mission and is excited to work directly with our ED, AD, and Board of Directors to expand and develop The Crossing's community of support. We foster a collaborative working environment, support our team members, and consciously invest in staff education and development.

The Director of Development will be an additional face of the organization and, as such, will become intimately familiar with our various projects and be able to speak to their strengths and worth articulately and with confidence, promoting and employing the impact of artistic goals as the focus of fund-raising.

The person in this position will embrace the unique values of the organization. We are a committed team of people passionate about the future of contemporary choral music and its power to ask provocative questions about our world. As such, we have a particular brand, community, and ethos. Weekend and after-hours work will be required as necessary.

The successful candidate will have

• at least 3-5 years of experience in development and/or arts administration.
• a background in major gift work, prospect research, board participation, and deep knowledge of donor management and prospecting software. 
• knowledge of and commitment to community-centric fundraising principles.
• a willingness to think creatively, bring new ideas to the table, and be open to coaching and feedback.
• knowledge of contemporary concert (classical) music.
• a track record of being organized and exhibiting follow-through on stated tasks and goals.
• the ability to work well with a diverse group of volunteers, staff, consultants, and board members.
• strong interpersonal and writing skills.
• a "hands-on, can-do" work ethic.
• a strong sense of self-motivation and goal-driven behavior to initiate and organize donor visits and fundraising calls for Crossing leadership.be organized and exhibit follow-through on stated tasks and goals.
• a positive attitude, showing concern for people and community, demonstrating self-confidence, common sense, and acute listening.

Specific areas of responsibility include:

Fundraising

• Design, implement, and manage all fundraising activities, including annual giving, major gifts, special campaigns/projects, and institutional relations.
• Work closely with the ED to develop, implement, and manage a comprehensive major gift program, including research, identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.
• Develop relationships with new and existing institutional funders and corporations.
• Develop and implement strategies and processes to grow our existing Annual Fund program.
• Ensure an active pipeline of major donors using criteria to mine the database to uncover prospects; review donor lists from peer organizations; use other strategies and database resources to identify new potential major donors. Work closely with Executive Director to identify prospects from daily/weekly gift reports.

Board of Directors Relations

• Work with the Development Committee of the Board of Directors and develop strategies to initiate and meet ambitious fundraising goals.
• Assume responsibility for all Development reports to the Board and attend all Development Committee meetings and full Board meetings as required.
• Assist the Board with recommending and researching potential new Board members.
• Work with Executive Director, Board President, and Board Development Chair to enlist the participation of board members in identifying, cultivating, and soliciting major donor prospects.
• Manage stewardship of The Crossing's donor portfolio, ensuring that donors experience high-quality interactions that foster long-term engagement and support. Develop methods to convey the impact of gifts and ensure that donors are kept up to date on key development initiatives. Set and meet goals for a number of touchpoints annually.
• Collaborate with the committee chair, structure development committee meetings, priorities, and fundraising deadlines for Artistic Director, Executive Director, and Board members as needed.
• Act as the key staff liaison to The Crossing’s Advisory Council.

Development Office Operations and Infrastructure

• Create office systems to support all Development projects and operations.
• Manage the donor database, including all records, files, reports, notes, and gift processing/tracking.
• Regularly conduct prospect research for potential major donors.
• Administer pledge reminder and gift acknowledgment programs.
• Collaborate with the ED and Grant Manager on foundation relationships and strategy, including research, proposal writing, and reporting requirements.
• Manage the annual fund program, including mailings and annual fundraising drives.
• Coordinate fundraising special events with Operations Manager, Executive Director, and appropriate Board members.
• Manage employee fundraising drives.
• Manage fundraising database and tracking systems; generate fundraising progress and tracking reports.
• Develop online and print publications to support fundraising activities.
• Perform other related duties as requested

SALARY:

$65,000 - $75,000

OTHER BENEFITS

Health and Dental insurance, Unlimited PTO policy, Work from home/hybrid