Now in its fourth decade, the Arts Council of New Orleans (dba Arts New Orleans) is a private, nonprofit organization that supports arts and culture in the city. Our mission is to improve the quality of life in New Orleans by supporting, activating, and investing in our city’s greatest natural resource: our artists, cultural producers, and creative community.
Building on the abundant cultural wealth and creativity of our community, Arts New Orleans envisions a New Orleans in which arts and culture play a pivotal role in all areas of policy, planning, and placemaking. We believe art and artists should be central to all community and economic development efforts – from public health to public safety, education to infrastructure.
We do this through special initiatives along with a variety of ongoing programs, including:
- Public Art & Placemaking – From managing the City of New Orleans’ public art collection to private client commissions, we offer support for a wide range of creative and placemaking projects
- Young Artist Movement (YAM) – An arts education and workforce development program that connects youth to civic issues
- LUNA Fête – New Orleans’ free annual festival of light, art, and technology
- Arts Market – A bi-monthly series of fine arts and craft markets in City Park and Marsalis Harmony Park
- Grantmaking – Administering state and city support for arts & cultural initiatives
- Salon – A unique artist residency program in Canal Place
- Unframed – Large-scale mural program in downtown New Orleans
Development Director Job Description
Arts New Orleans seeks an experienced development professional and arts champion to implement its development plan and increase support from major donors. The Development Director is responsible for planning, organizing, and directing Arts New Orleans’ fundraising efforts, including increasing individual and corporate support for our LUNA Fête Light Art and Technology Festival, the LUNA Ball Gala, Arts Market, and our Young Artist Movement (YAM) Program. Further focuses will include revamping our membership program, creating a major gifts program, and a planned giving program. The Development Director works closely with the President & CEO, Deputy Director, and the Board of Directors in all development and fundraising endeavors. The Development Director must be an excellent verbal and written communicator, capable of passionately articulating the value of the arts and culture in civic society.
While the Arts New Orleans team works remotely, the Development Director must live in the greater New Orleans area. The Development Director must attend bi-weekly in-person staff meetings at our office at 1474 N. Broad Street, New Orleans, LA. This full-time employee position requires 40 hours per week, including attendance at some evening and weekend events.
Start Date
We seek to fill this position immediately. Our ideal candidate will be able to begin by August 15, 2023. The latest possible start date is September 11, 2023.
Ideal Qualifications
- Must embrace the mission of Arts New Orleans
- 5+ years of experience in development and professional fundraising
- Strong interpersonal and writing skills
- Knowledge of and experience in fundraising techniques, particularly major gift fundraising
- Possess the skills to work with and motivate staff, board members, and volunteers
- Have the desire to build external relationships
- Be a self-starter and goal-driven to initiate our board to participate in donor visits and fundraising calls
- Be organized and exhibit “follow through” on tasks and goals
- Display a positive attitude, show concern for people and community, demonstrate presence, self-confidence, common sense, and good listening ability
- Bachelor’s degree
Responsibilities
- Implement a comprehensive fundraising strategy to secure financial support for the organization’s programs, projects, and operations.
- Work closely with the President & CEO, Board of Directors, Deputy Director, and other staff members to align fundraising efforts with the organization’s overall goals and objectives.
- Cultivate and maintain relationships with individual donors and corporate sponsors to expand the organization’s funding base.
- Conduct prospect research to identify new funding opportunities and potential donors.
- Prepare and submit sponsorship requests to secure funding from corporate sponsors.
- Manage and strengthen existing donor relationships through regular communication, acknowledgment, and stewardship activities.
- Plan and execute fundraising events, including our 2nd annual LUNA Ball gala and other donor cultivation events.
- Grow a major gifts program, including identifying, cultivating, and soliciting major donors.
- Review and revamp Arts New Orleans’ membership program.
- Support grant-seeking by researching opportunities and reviewing and contributing to grant application materials and reports, as requested by the Deputy Director who manages all foundation, corporate, and government grants.
- Build our first planned giving program focusing on deferred gifts such as bequest expectancies.
- Direct annual fundraising drives, including GiveNOLA day.
- Collaborate with the marketing and communications team to develop fundraising materials, campaigns, and promotional strategies.
- Oversee the creation of publications to support fundraising activities.
- Collaborate with the President & CEO and accountant to create and manage budgets for development activities and ensure accurate tracking and reporting of fundraising goals and results.
- Assist with the hiring and training of a part-time Development Assistant in 2024 and provide leadership and guidance to them once hired.
- Stay informed about trends and best practices related to nonprofit fundraising and development.
- Represent the organization at community events, networking functions, and professional conferences to enhance its visibility and reputation.
- Maintain the Network for Good donor database to track donor information, interactions, and giving history.
- Acknowledge and recognize donors.
- Monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of fundraising strategies and initiatives, adjusting as necessary to achieve fundraising goals.
- Attend in-person staff meetings, participate in board meetings, and lead all Development Committee meetings.
- Demonstrate professional conduct.
- Perform other related duties as requested and serve as an Arts New Orleans team player by assisting with organizational and/or programmatic needs that may fall outside of development responsibilities.
Salary & Benefits
This full-time employee position requires 40 hours per week, including attending some weekday evenings and weekend events. The starting salary range is $65,000 – $75,000, commensurate with experience and qualifications.
Benefits include:
- 100% of health insurance coverage
- Matching funds of up to 2% of salary for 403(b) retirement plan
- Generous vacation
- Sick leave
How to Apply
Applications will be accepted through August 4, 2023, or whenever the position is filled. If you are interested in the position, we encourage you to submit your application materials immediately. Interviews will be held on a rolling basis with invited candidates.
Please e-mail a cover letter (no more than two pages), resume, and three references to jobs@artsneworleans.org. Include your name and Development Director in the email subject line.