Director, Development and Partnerships

POSITION SUMMARY:

Artist Communities Alliance (ACA) seeks an experienced, collaborative leader who can work skillfully, responsively, and adaptively in a dynamic environment. The Director of Development and Partnerships is a newly-created role, reporting to ACA’s Chief of Staff.

This position has three primary areas of responsibility:

1. Grantmaking Partnerships – ACA works with several regional and national foundations to advance shared goals through regranting funds to artists and to artist residency programs. ACA serves as a trusted intermediary between and among program participants, and incorporates field research into the development, implementation, and assessment of these partnerships.
2. Casemaking – Through ACA’s grantmaking, we acquire first-hand knowledge and insights about field capacity and professional development needs. The Director of Development and Partnerships will synthesize past learning and develop statements and stories of impact, as part of a case for support to prospective partners.
3. Fundraising – The strategic decision to transition from a fee-based membership model to a values-based network has allowed an ongoing re-assessment of existing funding models. The Director, Development and Partnerships will help to guide the growth of targeted fundraising initiatives and will manage the cultivation and stewardship of current and prospective donors.

Specific responsibilities in each of these areas include:

Grantmaking Partnerships

• Manage a portfolio of regranting programs that rely on effective stewardship of multiple stakeholder relationships – with funders, artists, and staff of participating residency programs.
• Ensure timely and accurate financial reporting across multiple programs
• Provide regular status reports to leadership on program progress, anticipating and noting any issues or concerns that might impact program design
• Identify areas for ongoing improvement in processes and procedures related to artist placement and support
• Develop and deliver any needed professional development support for artist cohorts, and for residency operator cohorts

Casemaking

• Develop a core suite of data-driven statements and reports that demonstrate ACA’s work on advancing the capacity of the artist residency field through grantmaking
• Develop case studies, presentations, and professional development resources based on the identified needs and concerns of participating artists and residency operators

Fundraising

• Manage a portfolio composed of foundation, corporate, and individual donors, ensuring ongoing engagement, recognition, and stewardship.
• Develop compelling grant proposals, sponsorship opportunities, and reports to secure project funding.
• Collaborate with staff to develop project descriptions, budgets, and evaluation metrics for grant applications.
• Ensure compliance with donor and grant reporting requirements, demonstrating program impact and organizational effectiveness.
• Track opportunities, deadlines, and deliverables, maintaining a detailed grants calendar and database.

Additionally, as a member of ACA’s leadership team, the Director of Development and Partnerships is expected to:

• Work with the leadership team to integrate fundraising efforts with overall organizational priorities.
• Stay informed of trends and best practices in fundraising, foundation priorities, and philanthropy.
• Prepare and present reports to leadership on fundraising performance, upcoming proposals, and strategic opportunities.

Supervision / Management

This role has two direct reports: Manager, Partnerships and the Communications Manager.

Qualifications:

• Meaningful and demonstrable experience in fund development - prospect research, cultivation, and stewardship, whether through paid or volunteer experiences
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal
• Ability to cultivate and sustain long-term relationships with donors, foundations, sponsors, and partners
• Ability to respond and adapt in a changing and at times, unpredictable funding landscape
• Proactive and creative, with excellent project management and organizational skills
• Proficiency with CRM systems and fundraising platforms

Compensation and Benefits

The salary budgeted for this position is $75,000. ACA offers a generous benefits package, including paid holidays, two paid Community Rest Weeks (office closures) per year, unlimited paid time off; employer-contributions to health, dental, and vision insurance, and 401k after one year with 3% employer contribution.

We are a fully remote office. The majority of administrative work and meetings are conducted virtually and staff work from a home office except when required to be on-site for ACA-hosted programs, or staff or board retreats, as needed.

TO APPLY:

Please send a cover letter and resume to: mkarnold@artistcommunities.org with “Director, Development and Partnerships” in the subject line. For priority consideration, please submit materials by September 30, 2025. No phone calls, please.

ABOUT ACA STAFF CULTURE:

As an organization dedicated to equitable practice — including racial, gender, and economic justice — we try to live the values we seek to cultivate within the broader artist communities by applying principles of fairness, respect, and justice in our relationships with artists, our members, grantees and collaborators, as well as in our internal management processes and structures. We strive to create conditions in which every person is supported to bring their whole, best self to do great work, to learn and to grow.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

ACA provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.