Earl R. Merrill: Director of Development, College of Performing Arts

The New School seeks a dedicated senior-level fundraiser to serve as the Director of Development for The College of Performing Arts (CoPA). The Director will design, execute, and lead a strategic fundraising plan to capitalize on philanthropic support from alumni, parents, and friends. Reporting to the Chief Development Officer, the Director is a member of the University’s frontline fundraising team and is responsible for the identification, cultivation, and solicitation of gifts of $100,000 and above.

As the University prepares to celebrate its centennial in 2019, the Director will plan and lead a campaign to raise funds for capital projects, programming, and endowment support aligned with CoPA’s strategic plan and vision. Annually, the Director is responsible for securing a minimum of $5 Million in commitments. The Director supervises the Development Associate in partnership with the Director of Development for the Schools of Public Engagement.

Responsibilities:

Manage the identification, cultivation and solicitation process for a portfolio of approximately 50 prospects, which includes a portfolio of prospects in one or more regions outside of New York City.
Conduct a minimum of 150 prospect meetings annually, with responsibility for communications and follow-up, including maintaining detailed moves management information on all prospects in the portfolio.
Identify and solicit 25-30 key prospects annually for six-figure (plus) gifts.
Formulate, recommend, and execute creative strategies for cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding prospects. Consult with Development and Alumni Engagement colleagues, university administrators, faculty, trustees, and other volunteers as appropriate.
Cultivate and solicit prospects for CoPA’s youth music program, Mannes Prep.
Responsible for soliciting corporations and foundations in partnership with Institutional Giving.
Collaborate on planning and executing cultivation and solicitation events associated with the major gifts, Annual Giving, and Alumni Engagement programs.
Participate in frontline fundraiser meetings to coordinate major gift solicitation across The New School, as well as prospect review meetings to discuss specific prospect strategies as they relate to prioritized fundraising needs.
Partner with the Alumni Engagement team in their communication and event outreach activity with CoPA alumni.
Serve as a liaison to the Mannes Boards of Governors and the School of Jazz advisory board and work closely with individual board members to maximize their giving, relationships, and contacts, as well as identify and recruit new board leadership.

Minimum qualifications:

Bachelor’s degree required, advanced degree preferred. Minimum of four to six years of frontline fundraising experience or equivalent sales, marketing or customer relations experience required, with a proven track record of closing six-figure gifts.
Appreciation for the values of the performing arts in the higher education setting and interest in or experience fundraising around innovative educational initiatives that foster student success, creativity, and exceptional teaching.
A strong work ethic and motivation to meet an aggressive annual fundraising goal.
Experience seeking and securing corporate and foundation grants.
Exceptional organizational, verbal, and written communication skills.
An entrepreneurial, solutions-oriented disposition with the ability to prioritize tasks; anticipate and embrace change; acquire and use new skills; and creatively address challenging tasks.
Exceptional collaboration and interpersonal skills, and the ability to be effective at engaging with all levels of the University.
Demonstrated ability to confidently establish credibility with prospective donors.
Eager to work with ethnically, culturally, and socially diverse constituencies.
Some travel, evenings, and weekend hours required.
Strong technology skills, including proficiency in Microsoft Office.