Earl R. Merrill: Director of Development & Institutional Advancement

Brooklyn Youth Chorus seeks a full-time Director of Development & Institutional Advancement to lead its growing development team during a time of significant growth and excitement in the organization’s 25-year history. This individual will play a critical role in building the Chorus’s contributed income for long-term financial sustainability. The ideal candidate will be a strategic, creative, and innovative fundraiser who will drive a comprehensive development strategy for Brooklyn Youth Chorus including both annual and multi-year campaigns. As a member of the leadership team, the Director of Development & Institutional Advancement will create and implement strategies for individual, institutional, governmental and corporate giving.

REPORTING RELATIONSHIPS

The Director of Development & Institutional Advancement will report to the Founder & Artistic Director, work in close collaboration with the Chief Operating Officer, and serve on the Chorus’ leadership team. The Director of Development & Institutional Advancement will oversee a growing development team currently including a full-time Development Coordinator and Development Consultants (institutional funding and gala). The Director of Development & Institutional Advancement will have the opportunity to define and hire a third full-time member of the department.

ABOUT BROOKLYN YOUTH CHORUS

Brooklyn Youth Chorus is an award-winning city-wide music education and vocal performance program for children ages 7-18 of all levels of experience. As a collective of young singers and vocal ensembles, Brooklyn Youth Chorus is reimagining choral music performance through artistic innovation, collaboration, and an incredibly versatile range and repertoire. The Chorus’s multi-level training program draws students from across the five boroughs and combines intensive voice training and musicianship study with exceptional performance experiences. Children of diverse backgrounds come to the Chorus to share their love singing, make new friends, and achieve and surpass their musical goals. Brooklyn Youth Chorus believes every voice matters and is committed to building and sustaining a diverse and inclusive community based on respect for each individual and an appreciation of our differences. To ensure access to all students, regardless of background or financial circumstances, the Chorus provides broad financial support for both chorus and elective music program tuition. Founded in 1992 by Artistic Director Dianne Berkun Menaker, Brooklyn Youth Chorus serves over 600 students in its core after-school and public school outreach programs. Classes take place at their Cobble Hill headquarters and neighborhood locations in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Red Hook, and Sunset Park, and Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn.

RESPONSIBILITIES

The Director of Development & Institutional Advancement will:

Leadership & Strategy

Serve as an active, engaged member of the leadership team together with the Chief Operating Officer and Founder & Artistic Director
Collaborate with leadership team on institutional strategic planning
Lead the creation and execution of a comprehensive development strategy to meet annual campaign goals approaching $1.5M by securing donations from individuals, foundations, government grants, and corporations via a combination of traditional and innovative methods and channels
Work with the leadership team to determine when additional targeted fundraising is necessary and viable and collaborate with staff and board to design, plan, and implement Special Campaigns (e.g., 25th Anniversary Campaign) to support institutional goals
Work collaboratively with, and in support of, staff and volunteers to cultivate and solicit donors
Meet or exceed all annual and long-term fundraising goals for the organization

Individual Giving:

Implement an effective annual appeal, to meet steadily increasing targets
Develop and implement plans to identify, cultivate, and solicit new donors at all levels
Create and execute strategies to retain and grow existing donors at all levels
Lead the creation of new donor initiatives (member programs, etc.) and nurture existing initiatives including the alumni association, parent association, and planned giving program
Collaborate with the Founder & Artistic Director and Chief Operating Officer on major giving initiatives and prospects

Event Planning:

Successfully plan and execute signature fundraising events such as Brooklyn Youth Chorus’s Spring Gala to meet or exceed revenue goals associated with each event
Expand cultivation and stewardship activities, and create a series of events designed to take maximum advantage of high profile performances and daily rehearsals

Institutional & Corporate Giving:

Manage Brooklyn Youth Chorus’s institutional donor program including overseeing the preparation of proposals and reports and communicating with institutional representatives
Work closely with Founder & Artistic Director, Chief Operating Officer, and Institutional Funding Consultant to identify, cultivate, and solicit new foundation and government donors and to develop specific strategies and timelines for approaching new prospects
Develop and implement strategies to secure new and increase existing corporate funding

Board:

Support the Founder & Artistic Director and Chief Operating Officer to build an engaged board with an efficient and effective committee structure
Together with Founder & Artistic Director and Chief Operating Officer serve as liaison to Board of Directors, Development Committee, and other key stakeholders

Special Campaigns:

Partner closely with Board and leadership team to successfully conclude the second half of the Chorus’s $3M 25th Anniversary Campaign in support of a scholarship endowment, new creations fund, and infrastructure support by the end of the fiscal year, June 2018
Collaborate with leadership team to design and execute major campaign initiatives as they become necessary in conjunction with Brooklyn Youth Chorus’s strategic planning

Additional Responsibilities:

Partner with Director of Marketing and Art Director to produce all development collateral including brochures, newsletters, programs, and mailings
Lead team to ensure proper accounting for all fundraising pledges and income and to reconcile records in Raiser’s Edge and MoneyWorks

QUALIFICATIONS

Belief in the mission and core values of Brooklyn Youth Chorus
A minimum of 7 years of relevant fundraising experience, at least 2 in a senior fundraising role
A strong networker and relationship-builder with the ability to craft stories and communicate Brooklyn Youth Chorus’s vision
Experience developing, implementing, and growing successful fundraising strategies, for artistic and/or educational organizations
Demonstrated success in cultivating board members, attracting major donors, and securing large gifts
Proven track record fundraising across a portfolio of individual, institutional, governmental, and corporate donors
Special events experience producing both small- and large-scale fundraising events
Knowledge of innovative digital fundraising strategies including Crowdfunding and social media platforms
Comfort and competency with databases, Raiser’s Edge preferred
Knowledge of and experience with New York City’s philanthropic arts, education, and arts education communities
Ability to drive multiple projects simultaneously through excellent time management and project management skills
Background in the arts is preferred
Must hold a Bachelor’s degree or higher.

COMPENSATION

Commensurate with experience. Excellent benefits offered, including generous vacation package, medical, dental, and vision insurance.

EQUITY & INCLUSION

Brooklyn Youth Chorus is committed to equity, diversity, and inclusion in all areas including artistic and education programs and recruitment of choristers, volunteers, staff, and its Board of Directors.

We stand for absolute respect for each individual; an appreciation and understanding of the broad spectrum of all our differences be they cultural, racial, religious, socio-economic, or based on sexual identity, gender, physical or intellectual ability; and the ability to experience bonds of friendship through the joy of music. We celebrate open-mindedness and critical thinking, and seek to create opportunities for students to explore and embrace these important values together. We recognize that a diverse community is an asset that must be continually cared for, preserved, and enhanced, with constant attention, for the benefit of all its members.