Full-Time Position

Art House Inc.

3119 Denison Avenue
Cleveland, Ohio

 

The Opportunity
Art House is seeking a Development Director to lead and grow the organization's fundraising efforts during an exciting period of organizational transformation and growth. The Development Director will develop and execute a comprehensive fundraising strategy that supports Art House's annual operations, programs, and long-term sustainability. This is a hands-on position responsible for the full fundraising cycle, from researching and identifying prospective donors, funders, and sponsors to cultivating relationships, making solicitations, securing support, and stewarding donors and partners.

We are looking for someone who is both a strategic thinker and an active fundraiser. The ideal candidate enjoys researching prospective supporters, developing relationships, making the ask, writing compelling grants and proposals, developing corporate partnerships, and creating systems that help a small organization build sustainable fundraising capacity. This position is an opportunity for an entrepreneurial development professional who enjoys working in a collaborative nonprofit environment and wants to have a meaningful impact on Art House and the community it serves.

​

Key Areas of Responsibility
Fundraising Strategy & Revenue Development

• Develop, implement, and evaluate annual and long-term fundraising strategies aligned with Art House's mission and financial goals, including managing individual donors, major gifts, foundations, government funding, corporate sponsorships, fundraising events, and other contributed revenue.

• Identify opportunities to increase and diversify contributed revenue and strengthen ArtHouse's long-term financial sustainability.

Prospect Research & Development

• Proactively research and identify prospective individual donors, major-gift prospects, foundations, corporations, businesses, and other potential funding partners.

• Stay informed about philanthropic, corporate, and community giving trends and opportunities in Greater Cleveland.

Individual Giving & Major Gifts

• Develop strategies to acquire, retain, upgrade, and deepen relationships with individual donors through personal outreach, meetings, events, and other meaningful engagement.

• Manage a portfolio of donors and prospective major-gift supporters.

• Develop compelling proposals and solicitation materials tailored to individual prospects.

• Support annual giving, direct mail, online giving, and other individual fundraising campaigns.

Grants & Institutional Funding

• Research, identify, and prioritize prospective foundation and government funders.

• Manage the full grant development cycle, including prospect research, eligibility assessment, letters of inquiry, proposals, budgets, reporting, and compliance.

• Develop and maintain a comprehensive grants calendar for existing and prospective funders.

• Work with program staff to gather program information, outcomes, stories, and data needed for strong proposals and reports.

Development Operations & CRM

• Manage and maintain Art House's LGL customer relationship management (CRM) system as the organization's central development database.

• Maintain accurate donor, prospect, foundation, corporate, and gift records.

• Track cultivation, solicitation, stewardship, gifts, sponsorships, acknowledgments, and other development activity.

• Establish consistent procedures for entering and maintaining development information.

• Use CRM data to identify opportunities, track progress, evaluate fundraising activity, and support decision-making.

• Prepare development reports and information for the Executive Director and Board.

Board Engagement & Fundraising Events

• Help plan, coordinate, and execute fundraising events and campaigns that support Art House's revenue goals.

• Attend Art House fundraising events and other select organizational events where the
  Development Director's presence supports donor relationships, sponsorships,
  cultivation, or fundraising goals.

• Provide appropriate on-site support for fundraising events, including some evening and
  weekend events.

​

Qualifications

Required

• Demonstrated experience in nonprofit fundraising, development, or revenue generation, with experience in several of the following areas: individual giving, major gifts, foundation grants, corporate sponsorships, annual giving, or fundraising campaigns.

• Approximately 3–5 years of professional fundraising or development experience, preferably within a small or mid-sized nonprofit organization.

• Demonstrated ability to research and identify prospective donors, funders, sponsors, and community partners.

• Experience cultivating relationships and making or supporting direct fundraising solicitations.

• Strong grant-writing skills and experience managing proposals, reports, and funder deadlines.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

• Strong interpersonal and relationship-building skills, with the ability to engage donors, funders, corporate partners, Board members, artists, and community members with professionalism and authenticity.

• Excellent organizational and time-management skills, with the ability to independently manage multiple priorities and deadlines.

• Experience using a CRM or donor database and maintaining accurate development records.

• Ability to think strategically while also being highly hands-on and willing to execute the day-to-day work of fundraising.

• Commitment to Art House's mission and to the role of the visual arts in education, individual expression, and community development.

Strongly Preferred

• Familiarity with the Greater Cleveland philanthropic and corporate landscape.

• Existing relationships with local foundations, corporations, donors, or community leaders.

• Experience working with a volunteer Board of Directors.

• Experience developing corporate sponsorships and/or major-gift programs.

• Experience working in a small nonprofit where staff members collaborate across functions.

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.

​

Compensation & Work Environment
Position: Development Director
Status: Full-time
Salary: $47,000 - 52,000 annually
Location: Cleveland, Ohio
Reports to: Executive Director
Work Environment: Combination of in-office and remote work, with the balance determined in collaboration with the Executive Director.

​

The Development Director is eligible for an annual performance-based bonus tied to the
achievement of mutually established fundraising, revenue-development, and organizational
goals. Bonus eligibility and amount will be determined based on overall performance and
progress toward agreed-upon annual objectives and are subject to organizational budget and Board approval. 

Art House, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer committed to building a highly functional and
cohesive team that reflects the community it serves. Candidates with lived experience related to the organization's mission are encouraged to apply.

As a small, collaborative organization, Art House expects all staff members to contribute to the
organization's overall success and community visibility. The Development Director will be
expected to actively participate in fundraising events and other select organizational activities
where their presence supports donor cultivation, sponsorship, community engagement, or
fundraising goals. Some evening and weekend participation will be required.