Assistant Director of Development

Reports to: Chief of External Affairs

FLSA Status: Full-Time, exempt

Location: Cincinnati, OH

Compensation: $50,000-$55,000 annual salary, plus competitive package of health benefits and PTO.

MISSION STATEMENT: Contemporary Arts Center (CAC) is a lab for understanding ourselves, others, and the world around us through the experience and creation of all contemporary art forms.

CAC BACKGROUND: CAC was founded in 1939 by three women with their eyes on the future. Today, our purpose is to champion open minds and foster an inclusive culture by using contemporary art and mutual learning as vehicles for connecting people, cultivating creativity, and catalyzing curiosity.

CAC now operates on a ~$4M annual operating budget and offers 4 – 5 significant exhibitions per year, including group and solo exhibitions originated by CAC curator(s), guest curators, and touring exhibition partners. It is the oldest non-collecting contemporary art center in the country and one of the largest, occupying an 80,000 sq. ft. building, with approximately 22,000 sq. ft. devoted to exhibition and performance space. CAC is poised to continue its 86-year legacy of being the premier venue for contemporary art in the Greater Cincinnati region with a recently completed strategic plan that will serve as its programmatic and operational blueprints for the next 5 years.

LOCATION: CAC is located in an architectural gem in the heart of downtown Cincinnati, designed by Iraqi-British architect Zaha Hadid. The Lois and Richard Rosenthal Center for Contemporary Art was heralded by The New York Times as “the most important American building to be completed since the end of the cold war” and was lauded for its community-centric approach to the design process.

SALARY, BENEFITS, LONG-TERM GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES: This full-time position takes place via hybrid work arrangement. FT staff generally work on-site Wednesday – Friday and off-site Monday and Tuesday, as responsibilities allow. The annual salary range is $50,000- $55,000 and benefits include medical, vision, dental, and paid parental leave; access to retirement savings; generous vacation time, sick/personal days, and paid holidays; and access to professional development opportunities, employee assistance program, CAC membership, and employee discounts at CAC Museum Shop and dining at CAC.

TO APPLY: Interested candidates are asked to provide a single .pdf file including a cover letter and resume to Jovoni Trollinger, Director of Administration and Operations at jtrollinger@cincycac.org by Friday, May 23, 2025, along with two writing/work samples (examples can include: direct mail appeals, digital appeals, major gift proposals, donor stewardship plans, etc.). Include “Application: Assistant Director of Development” in the subject line.

RECRUITMENT & HIRING: Contemporary Arts Center is an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE) where all applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, Veteran, or disability status.

POSITION DESCRIPTION: The Assistant Director of Development partners across the institution to strengthen CAC’s efforts in deepening and broadening its resources of funding support through strategic event initiatives, as well as develops and implements strategies to generate funding for exhibitions, programs, and general operations. The Assistant Director of Development is comfortable facilitating, communicating, and working with a wide range of individuals. This position partners with the External Affairs staff in developing the strategy for fundraising events, including serving as lead project manager to ensure fundraising events adhere to expense budget and meet contributed revenue goals. CAC hosts its annual major fundraiser each fall and a community-focused fundraiser each spring to drive fundraising event revenue. Further, this position partners across the institution and externally in the planning and execution of exhibition/performance openings. The Assistant Director of Development seeks to convert event attendees from transactional to relational in an effort to expand CAC’s support base.

– Develop and implement fundraising strategy for special events, ensuring cost-effective and efficient programming and operations; including leading efforts of annual fall fundraiser, spring fundraiser, exhibition/performance openings, and other special initiatives; engage and work with corresponding volunteers and volunteer committees for these events.

– Partner with Chief of External Affairs and Director of Development to create stewardship plans to maintain key event supporters for annual fundraisers and deepen engagement with organization beyond transactional.

– Support comprehensive organizational fundraising goals through the identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of prospects and donors.

– Partner across External Affairs team to support planned giving efforts.

– Conduct research and recommend strategies to build and qualify viable prospect lists for all projects, including increasing engagement through volunteer leadership and giving.

– In partnership with Director of Development and Development Manager, support annual membership initiatives to retain, acquire, and recapture members to support membership goals and grow membership base.

– Collaborate with Director of Development and Development Manager to ensure appropriate stewardship of gifts; with Development Manager, is responsible for completing the entire acknowledgement process for donors, including in-kind forms, thank you letters, art auction receipts, letters to buyers and artists, gift recording in Bloomerang, etc.; in the absence of Development Manager serve as back-up in timely pulling and mailing acknowledgment letters.

– Partner with Development Manager to execute timely delivery of and closure of invoices and pledge reminders.

– Ensure donor recognition is communicated with External Affairs team and other internal colleagues to provide appropriate acknowledgment in verbal recognitions, collateral materials, exhibition vinyls, physical spaces, and digital platforms.

– Meet regularly with other departments to establish fundraising opportunities, including cultivation and stewardship opportunities.

– Assist with the planning and execution of Board of Trustees and Development Committee meetings, as well as any rentals/private events connected to donors; assist in preparation of related materials for meetings.

– Record all donor interactions and donor information gathered on behalf of CAC in prospect management software to guarantee institutional knowledge is housed in central database, per Development best practices.

– With Development Manager, work with donor database to assess and utilize features to benefit CAC including further customization as new features become available.

– Serve as proactive and reliable resource for frontline museum staff in building culture of philanthropy in visitor interactions.

– Provide lists for mailings, publications, prospect strategies, etc. as requested.

– Collaborate with External Affairs team for the on-boarding of interns, with potential for managing department interns by scheduling, assessing their performance and assigning duties, and training.

– Other duties as assigned.

– Project Management—Develops project plans; coordinates projects; communicates changes and progress; completes projects on time and budget.

– Oral & Written Communication—Speaks clearly and persuasively in positive or negative situations; presents numerical data effectively; listens and gets clarification; responds well to questions; demonstrates presentation skills; participates in meetings; able to read and interpret written information.

– Diversity—Demonstrates knowledge of EEO policy; shows respect and sensitivity for cultural differences; educates others on the value of diversity; promotes a harassment-free environment.

– Organizational Support—Follows policies and procedures; completes administrative tasks correctly and on time; supports organization’s goals and values; benefits organization through outside activities.

– Strategic Thinking—Develops strategies to achieve organizational goals; understands organization’s strengths & challenges; analyzes field and competition; identifies external opportunities; adapts strategy to changing conditions.

– Innovation—Displays original thinking and creativity; meets challenges with resourcefulness; generates suggestions for improving work; develops innovative approaches and ideas.

– A minimum of 3+ years of experience in fundraising.

– Bachelor’s degree preferred.

– Ability to proactively self-manage projects.

– Act with integrity, have high standards of professional conduct and respect for confidentiality.

– Ability to work under deadlines and successfully handle several projects at once.

– Ability to think creatively and strategically.

– Ability to work occasional evenings and weekend events as necessary.

– Engage with the public authentically, professionally and by being thoughtfully informed.

– Ability to relate to and engage those of diverse age and demographic backgrounds.

– Experience with prospect management tool preferred.

– Value diversity and inclusion.

– The person in this position needs to occasionally move about outside and inside the office to attend meetings with others, access files, office machinery, etc.

– Must be able to remain in a stationary position at least 50% of the time.

– Operate a computer and other office productivity machinery, such as a calculator, copy machine, and computer printer.

– Able to communicate information and ideas so others will understand. Must be able to exchange accurate information in these situations.

– Able to observe details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).

– Occasionally exposed to outside weather conditions.