Associate Director of Development

Arts Progress; Elizabeth (NJ); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

The Institute of Music for Children in Elizabeth, NJ is seeking an Associate Director of Development to lead frontline fundraising, manage donor relationships, and coordinate events and campaigns.

The role oversees government grants, donor communications, and philanthropic partnerships, reporting to the Director of Development in a small, collaborative team environment.

Qualifications

• Five+ years of nonprofit development experience.
• Experience engaging with donors and soliciting gifts or sponsorships.
• Strong writing, editing, and verbal communication skills.
• Experience managing institutional grants and funder reporting; government grants preferred.
• Ability to manage multiple deadlines and follow through on commitments.

Responsibilities

• Build and manage a portfolio of individual, corporate, and small-business donors/prospects.
• Oversee government grant portfolio: research, budgeting, reporting, compliance.
• Plan and execute fundraising events, including the annual gala and campus-expansion activities.
• Contribute to The Institute’s capital campaign via prospect research and donor cultivation.
• Collaborate on donor communications and development planning.

Skills

Frontline fundraising

Donor relationship management

Grant management

Event planning

Budgeting & reporting

Communication

Project management

Education

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent

Tools

Salesforce

Job description

Associate Director of Development

Institute of Music for Children

The Institute of Music for Children seeks a versatile development professional ready to take on greater responsibility for frontline fundraising, donor relationships, events, and institutional support within a growing nonprofit arts organization.

This is an opportunity for someone with a solid foundation in development who is ready to broaden their experience and grow toward senior fundraising leadership. The strongest candidate will bring real experience building donor relationships and making successful asks, while remaining eager to learn, take on new challenges, and benefit from close partnership and mentorship from an experienced Director of Development.

The Associate Director of Development reports to the Director of Development and works closely with The Institute’s leadership, program, finance, communications, and administrative staff. The Associate Director will own an individual portfolio of donors and prospects, manage The Institute’s government grant portfolio, and take primary responsibility for executing fundraising events, while contributing to corporate giving, the capital campaign, donor communications, and other department priorities.

About the Institute of Music for Children

Located in Elizabeth, New Jersey, the Institute of Music for Children engages children and youth in artistic expression and the creative process. Founded in 2003, The Institute serves more than 1,500 young people annually through programs in music, dance, theater, visual arts, and media arts, offering more than 30 classical and culturally relevant art forms.

The Institute is a BIPOC-led, growing organization that values teamwork, community, creativity, and personal and professional development. Its programs combine professional arts instruction, mentorship, family engagement, and youth development to help young people build creativity, confidence, leadership, and belonging.

It is an exciting period of growth for the Institute as it expands its facilities and builds a state-of-the-art cultural hub for young people.

The Position

Frontline fundraising and relationship management. The Associate Director will build and manage a portfolio of individual, corporate, and small-business prospects and donors. They will cultivate relationships, make asks, pursue sponsorships, host donors on campus, attend networking and community events, and help expand The Institute’s contributed revenue.

Government grants. The Associate Director will manage The Institute’s portfolio of local and other government grants, including research, applications, budgeting, reporting, and detailed compliance requirements. The Institute currently manages several government grants that require careful expense tracking and regular reporting. Experience with government funding is strongly preferred, but candidates with strong institutional fundraising experience and the ability to learn complex requirements will also be considered.

Events and campaign support. Working with the Director of Development, the Associate Director will take primary responsibility for planning and executing fundraising events, including the annual gala and events connected to The Institute’s campus expansion. The Associate Director will also contribute to The Institute’s capital campaign through prospect research, portfolio management, donor cultivation, events, sponsorships, materials, and follow-up.

Key Responsibilities

Individual & Corporate Giving

• Build and manage a portfolio of individual donors, prospects, small businesses, and corporate partners.
• Develop relationships through meetings, campus visits, events, networking, regular communication, and other cultivation activities.
• Make individual gift asks and pursue corporate sponsorships.
• Develop thoughtful cultivation and stewardship plans for assigned donors and prospects.
• Support year-end and other giving campaigns.
• Work with the Director of Development on major donor strategy, prospect identification, and moves management.
• Represent The Institute at donor, community, networking, and stakeholder events.

Government Grants

• Manage assigned government grants from research and application through reporting and renewal.
• Maintain clear calendars and systems for deadlines, reporting requirements, outcomes, and required documentation.
• Work closely with finance and program staff to collect accurate program and expense information.
• Prepare grant narratives, budgets, reports, and supporting materials.
• Ensure compliance with detailed city, county, state, and federal reporting requirements.
• Support the Director of Development on larger government funding opportunities and appropriations as needed.

Events & Sponsorships

• Take primary responsibility for execution of fundraising events, including The Institute’s annual gala.
• Work with the Director of Development on event strategy, goals, audience, and fundraising plans.
• Manage timelines, vendors, invitations, guest tracking, logistics, materials, and follow-up with admin support.
• Work with Board members and staff on event participation and outreach.
• Solicit sponsorships and donor participation within the Associate Director’s portfolio and among new prospects.
• Coordinate donor and community engagement events connected to The Institute’s campus expansion and other organizational priorities.

Campaign & Department Support

• Contribute to The Institute’s capital campaign through prospect research, donor cultivation, portfolio support, events, sponsorships, materials, tracking, and follow-up.
• Collaborate with the Director of Development and Communications Director on donor communications.
• Support Board fundraising activities and donor engagement as needed.
• Participate in development planning and strategy while learning from and working closely with the Director of Development.
• Coordinate with the Development team’s administrative support to ensure accurate donor records, gift processing, acknowledgements, and follow-up.
• Supervise administrative development support as assigned.
• Pitch in where needed in a small development department while maintaining clear responsibility for assigned portfolios, grants, and projects.

What We're Looking For

We expect the strongest candidates to bring many - but not necessarily all - of the following:

• Five or more years of progressively responsible experience in nonprofit development, fundraising, advancement, or a related field.
• Experience engaging with donors or prospects and participating in successful gift or sponsorship solicitations.
• Enthusiasm for frontline fundraising and relationship-building.
• Experience managing institutional grants and funder reporting; government-grant experience is strongly preferred.
• Experience planning and executing fundraising, donor, or community events.
• Strong organizational habits, attention to detail, and the ability to manage multiple deadlines and follow through on commitments.
• Strong writing, editing, and verbal communication skills.
• Comfort working with budgets, expense documentation, spreadsheets, and financial information.
• Experience working in a small or mid-sized nonprofit environment where staff members manage multiple responsibilities and work with a high degree of independence.
• The ability to move comfortably between outward-facing relationship work, focused writing, project management, events, and administrative follow-through.
• Experience with Salesforce or another donor database is useful but not required.
• A bachelor’s degree or an equivalent combination of professional, educational, and volunteer experience.

Above all, we are looking for someone who enjoys fundraising, takes ownership of their work, and is ready for a meaningful next step in their career. The right person will be confident enough to manage relationships and projects independently, while also valuing collaboration, feedback, and mentorship as they grow toward senior development leadership.

Position Details

Reports to: Director of Development

Status: Full-time, exempt

Location: Elizabeth, New Jersey

Work arrangement: Hybrid, with an expectation of three days per week onsite, including Tuesdays and Thursdays

The Institute's development calendar includes occasional evening and weekend responsibilities for fundraising events, performances, community activities, and donor engagement. These commitments are generally concentrated in predictable periods of the year and planned in advance when possible.

Employment is contingent upon successful completion of a fingerprint-based background check.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

The Institute of Music for Children is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We believe that a diverse and inclusive team directly supports our mission. We are committed to building a team that represents diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills. We encourage members of underrepresented groups to apply.

To best serve and support our diverse community, we are committed to building an inclusive workforce. We welcome and encourage applications from all qualified candidates, including members of underrepresented groups.

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The Institute of Music for Children 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.

This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.