Chief Advancement Officer

Boston Center for the Arts; Boston (MA); Hybrid; USD 135,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, dental & vision insurance

Flexible spending plans

403(b) retirement plan

Paid time off

Job summary

Boston Center for the Arts in Boston's South End seeks a Chief Advancement Officer to lead all fundraising, marketing, and storytelling efforts. Reporting to the CEO, the CAO will cultivate major gifts, build partnerships, and guide communications to strengthen BCA's civic and cultural impact.

The role requires 10+ years in advancement leadership, strong donor stewardship, and a track record of securing six- and seven-figure gifts, with a strategic, collaborative approach to board engagement and

Qualifications

• Demonstrated success in securing major gifts and leadership-level support.
• Experience overseeing marketing, communications, and brand strategy.
• Strong stakeholder management with boards and senior leadership.

Responsibilities

• Lead major gifts, donor stewardship, and philanthropic partnerships.
• Develop and execute comprehensive advancement strategy and campaigns.
• Activate board engagement in fundraising and donor cultivation.
• Oversee marketing, communications, and institutional storytelling.
• Build partnerships with civic and cultural stakeholders to expand impact.
• Lead and mentor staff across development, marketing, and communications.

Skills

Leadership

Fundraising

Major Gifts

Board Engagement

Strategic Planning

Communications

Partnerships

Campaign Management

Job description

Title: Chief Advancement Officer
Reports to: Chief Executive Officer
Management: Yes
Exempt: Yes
Annual Salary: $135,000 - $150,000

About Boston Center for the Arts

Boston Center for the Arts (BCA) is a multidisciplinary cultural campus in Boston’s South End, home to artist studios, arts organizations, exhibition and performance spaces that together create a dynamic ecosystem of creativity and programming.
Through its residencies and initiatives, BCA serves as an epicenter for an expanding cohort of artists working across disciplines and has helped catalyze creative careers by providing fertile ground for experimentation, collaboration, and artistic risk-taking. At the heart of the campus is the historic Cyclorama, whose distinctive 360-degree form reflects a legacy of immersive storytelling and continues to inspire new experimentation at the intersection of art, technology, and public experience.
At a time of significant institutional transformation, BCA is deepening partnerships with the City of Boston and cultural leaders across the region while advancing bold commitments in governance, artistic leadership, capital planning, and civic collaboration. Under the leadership of its CEO and first-ever Artistic Director, BCA is building a more connected, artist-centered, and partnership-driven future for the organization and the broader creative community.

Position Concept

The Chief Advancement Officer (CAO) is a senior member of the leadership team responsible for driving philanthropic growth, strengthening the Boston Center for the Arts’ institutional brand, and expanding the organization’s visibility and engagement across Boston’s cultural and civic landscape.
Reporting to the CEO, the CAO leads all advancement efforts, including major gifts, individual giving, foundation and corporate partnerships, marketing, communications, and institutional storytelling. This role plays a central part in shaping how BCA engages donors, audiences, artists, campus partners, and community stakeholders while advancing BCA’s role as a civic and cultural convener that amplifies the collective impact of artists, campus partners, and creative organizations.
The CAO will work closely with the CEO, Artistic Director, and Board of Directors to cultivate major donors, activate board engagement in fundraising, and develop strategies that advance BCA's evolving role as a civic and cultural convener within Boston's creative ecosystem. As the organization's lead fundraising executive, the CAO will maintain a portfolio of major donors and prospects, personally solicit and close five- and six-figure gifts, and drive a comprehensive advancement strategy that supports both annual operations and long-term institutional growth.

Key Responsibilities

Major Gifts and Philanthropy

• Build and manage a leadership giving pipeline valued at $1M+ annually, with accountability for achieving defined contributed revenue targets and moving prospects through all stages of the donor lifecycle.
• Manage, develop, and expand a portfolio of leadership donors and prospects capable of making transformational gifts.
• Lead and drive the cultivation, stewardship, and solicitation of leadership gifts in partnership with the CEO and Artistic Director.
• Develop personalized engagement and stewardship strategies for high-capacity donors.
• Strengthen long-term donor relationships through thoughtful communication, engagement opportunities, and institutional stewardship.
• Partner with the CEO to develop annual fundraising goals, revenue projections, and performance metrics, regularly reporting progress against contributed revenue benchmarks.

Advancement Strategy

• Develop and lead BCA’s comprehensive advancement strategy, including major gifts, annual giving, donor engagement, campaigns, and fundraising initiatives.
• Establish ambitious but achievable revenue goals and strategies to expand philanthropic support.
• Build and maintain a strong pipeline of major gift prospects and institutional supporters.
• Partner with the CEO and senior leadership to align advancement priorities with organizational vision and strategic growth.

Board Engagement

• Partner with the CEO to activate the Board of Directors in fundraising and donor engagement.
• Support board members in cultivating, stewarding, and soliciting donors and institutional supporters.
• Provide advancement updates, fundraising strategy, and campaign planning support to board committees and leadership.

Strategic Partnerships, Community Engagement, and External Relations

• Build relationship-based partnerships that amplify and connect the work taking place across BCA’s campus, including collaborations with campus partners, artists, and cultural organizations, strengthening BCA’s role as a collaborative civic and cultural platform within Boston’s creative ecosystem.
• Expand BCA’s presence within Boston’s philanthropic, civic, and cultural communities.
• Identify opportunities for cross-sector partnerships, sponsorships, and collaborative initiatives aligned with BCA’s mission and strategic direction.
• Represent BCA at external events, convenings, and community engagements alongside the CEO and Artistic Director.

Marketing, Communications, and Institutional Brand

• Oversee BCA’s marketing, communications, and institutional brand strategy across all public-facing platforms.
• Guide institutional storytelling that amplifies the impact of BCA’s artists, programs, partnerships, and campus initiatives.
• Strengthen BCA’s visibility as a leading cultural hub and platform for civic and creative leadership.
• Ensure consistency of voice, messaging, and visual identity across organizational communications.
• Collaborate with leadership and program staff to translate artistic and civic initiatives into compelling public narratives.

Team Leadership

• Recruit, hire, manage, lead, and mentor staff responsible for development, marketing, and communications.
• Foster a collaborative and mission-driven culture across advancement functions and contribute to a positive, collaborative culture across the organization.
• Strengthen systems, workflows, and infrastructure that support long-term fundraising and communications success.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of advancement, direct fundraising, communications and/or external affairs leadership experience.
• Demonstrated success in securing major and leadership-level gifts.
• Experience overseeing marketing, communications, and institutional brand strategy.
• Strong experience working with boards, senior leadership, and high-level stakeholders.
• Demonstrated ability to build meaningful relationships, communicate institutional vision, and engage philanthropic, civic, and cultural stakeholders.
• Strategic thinker with the ability to operate both collaboratively and entrepreneurially.
• Passion for arts, culture, civic engagement, and artist-centered world

Compensation & Benefits

• Salary range: $135,000–$150,000, commensurate with experience.
• Boston Center for the Arts offers 4 weeks of paid time off, and 2 weeks of additional paid administrative closure.
• Benefits: 80% BCA-sponsored health, dental, and vision insurance; flexible spending plans, life and disability; and a 403(b) retirement savings plan.
• This is primarily an in-person position with 1 work-from-home day per week + a bank of remote days to use throughout the year.
• Complimentary tickets to BCA and BCA partner events and performances.

Boston Center for the Arts is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The BCA prohibits discrimination based upon an individual’s age, ancestry, citizenship, color, creed, disability, ethnicity, marital status, national origin, race, religion, sex, gender, sexual orientation, veteran status, or any other characteristics protected by applicable federal, state or local law.