Development Director

Inside Philanthropy; Boulder (CO); On-site; USD 85,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

401(k) plan

PTO 3 weeks

Life insurance

Employee discounts

EcoPass transit benefit

Ticket benefits

Job summary

The Dairy Arts Center in Boulder, CO seeks an entrepreneurial fundraiser to scale impact and lead fundraising from vision to execution. You will build and manage a multi-channel plan, focus on major gifts, sponsorships, and grants, and collaborate with the Executive Director and Board on capital campaign readiness.

You will lead donor cultivation, plan events, and ensure data integrity while advocating the mission of the arts in the community.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of professional nonprofit fundraising, preferably in arts or humanities, with capital or multi-year campaigns experience.
• Proven success securing major gifts, corporate partnerships, and foundation grants.
• Ability to build donor pipelines and manage multi-year pledge tracking.

Responsibilities

• Create and execute an annual multi-channel development strategy (major gifts, sustaining memberships, sponsorships, foundations).
• Lead pre-capital campaign planning with the Executive Director and Board; set funding goals for future capital needs.
• Manage a portfolio of individual prospects; cultivate, solicit, and steward 4- and 5-figure gifts.
• Direct research, drafting, and reporting for local, state, and national arts foundations including SCFD and Colorado agencies.
• Oversee fundraising events and sponsorships; coordinate with staff and volunteers.
• Partner with the Board on donor briefings and peer-to-peer fundraising strategy.
• Oversee donor database integrity, gift acknowledgments, and regular fundraising metrics reporting.

Skills

Nonprofit fundraising

Capital campaign experience

Major gifts

Grant writing

Donor stewardship

Tools

Donor CRM

Google Workspace

Job description

ABOUT US

For over 30 years, the Dairy Arts Center has been Boulder Colorado’s largest multi-disciplinary nonprofit arts organization dedicated to providing diverse opportunities to create, learn, and engage in high-quality performing, cinematic, and visual arts experiences. As the home of Boulder’s only year-round arthouse cinema, winner of Best of Boulder Visual Art Galleries 8 years in a row, and the premier venue for over 150 local and regional arts organizations annually, there is always something exciting happening at the Dairy Arts Center.

We believe that art transforms communities, and we are looking for an entrepreneurial fundraiser to help us scale our impact in Boulder and the surrounding Front Range.

Looking ahead, our organization is preparing for an exciting phase of long-term sustainability. We are currently assessing our long-term facility needs, which will include spearheading a future capital or comprehensive campaign for vital upkeep and building capacity repairs. The ideal candidate will be energized by the opportunity to help lay the strategic groundwork for this legacy project.

WHO YOU ARE

You are an authentic relationship-builder who connects passionately with the arts. You understand that fundraising is about matching a donor's values with a vital community mission. You thrive in a collaborative environment and are ready to lead our fundraising efforts from vision to execution.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Strategic Fundraising Plan: Create and execute an annual multi-channel development strategy encompassing major gifts, a sustaining membership program, corporate sponsorships, and foundation grants.
• Pre-Capital Campaign Development: Partner with the Executive Director and Board to assess capital campaign readiness; assist in identifying funding goals for future building infrastructure and repair needs; Focus heavily on identifying and qualifying potential major donors and local family foundations capable of transitioning from annual support to future multi-year capital pledges; Assist leadership in preparing data, case project outlines, and donor lists should the organization decide to launch a formal capital campaign feasibility study.
• Major Gift & Donor Stewardship: Manage a personal portfolio of individual prospects. Identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward donors capable of giving 4- and 5-figure gifts.
• Grant Management: Direct the research, drafting, and reporting timelines for local, state, and national arts foundations, including SCFD, Boulder Arts Commission and Colorado Creative Industries funding.
• Events & Sponsorships: Oversee annual fundraising events and galas, securing corporate underwriters, program advertisements, and managing logistics alongside other Development staff and committee volunteers.
• Board Engagement: Partner with the Board’s Development Committee to equip board members with training, donor briefing notes, and strategy for peer-to-peer fundraising.
• Data & Operations: Oversee other Development staff to coordinate donor database integrity, ensure prompt gift acknowledgements, track fundraising metrics, and generate regular status updates for board meetings.

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE/SKILLS/ABILITIES

• • Experience: 5+ years of professional nonprofit fundraising, preferably within an arts, culture, or humanities framework, with a strong preference for candidates who have participated in a capital campaign, facility campaign, or major multi-year scaling effort (even if in a supporting or collaborative capacity). Major gifts/front-line fundraising experience required; Development Director experience preferred.
  • Track Record: Proven success in securing major individual gifts, corporate partnerships, and writing successful foundation grants. Demonstrated ability to assess organizational readiness, build donor pipelines, and prepare a nonprofit for major multi-year fundraising initiatives; and proven capability in structuring, soliciting, and tracking complex, multi-year pledge agreements.
  • Management: Experience collaborating in a team environment and managing people.
  • Tools: High proficiency with donor CRMs and Google Workspace.
  • Communication: Exceptional written communication skills for persuasive proposal drafting and confident presentation skills for donor meetings.
  • Ethics: Deep commitment to the highest ethical fundraising standard, following AFP guidelines (Note: This position does not pay commission).

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS:

• Salary Range: $85,000 – $110,000 per year (Base salary depends on experience and established donor-network familiarity within Colorado).
• Growth & Capital Campaign Milestone: Because our organization is laying the groundwork for a future facility capital campaign, this position includes a structured Milestone Review. Upon Board approval of the campaign phase, the base compensation is structured for a pre-determined upward evaluation to reflect the expanded scope of work.
• Benefits: Eligible for Cigna health insurance benefits after 90 days of employment, eligible for 401(k) 60 days after employment, Voluntary Guardian Benefits, IDShield and LegalShield, 3 weeks of PTO for first year of employment, employer sponsored life insurance and a 50% discount on Dairy Arts Center products/services.
• Arts Perks: Comp tickets to select shows, discounts on concessions and Dairy merchandise, and a RTD EcoPass for regional transit.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of the job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Prolonged periods sitting at a desk and working on a computer
• Frequently required to drive for external meetings and appointments
• Frequently required to stand, walk, sit, and reach with hands and arms
• Frequently required to hear on phone calls and see on video and in-person meetings
• Additional physical requirements include fundraising event related activities such as lifting and carrying tables, displays, and setting up decor

WORK ENVIRONMENT

Work environment is primarily on-site work, with off-site events & meetings as appropriate. While this job typically works a regular 9am – 5pm weekday schedule, some nights and weekends will be required for fundraising events, board activities, etc.

The Dairy Arts Center is an equal opportunity employer and prohibits discrimination/harassment 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. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.