Director, Development

Collage Dance; Memphis (TN); On-site; USD 85,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Collage Dance in Memphis is seeking a Director of Development to lead its fundraising program as the organization accelerates growth. You will shape strategy, steward major gifts, and expand donor networks to support the Conservatory, touring company, and community programs.

Working with the Executive and Artistic Directors and the Board, you will build plans, manage the Development team, and travel to cultivate national partnerships that advance Collage's mission for equity in ballet.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of development and fundraising experience with a track record of securing major gifts
• Proven success in grant writing and meeting fundraising goals
• Experience in arts, education, or cultural organizations with diversity and access focus
• Ability to build genuine, lasting donor relationships
• Strong written and oral communication, able to inspire a boardroom and craft compelling grants
• Leadership style that motivates while keeping work joyful
• Experience with donor management platforms is a plus
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent professional experience

Responsibilities

• Drive revenue and strategy: set and achieve ambitious annual fundraising goals and evolve our development strategy
• Cultivate transformative relationships: build lasting donor connections locally and nationally; travel is expected
• Partner with leadership: work with Executive/Artistic Directors and Board to execute annual fundraising plan and represent Collage
• Grow our donor community: steward annual donors, develop digital fundraising with Marketing, show impact of investments
• Lead the team: oversee grants, events, data integrity, and fundraising reporting to execs and Board

Skills

Development experience

Grant writing

Donor relationships

Leadership

Communication skills

Strategic fundraising

Network for Good experience

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent professional experience

Tools

Grant management platforms

Job description

We are working to inspire the growth of ballet.

For nearly two decades, Collage Dance has used movement as a language to expand access to world-class training, and to build a vibrant Black dance community right here in Memphis. Named a Southern Cultural Treasure by SouthArts and the Ford Foundation, we are at the national forefront of transforming who gets to create, perform, and experience ballet.

The Opportunity

As our next Director of Development, you will lead Collage’s fundraising program at a pivotal moment in our growth. You’ll step into a functioning development operation and bring the strategic vision, donor relationships, and executional strength to take it to the next level.

You’ll partner closely with our Executive and Artistic Directors and Board of Directors to fuel the financial engine behind everything we do — from our Conservatory serving 1,000+ students weekly, to our internationally touring professional company, to our growing adult programming.

What You’ll Do

Drive revenue and strategy. Set and achieve ambitious annual fundraising goals. Evolve our development strategy in alignment with Collage’s mission and long-term vision, and recommend new approaches that keep us growing.

Cultivate transformative relationships. Build and maintain lasting connections with major donors — individuals, foundations, and corporations locally and nationally. Expanding Collage’s reach beyond Memphis is a key part of this role. Frequent travel is expected and welcomed.

Partner with leadership. Collaborate with our Executive and Artistic Directors and Board to develop and execute our annual fundraising plan. Serve as a spokesperson and ambassador for Collage with media, partners, and the broader philanthropic community.

Grow our donor community. Steward our base of annual individual donors, develop digital fundraising strategies alongside our Marketing team, and ensure every supporter understands the direct impact of their investment in Collage’s mission.

Lead the team. Oversee the Development team in grant management and compliance, special events, donor data integrity, and fundraising reporting for executive leadership and the Board.

Who You Are

You believe deeply that ballet — and the arts — belong to everyone. You bring the experience, relationships, and drive to lead a high-performing development program, and you’re ready to make your mark on an organization doing nationally significant work.

You also bring:

• 7+ years of development and fundraising experience, with a demonstrated track record of securing major gifts from individuals, foundations, and/or corporations
• Proven success in grant writing and consistently meeting annual fundraising goals
• Experience in or passion for arts, education, or cultural organizations — especially those doing diversity and access work
• The ability to build genuine, lasting donor relationships — not just transactions
• Strong written and oral communication skills; you can inspire a boardroom, write a compelling grant, and connect authentically one-on-one
• High integrity, transparency, and a leadership style that motivates people while keeping the work joyful
• The ability to adapt quickly, make smart decisions independently, and thrive in a fast-moving environment
• Experience with Network for Good or similar donor management platforms is a plus
• A bachelor’s degree or equivalent professional experience

We are one of the largest Black performing arts organizations in the American South. We train more than 1,000 students weekly. Our professional company performs for local and international audiences. And we are still dancing, building, dreaming, and becoming.

This role will directly shape how Collage Dance sustains and expands its mission — for our dancers, our students, our community, and the future of Blacks in ballet.

Memphis is a deeply creative city. If you’re not already here, we think you’ll fall in love with it.