ArtStarts in Schools is seeking a full-time Co-Director, Development to join our team for parental leave coverage contract ending April 30, 2024 (with a potential for extension). This position reports to the Board of Directors, is an active member of the shared leadership team, manages the Communications and Development Manager, and actively collaborates with all team members. We are looking for someone to build and activate a mission-aligned network of supporters through community-centric fundraising principles to raise funds and resources needed to achieve the mission and revenue goals of ArtStarts in Schools.

The Co-Director, Development co-leads, with two other Directors, these areas of overall organizational responsibility and accountability: governance, financial health, strategy, advocacy, and people & culture, including development and implementation of organizational strategy, organizational oversight, liaison and support to the Board of Directors, and planning and implementation of the vision and mission of ArtStarts in Schools. 

Individual Responsibilities

Development 

• Create and maintain an overall organizational Development strategy and annual plan that integrates with organizational strategy, values, and community engagement
• Maintain long-term relationships with existing donors and funders; identify and build relationships with new and prospective donors, sponsorship and funding opportunities, and in-kind support 
• Generate new ideas to meet revenue goals and to foster supporter engagement, recognition and stewardship
• Direct and lead execution of fundraising and community outreach (i.e. donor cultivation and stewardship events)
• Lead all individual giving efforts, including appeals, direct, face-to-face solicitations, and donor meetings
• Lead grant writing and the development of targeted proposals for operational grants, and support grant writing for program and infrastructure grants as needed
• Oversee use and optimization of digital tools to track and engage donors, and cultivate prospects
• Oversee the Development department budget and monitor expenses

Communications

• Shape, develop, and implement an integrated, organization-wide Communications strategy with Communications staff to broaden awareness of ArtStarts, arts in education for social justice, and cultivate community support 
• Lead production of the annual report with Communications and Development Manager
• Work with the board and staff to recognize communications opportunities and solutions (i.e. crisis communications plan), and define and execute appropriate strategies
• Represent ArtStarts at meetings, events and in media interviews

People Management

• Manage staff reporting into this role including recruitment, mentorship, work plan and career development 
• Work with the leadership team to manage organization-wide staff engagement

Shared Responsibilities

As one of the active members of the leadership team, this role have joint accountability over the following:

• Act as one of the primary ambassadors of ArtStarts by cultivating and maintaining partnerships and relationships with supporters and collaborators

• Oversight of organizational financial health with the leadership team, including developing a balanced budget, long-term financial planning, and revenue generation
• Advocate for social justice in arts and education by building relationships with community champions and responding to appropriate calls to action
• Develop and execute the strategic plan with the leadership team and Board of Directors and drive operationalization of that plan
• Support the Board of Directors to make sound governance decisions. Participate where appropriate in Board committees and Board-directed activities.
• Serve as liaison with the Board of Directors in rotation with other Co-Directors

Qualifications

The following will enable you to excel in this role:

• Post-secondary training and/or work experience in the fields of the arts and/or non-profit
• Familiarity with the local philanthropic community, especially individuals, corporations and foundations interested in supporting children, art and education
• Demonstrated experience developing and executing a fund development strategy that emphasizes relationship-building and a community-centric approach to fundraising 
• People-centred management style that promotes collaboration, transparency, and accountability
• Experience engaging and working with culturally diverse communities
• Experience using donor management software (DonorPerfect and/or Salesforce preferred)
• Comfort using (or learning to use) Slack and Google Suite

In addition, we are looking for someone who is:

• Passionate about the ArtStarts mission and vision
• Committed to advancing anti-oppression work
• Strategically-minded and is able to guide planning and execution
• Able to provide support during times of change
• An empathetic leader that stewards our human-centred leadership values
• A strong collaborator with the ability to work as part of a team toward collective goals
• Able to generate creative ideas by exploring multiple possible solutions
• Committed to distributed power and seeking advice from team members
• Aware of their own and others’ strengths and appreciates each team member’s contributions

We encourage all applicants who are interested in this role to apply, regardless of background and experience. We particularly encourage applicants from members of communities that are marginalized or that experience structural discrimination, including those identifying as Black, Indigenous, people of colour, LGBTQ2IA+, and those living with a visible or invisible disability.* Please consider self-identifying in your cover letter via email to help us prioritize your application. 

ABOUT ARTSTARTS

ArtStarts is a charitable, not-for-profit organization, dedicated to promoting art and creativity in young people’s lives. We focus on creating meaningful change where young people benefit most equitably and directly – in their schools and classrooms. By providing young people with access to arts-based learning experiences, we develop a generation that values the creative, collaborative and innovative skills necessary to thrive in the 21st century. You can read more about our mission, vision, and guiding principles here: https://artstarts.com/about

COMMITMENT TO ANTI-OPPRESSION

As an arts organization aimed at working with young people, we have an important role to play in advancing and strengthening the values of justice, equity, diversity and inclusion. As part of this active learning journey, we are taking a magnifying lens to our core programs and also taking a birds-eye view of ArtStarts as a whole and identifying how we can apply an equity and decolonization lens to our work. Social justice issues are no longer the responsibility of activist organizations, but instead a moral responsibility for all of us as human beings. Social justice through the arts is a powerful approach and now an integrated part of our work towards mission impact.

SHARED LEADERSHIP AT ARTSTARTS

ArtStarts has implemented a shared leadership structure where three co-directors report directly to the Board of Directors. Shared Leadership allows for a more equitable workplace where power, control, decision-making, and accountability do not rest solely on one individual. It offers an alternative structure to engrained colonial notions of leadership and organizational management. Each director has a distinct area of responsibility and shared responsibility for financial health, people & culture, strategy, advocacy, and governance. You can read the press release about this co-director model here.

ABOUT THE TEAM

Our current staff team is made up of 7 full-time and 4 part-time employees. We are all committed to our own anti-oppression learning journey and focused on finding ways to embody our commitment to equity and decolonization both internally and externally at ArtStarts. 

Staff are currently working remotely from home with the option of working from the office on a rotating schedule. 

OUR ORGANIZATION CULTURE

At ArtStarts, our culture is rooted in shared values and shared purpose. We align first and foremost around our mission and vision. We work towards shared goals that drive mission impact. Our work is not just about keeping our organization afloat, it is about making our mission happen.