Executive Director, Engagement & Events

Description

SUMMARY

The Executive Director, Engagement & Events is a critical leadership role in Institutional Advancement, reporting to the Vice President/Chief Advancement Officer. The EDEE convenes and partners with key internal and external stakeholders and advises on the creation and execution of coordinated strategies designed to maximize the lifetime engagement and philanthropic support of CalArts’ alumnx, families, and friends constituencies.

Working closely with the Chief Advancement Officer, the EDEE helps to develop and implement engagement, cultivation, and stewardship experiences that build a sense of community and affinity. This newly created position will reimagine CalArts’ engagement and special events opportunities during a pivotal time of growth for the Institute. Engaging all constituents, the EDEE’s team has the opportunity to showcase the talents of students, faculty, and alumnx and to celebrate honoraries associated with the CalArts community. With world-class artists learning and teaching at CalArts, Advancement’s engagement activities and special events are highly collaborative opportunities to work with students, faculty, staff, and volunteer leadership to achieve growing fundraising goals.

The Advancement division has a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to build its infrastructure and grow the staff because of restricted private philanthropy. With a dynamic President and Chief Advancement Officer, as well as a highly motivated staff of fundraising professionals - the growing advancement efforts at CalArts support a strategic vision rooted in increased access and equity for all students. In addition to increasing endowed scholarship dollars, giving opportunities will fund curriculum innovation as well as campus-wide infrastructure and facility upgrades to ensure sustainable growth and exemplary student experiences.

The successful candidate will be highly adept at understanding the entire donor cycle and be actively involved in advising on all aspects of constituent relations, from identifying potential friends of CalArts, to understanding the diverse interests and talents of the alumnx base, to honoring the experiences of families whose students attend CalArts. They will lead strategy on all engagement and special events from start to finish while ensuring their staff is successful at engaging a wide and diverse body of constituents who bring different strengths to the CalArts community. In addition, EDEE will collaborate with their Advancement colleagues to identify appropriate cultivation opportunities for CalArts’ individual, corporate, alumnx, and family prospects.

Qualifications

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS

The EDEE will lead a team of engagement and special events professionals in the overall strategic implementation of alumnx and family engagement. Engagement is critical to the CalArts’ community and will help support enterprise-wide philanthropy-based commitments from all CalArts audiences.

Constituent Engagement

• Engage key partners across the institute in the planning, directing, and executing of engagement experiences that are aligned with the CalArts community and other stakeholders
• Maintain exemplary relationships with campus leadership, volunteer leadership, and key stakeholders of the Institute
• Support the Vice President/CAO role in the ongoing cultivation and engagement of the highest priority constituents in order to ensure their overall experience with CalArts is purposeful and meaningful.
• Lead the EE staff with high expectations, guiding them to follow best practices in all aspects of strategic engagement activities and events
• Oversee the successful launch of the Cattern House’s (new presidential residence) Engagement and Events program, including the ongoing strategic planning for the appropriate and effective use of the residence year-round

Events Management

• Lead the strategic vision of Advancements’ entire suite of external audience experiences. This includes but is not limited to annual engagement and fundraising events, school-based initiatives for alumnx and students, 2-4 campus/institute-wide experiences, regular and ongoing monthly digital learning workshops, year-round cultivation activities at the Cattern House, and in 2022-23 lead the series of celebrations honoring CalArts’ 50th Anniversary, including the return of an institute-wide Alumnx Reunion
• Promote and institutionalize a comprehensive understanding of the overall responsibilities of special events fundraising. This includes establishing best practices in prospect management, event management, goal setting, communications, and data maintenance. Align practices and policies with advancement operational functions to ensure that special events serve the strategic priorities of the Institute
• Collaborate with the