Director of Development - ArtPrize

Who We Are:
Based in the City of Grand Rapids, MI, ArtPrize produces open citywide contemporary art experiences that encourage critical discourse, celebrate artists, transform urban space, and promote cultural understanding. It connects and is collaborative. It seeks to expand understanding of art. ArtPrize has a history of awarding significant publicly voted and juried art prizes and is listed among the top art competitions in the world.

The mission of ArtPrize is to transform the art world through a radically open, global, art competition and cultural experience in Grand Rapids that starts conversation, encourages critical discourse, elevates and celebrates artists, transforms urban space and promotes cultural understanding.

Who You Are:
ArtPrize is seeking a dynamic and strategic Director of Development to lead and grow its revenue-generating efforts in support of our mission and annual event. Reporting to the Executive Director, the Director of Development is responsible for creating and implementing fundraising strategies that secure sponsorships, public funding, grants, donations, and in-kind support. This position plays a key leadership role, managing internal team members, consultants, and relevant resources while ensuring sponsor and donor engagement is strategic, well-executed, and fully reported.

What You'll Do:

Fundraising Strategy and Execution

• Develop and implement comprehensive revenue strategies aligned with organizational goals.
• Cultivate, solicit, and steward relationships with corporate sponsors, public partners, foundations, and individual donors.
• Identify and secure new funding opportunities at the local, regional, and national levels.
• Oversee grant applications, deliverables, and reporting requirements.
• Lead cross-functional coordination to align fundraising efforts with programmatic and marketing initiatives.
• Manage the CRM system to support donor segmentation, tracking, and reporting.

Sponsorship Development and Management

• Own the full sponsor lifecycle: prospecting, proposals, contracts, activation, recognition, and reporting.
• Lead the development of sponsorship packages and marketing materials.
• Collaborate with internal teams to deliver impactful sponsor activations and meet contractual obligations.
• Maintain engaged and collaborative high-level relationships with city, state, and federal funding bodies.

Advertising and In-Kind Revenue

• Develop and execute an advertising revenue strategy that leverages ArtPrize platforms.
• Identify and manage in-kind contributions that support operational or event-specific needs.

Team and Resource Management

• Supervise development staff, consultants, and volunteers to maximize performance and impact.
• Foster a collaborative team environment that supports shared goals across development functions.
• Provide transparent and consistent reporting on progress to the Executive Director and Board of Directors.

What You'll Bring:

• Minimum 5–7 years of experience in nonprofit development, fundraising, or sponsorship sales.
• Demonstrated success in securing and managing corporate sponsorships and grants.
• Strong communication, negotiation, and presentation skills.
• Experience using CRM platforms (e.g., Salesforce, Bloomerang, or similar).
• Ability to manage multiple projects, deadlines, and stakeholder relationships.
• Familiarity with local and regional philanthropic and business communities is a plus.
• Passion for arts, culture, and community engagement.

What We Offer:

• An opportunity to be involved in a worldwide art competition
• Competitive compensation
• Medical & dental Insurance
• Life insurance
• Short & long term disability insurance
• 401(k) retirement plan with company match
• Gym membership discounts and other wellness initiatives
• Generous Paid Time Off
• Opportunities to grow and develop your career

If you're a strong relationship builder, excellent communicator, and experienced fundraiser who thrives in a collaborative, creative environment, we'd love to hear from you – Apply today!