For those of you who think RSC is becoming a job site — not so — just helping “spread the word” on behalf of some colleagues in need.

The Indianapolis Opera is another valued local organization that is looking for its next Chief Development Officer. Please review and forward any interested / qualified candidate names to johnp@indyopera.org . Click here o visit the Indianapolis Opera Website. You can share this posting with others by clicking the “share this” button below. Thank you!

Vice President of Advancement, Indianapolis Opera –

The V.P. of Advancement is the primary leader in developing contributed income and planned gifts for Indianapolis Opera. Responsibilities include growing corporate and individual gifts, implementing a planned giving program, providing strategic leadership to staff (including the CEO) for all development programs – annual fund, foundation and government funding proposals, special events and major gifts. Must be an experienced professional who will fit the Opera culture, have a documented record of fundraising success, have experience working with boards and volunteers, budget management and donor management databases. Requires 10+ years experience as a senior manager in a not-for-profit and/or arts organization. Send a cover letter and resume to John C. Pickett, Executive Director at johnp@indyopera.org.

Music for All, Inc. (located in Indianapolis, IN and a long-time client of RSC) has recently begun its search for a new Chief Development Officer.  This is a very fine opportunity for someone who would like to mature a recently-established fundraising program.  If you or others who you know have interest in applying, please submit resume, cover letter and salary history to careers@musicforall.org . All correspondence will be handled through email. Click here to learn more about Music for All.

COMPANY PROFILE

Music for All is one of the largest and most influential national music education organizations in support of active music making. Music for All is unique in that it combines programming at a regional and national level with awareness campaigns and advocacy for music education. Recognized as an organization focused on creating positively life‐changing experiences through music, Music for All is also engaged in expanding access to educational initiatives in schools and communities. For more than 34 years, Music for All’s Bands of America and Orchestra America programs have presented an internationally acclaimed repertoire of events. Playing to a national audience, Music for All’s mission is infused with a positive vision that touches lives forever. Those who attend don’t just participate in Music for All, they live Music for All.

 Music for All’s mission is to create, provide and expand positively life‐changing experiences through music for all.  Music for All’s INTERNATIONALLY ACCLAIMED repertoire of events includes more than 25 annual festivals in more than a dozen states. Among these events are the Bands of America Grand National Championships, National Concert Band Festival, Orchestra America National Festival, National Percussion Festival, Summer Symposium, Regional Marching Championships, and one‐day musical and leadership clinics. The Honor Band of America has toured Europe and Japan and was featured as a 300+ member marching unit in the 2005 and 2009 Tournament of Roses Parade on worldwide television. Music for All’s Honor Orchestra of America has shared the stage with the Indianapolis Symphony since 2007 on a classical subscription series concert each spring.

 More than 300,000 teens, family members and enthusiasts attend Music for All and BOA events each year with more than 80,000 teens participating. Millions worldwide access Music for All through award‐winning national newsletters (published 5 times annually), our Web site www.musicforall.org, video productions, and other print materials.

POSITION DESCRIPTION

Music for All is seeking qualified candidates for our Director of Development / Chief Development Officer position. The Director of Development / Chief Operating Officer works under the direction of the President & CEO and is an important part of the Music for All team. This position is responsible for a comprehensive contributed income plan, including participation of individuals, corporations, and foundations and developing and implementing a planned giving program. Conceives, develops and implements fundraising strategy, works with the CEO to specify development goals, and identifies and cultivates prospects. Primary focus is growing the annual donor base, identifying major prospects and closing gifts. Primary duties include but are not limited to: 

• -Continue to engage and solicit individuals (alumni and parents of Music for All’s Bands of America) as well as corporations and foundations. Design, implement and manage a comprehensive virtual campaign around Bands of America’s 35th year anniversary.
• -Identify, qualify, and manage a portfolio of special and major gift prospects: Gather data, assess prospects, and develop strategies designed to realize the current and life‐time giving potential of individual prospects. Ensure consistent and appropriate contact, facilitate or make solicitations, and ensure effective stewardship.
• -Assist the CEO in cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding high‐end prospects. Develop innovative approaches to expanding the organization’s donor base.
• -Develop and maintain a thorough understanding of Music for All’s mission and events, and continually match the interests of prospects with organizational events and needs.
• -Plan and direct solicitation of prospects managed by the CEO. Provide executive staff support to the CEO related to fundraising activities, including strategic planning for the CEO’s fundraising travel, providing briefing materials, and drafting correspondence and speeches.
• -Oversee fundraising and stewardship activities including donor and scholarship events, alumni communication, participation, and giving, and corporate and foundation relations.
• -Supervise the Development Staff, including Community Relations Manager and Development Coordinator, who has primary responsibility for donor‐relations, reporting, volunteer management and direct mail solicitations.
• -Work collaboratively with other MFA staff, including the director of marketing on the development of promotional materials, the events team on volunteer management, participant relations on the identification of constituency development, and the accounting staff on the coordination of financial reporting and tracking.
• -Assess and evaluate efforts and outcomes of development activities, and make appropriate revisions to the strategic plan.
• -Gather, record, and properly store information about prospects and donors utilizing the donor and alumni tracking database.
• -Represent MFA at designated functions and events related to fundraising.
• -Manage, educate, develop and coach staff to become knowledgeable about all development efforts and to become effective fundraisers.
• -Provide leadership and direction to the board in cultivation, soliciting and stewarding major gifts and serve as the coordinator of their activities.
• -Every candidate for a position at Music for All must understand and acknowledge that a substantial portion of the organization’s business is the planning and execution of special events. As such, all Music for All employees may be involved in the planning of events and have some on‐site event production duties and responsibilities. Some travel, night and weekend work is required.

POSITION REQUIREMENTS

Music for All is seeking an enthusiastic, team oriented individual who encompasses the below skills: 

• -Bachelor’s degree from an accredited university or college
• -Minimum of 5 years of senior development experience required
• -Significant experience and demonstrated success in gift fundraising in an organization with a comprehensive development program. Development experience in an organization with an alumni base is strongly preferred
• -Demonstrated ability to develop and implement strategic development plans, and to organize, initiate and motivate
• -Proven success in closing gifts at the six‐figure level
• -Ability to analyze prospects and to assess and determine a solicitation approach with respect to size of ask, areas of interest, and timing
• -Excellent communication and presentation skills, both written and oral. Ability to work in a highly collaborative manner
• -Strong understanding of and enthusiasm for music and arts education
• -Ability and willingness to travel, as well as to work outside the normal workday as necessary and required

 APPLICATION PROCESS

• -Please submit resume, cover letter and salary history to careers@musicforall.org . All correspondence will be handled through email.

 Music for All, Inc. is a 501©(3) not for profit educational organization and is committed to a diverse workforce.

In the previous article we looked at why annual funds sometimes fail and how the final weeks of a campaign feel like trying to out-swim a shark when the distance to the shore is much longer than the distance to the shark.  Today’s article will look at the main reasons why we don’t get started sooner and what you can do about it.

Do you start fundraising on Day One?  Most don’t.  Instead, we (thankfully) crawl out of the water, exhausted from the previous campaign.  We towel off, taking a well-deserved breather after the close of the fiscal year and then stay on dry land to begin planning for the new year’s activities (30 days are gone – poof!).  After planning we begin preparing. (another 30 days – poof!).  Then we begin putting our volunteer teams together, writing letters, making sure all of our I’s are dotted and T’s are crossed so that we can get to the “real business” of launching our campaign (a final 30 days – poof!)  The first quarter of the new fiscal year is gone and we haven’t done much to add to the bank account.  The clock is still ticking and we’re just now beginning to get back into the water (because hey, there’s a shark). If this describes how your organization operates its annual fund, rest assured that it doesn’t have to be this way!

Frontloading your annual fund activity is the key to success.  Launch on or around Day One of the New Fiscal Year with the actual business of cultivating donors and asking for gifts.  So, how is it done?

First, you’ll need to review your AF programs from the past three years.  Compare each fiscal quarter (Q1, Q2, Q3 and Q4 ) to the fiscal year-end gross revenue, to examine how much of the overall total was achieved per quarter.  Pay particular attention to how much was raised in the first two quarters combined versus the second two quarters combined.  What’s your Q1-2 versus Q3-4 comparison?  How much of the overall total does your program secure by the end of Q2?  20%?  50%?  You get the idea…

In the next article we’ll complete this outline and give you the strongest arguments for frontloading your campaign.

Bob Swaney is a successful 20+ year veteran of fundraising for the arts and is the founder of Robert Swaney Consulting, Inc.  For more information, you can email Bob at rsc@rrsconsult.net or visit www.rrsconsult.net .

The first day of every new fiscal year should begin with the blast from a starting pistol.  Why?  Because every moment in an annual fund feels like a race.  After all it’s an annual fund.  We get 365 days to raise the money – and not a second more.  And BANG! the moment one year ends another begins.

We all understand that every year has to end in outstanding fashion to help the organization’s bottom line, and we are therefore working at top speed to make it happen, right?  In fact, the last few weeks of every annual campaign feels less like running a race and more like trying to out-swim a shark when you’re thirty yards out (If I can just make it to the beach before….chomp).

Trouble is you can rarely out-swim the shark — particularly if you don’t give yourself as much time as possible.  Translated into fundraising-speak, it means that you will likely miss the fiscal year-end contributed revenue goal if you don’t use all the time you have – the aforementioned 365 days.  Why? Simple….you ran out of time!  As you may well know there are many reasons why we run out of time before the goal is met, but there is one that we have direct control over – when we get started.

In the next article I will outline thoughts about how you can jump the shark and get started earlier on the business of fundraising.

Bob Swaney is a successful 20+ year veteran of fundraising for the arts and is the founder of Robert Swaney Consulting, Inc.  For more information, you can email Bob at rsc@rrsconsult.net or visit www.rrsconsult.net .

In the previous article I provide warning against jumping too quickly onto the innovation bandwagon.  As I mentioned then, I am for innovation in arts fundraising, but only when it is carefully combined with a program that has mastered the basics.  Below are some thoughts about how to move forward with innovative thinking and new ideas.

How do you know when it’s time for innovation?  Ask and answer these questions –

*Why are you thinking about a new way of doing things?  Be specific.

*Are you successfully implementing the ‘basics’ of fundraising now?  Goals, tactics, timing and resources?

*Are you at peak efficiency but approaching a plateau in results? 

*Are Marketing and Fundraising growth in alignment?

*Is your organization outpacing the fundraising performance of its local peer organizations?  In dollars?  In donors?  In market penetration?

*Do you have available resources to implement new ideas brought about by a new idea?

*Have you thoroughly thought through the innovative idea?  What are the expected results?  How much time will it take?  What will it cost?  What resources will you need?  How do you know?

*What are you enhancing or replacing?  Is the projected net gain worth it?

If you had detailed and positive answers to those questions, then yes, you are likely ready to take action.  Those steps can include the following –

*What may be innovative to your organization / program may be “old hat” for one of your peer groups.  Always ask around, check industry-blogs and post questions on industry-related sites to see if others already have a track record with the idea.

*Develop a pro forma just like you would do with any new product or line of business. 

*Write a step-by-step plan and timeline to accompany the pro forma.  Is the idea worth the effort?

 *Set up benchmarks and then test your idea prior to full implementation, gauging the results and then making your final decision.

Generating innovative ideas is terrific and can be a wonderful way to enhance results.   But always pursue it for the right reasons and keep it real in regards to revenue expectations and the implementation.

Bob Swaney is a successful 20+ year veteran of fundraising for the arts and is the founder of Robert Swaney Consulting, Inc.  For more information, you can email Bob at rsc@rrsconsult.net or visit www.rrsconsult.net .