Assistant Director of Advancement - College of Fine & Applied Arts
National Association of Asian American Professionals, Inc., Urbana, Illinois, us, 61803
Assistant Director of Advancement – College of Fine & Applied Arts
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Based in Urbana-Champaign with hybrid opportunities.
Organizational Relationship The Assistant Director of Advancement reports to the Associate Dean for Advancement and will work closely with advancement colleagues, the KCPA director, FAA academic department heads, and members of the FAA and university faculty.
Job Summary This position will assist Krannert Center for the Performing Arts (KCPA) to broaden and strengthen advancement activities, performance sponsorships, corporate philanthropy, and annual fundraising through digital and/or print communications, phone calls, video conferencing, and in‑person meetings. The role requires up to 25% travel, including evenings and weekends, and attendance at most KCPA performances to cultivate and steward corporate partners, donors, and patrons. The successful candidate will be a collaborative team member who values inclusion and is skilled at building strong internal and external relationships.
Duties & Responsibilities
Identify, assess, analyze, and design appropriate strategies for approaching prospects and donors and making the vital match between donors’ philanthropic interests and KCPA’s programmatic and performance needs. Plan and implement effective outreach and cultivation activities to enhance prospect identification and move solicitation and stewardship processes forward. Qualify, cultivate, solicit, and steward a portfolio of organizational and corporate giving prospects, determining frequency of contact needed. Document all activities and interactions in the alumni/donor database.
Develop and maintain close collaborative partnerships with faculty and staff to gain a strong understanding of the academic and research programs, along with performances throughout the season, to identify and define priorities to be funded through private support. Partner closely with other advancement professionals, including gift officers, stewardship and donor relations, alumni relations, and corporate relations professionals.
Determine and prioritize lists of donor prospects and other stakeholders to be contacted for meetings and solicitations.
Prepare and educate unit volunteer leadership and advisory boards (e.g., Krannert Center Advancement Council), faculty and staff members, and other unit volunteers to participate in cultivation, solicitation and stewardship of annual gifts as needed.
Impact in Your First Year
Within 3 months, you’ll:
Become familiar with the strategic vision and priorities of KCPA and FAA
Meet your assigned Prospect Development Analyst and begin to dig into your portfolio
Attend professional development and networking activities for newcomers within Advancement
Be introduced to fundraising fundamentals and terminology adopted from Plus Delta Partners
Within 6 months, you’ll:
Begin contacting and cultivating relationships with key prospects, donors, and alumni to create and implement solicitation strategies
Partner with stewardship, donor relations, events, alumni relations, and communications colleagues on department and College‑wide initiatives
Be able to share multiple meaningful impact stories of transformative gifts
By the end of the first year, you’ll:
Cooperatively set annual goals with your supervisor and portfolio management team
Continue portfolio growth of qualified prospects and successful solicitation strategies
Receive one‑on‑one coaching from People and Culture to help transition to your new role
Build a robust network of colleagues across campus
Appointment Information This is a 100% full‑time Academic Professional position, appointed on a 12‑month basis. The expected start date is as soon as possible after the close date. Salary is competitive and commensurate with qualifications and experience while also considering internal equity. The budgeted salary range is $60,000 – $65,000.
Application Procedures & Deadline Information To ensure full consideration, applications must be received by 6:00 pm (Central Time) on March 5, 2026. Apply for this position using the Apply Now button at the top or bottom of this posting and upload a resume, cover letter, and the names, addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses of three professional references. Applications not submitted through https://jobs.illinois.edu will not be considered. For further information about this specific position, please contact Zsayla Brummett at zbrummet@illinois.edu and/or visit our How To Apply site for application tips. For questions regarding the application process, please contact 217‑333‑2137.
Please note: This position is not eligible for any type of sponsorship for work authorization.
This position is intended to be eligible for benefits. This includes Health, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance, a Retirement Plan, Paid time Off, and Tuition waivers for employees and dependents.
Artificial intelligence (AI) tools may be used in some portions of the candidate review process for this position; however, all employment decisions will be made by a person.
Minimum Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree
A minimum of two years of successful advancement experience or three years of experience in a closely related field which requires strong relationship‑building and outcome‑driven components.
Experience working in a collaborative, team‑oriented environment
Preferred Qualifications
Documented success as a fundraiser
Experience fundraising in higher education or in the arts
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
Ability to communicate effectively and collaborate with others in a professional environment
Demonstrated ability to represent an organization in meetings with key constituents
Strong relationship building and management skills
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Organizational Relationship The Assistant Director of Advancement reports to the Associate Dean for Advancement and will work closely with advancement colleagues, the KCPA director, FAA academic department heads, and members of the FAA and university faculty.
Job Summary This position will assist Krannert Center for the Performing Arts (KCPA) to broaden and strengthen advancement activities, performance sponsorships, corporate philanthropy, and annual fundraising through digital and/or print communications, phone calls, video conferencing, and in‑person meetings. The role requires up to 25% travel, including evenings and weekends, and attendance at most KCPA performances to cultivate and steward corporate partners, donors, and patrons. The successful candidate will be a collaborative team member who values inclusion and is skilled at building strong internal and external relationships.
Duties & Responsibilities
Identify, assess, analyze, and design appropriate strategies for approaching prospects and donors and making the vital match between donors’ philanthropic interests and KCPA’s programmatic and performance needs. Plan and implement effective outreach and cultivation activities to enhance prospect identification and move solicitation and stewardship processes forward. Qualify, cultivate, solicit, and steward a portfolio of organizational and corporate giving prospects, determining frequency of contact needed. Document all activities and interactions in the alumni/donor database.
Develop and maintain close collaborative partnerships with faculty and staff to gain a strong understanding of the academic and research programs, along with performances throughout the season, to identify and define priorities to be funded through private support. Partner closely with other advancement professionals, including gift officers, stewardship and donor relations, alumni relations, and corporate relations professionals.
Determine and prioritize lists of donor prospects and other stakeholders to be contacted for meetings and solicitations.
Prepare and educate unit volunteer leadership and advisory boards (e.g., Krannert Center Advancement Council), faculty and staff members, and other unit volunteers to participate in cultivation, solicitation and stewardship of annual gifts as needed.
Impact in Your First Year
Within 3 months, you’ll:
Become familiar with the strategic vision and priorities of KCPA and FAA
Meet your assigned Prospect Development Analyst and begin to dig into your portfolio
Attend professional development and networking activities for newcomers within Advancement
Be introduced to fundraising fundamentals and terminology adopted from Plus Delta Partners
Within 6 months, you’ll:
Begin contacting and cultivating relationships with key prospects, donors, and alumni to create and implement solicitation strategies
Partner with stewardship, donor relations, events, alumni relations, and communications colleagues on department and College‑wide initiatives
Be able to share multiple meaningful impact stories of transformative gifts
By the end of the first year, you’ll:
Cooperatively set annual goals with your supervisor and portfolio management team
Continue portfolio growth of qualified prospects and successful solicitation strategies
Receive one‑on‑one coaching from People and Culture to help transition to your new role
Build a robust network of colleagues across campus
Appointment Information This is a 100% full‑time Academic Professional position, appointed on a 12‑month basis. The expected start date is as soon as possible after the close date. Salary is competitive and commensurate with qualifications and experience while also considering internal equity. The budgeted salary range is $60,000 – $65,000.
Application Procedures & Deadline Information To ensure full consideration, applications must be received by 6:00 pm (Central Time) on March 5, 2026. Apply for this position using the Apply Now button at the top or bottom of this posting and upload a resume, cover letter, and the names, addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses of three professional references. Applications not submitted through https://jobs.illinois.edu will not be considered. For further information about this specific position, please contact Zsayla Brummett at zbrummet@illinois.edu and/or visit our How To Apply site for application tips. For questions regarding the application process, please contact 217‑333‑2137.
Please note: This position is not eligible for any type of sponsorship for work authorization.
This position is intended to be eligible for benefits. This includes Health, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance, a Retirement Plan, Paid time Off, and Tuition waivers for employees and dependents.
Artificial intelligence (AI) tools may be used in some portions of the candidate review process for this position; however, all employment decisions will be made by a person.
Minimum Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree
A minimum of two years of successful advancement experience or three years of experience in a closely related field which requires strong relationship‑building and outcome‑driven components.
Experience working in a collaborative, team‑oriented environment
Preferred Qualifications
Documented success as a fundraiser
Experience fundraising in higher education or in the arts
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
Ability to communicate effectively and collaborate with others in a professional environment
Demonstrated ability to represent an organization in meetings with key constituents
Strong relationship building and management skills
#J-18808-Ljbffr