Campaign/Major Gifts (Campaign) Director
Ashley|Rountree and Associates, Louisville, KY, United States
About The Louisville Ballet
Louisville Ballet, led by Artistic Director Anthony Krutzkamp and Chief Executive Officer Leslie Smart, is an evolved and accessible ballet company committed to boldly and beautifully communicating artistic stories both classic and new. We exist to move, to evoke emotion, to provoke thought, and to challenge perceptions. We are artists, athletes, activists, inventors, and inspirers. Louisville Ballet has been one of the nation's leading regional ballet companies since 1952. As the Official State Ballet of Kentucky, Louisville Ballet has worked with some of ballet's brightest lights, including Mikhail Baryshnikov, Twyla Tharp, and Wendy Whelan, and performs annually for over 71,000 people and reaches over 31,000 school children throughout the commonwealth with educational programs annually. Daily, we strive to fulfill our vision to change lives through dance and to inspire, engage, and educate the community through moving art.
The Opportunity The Campaign/Major Gifts (Campaign) Director serves as a senior frontline fundraiser in advancing Louisville Ballet's multi-year comprehensive campaign, Encore for the Future. Reporting to the CEO, this role manages a portfolio of top prospects and donors, driving principal and leadership gifts that are pivotal to the campaign's success. As both a lead solicitor and supporting partner to the CEO, the Campaign Director plays a critical role in cultivating high-impact relationships with individuals and families capable of making transformational investments in the Ballet's future. This role blends frontline fundraising expertise with campaign strategy, ensuring that campaign goals are met through thoughtful participation in planning, coordination, and personalized donor engagement. The Campaign Director will be responsible for a portfolio of up to 100 prospects.
Candidate Profile & Responsibilities Principal Donor Cultivation and Direct Solicitation
Manage and grow a portfolio of 75-100 top campaign prospects and donors with the capacity to make gifts of $50,000 and above, including multi-million‑dollar principal gifts.
Develop individualized cultivation and solicitation strategies for each prospect in collaboration with the CEO and senior leadership.
Lead and participate in all stages of the solicitation process, including prospect qualification, strategy development, proposal preparation, and gift closing and agreements.
Collaborate with campaign consultants, volunteer leaders, members of the development team, and executive leadership to facilitate joint solicitations and strategic donor conversations.
Work closely with the CEO to prepare and execute complex, multi‑faced proposals and long‑term gift agreements for solicitations by executive leadership and cabinet campaign members.
Support the CEO and leadership team in preparing campaign volunteers and Board members for cultivation and solicitation meetings.
Maintain detailed and timely records of donor interactions and moves management in the CRM (Tessitura).
Campaign Cultivation and Stewardship Strategy
Support the creation of tailored and data‑informed strategies for top campaign prospects and the preparation of briefing materials for leadership and volunteers.
Build and sustain deep, meaningful relationships with principal gift donors and prospects through personalized engagement and high‑touch cultivation and stewardship.
Partner with the events team to design and implement bespoke cultivation and stewardship experiences, as well as dedicated campaign events that advance donor relationships.
Develop strategically planned prospect lists for donor experiences and campaign‑related events that advance cultivation and engagement goals.
In collaboration with events and individual giving, develop tailored engagement opportunities with Louisville Ballet's leadership, artists, and programming to strengthen donor connection and loyalty.
Collaborate with internal partners to ensure stewardship plans are executed with excellence and aligned with donor intent and institutional priorities.
Campaign Administration
Serve as deputy staff liaison to the Campaign Cabinet supporting volunteer leadership in planning, tracking, and follow‑through on campaign activities.
Alongside the CEO and campaign consultants, collaborate closely with Campaign Cabinet and development leadership to ensure alignment between campaign strategy and organizational priorities, conducting pipeline review and moves management meetings with designated members of the cabinet.
Candidate Qualifications
Demonstrated success managing complex donor relationships and contributing to multi‑million‑dollar campaigns.
A minimum of six (6) years of experience in frontline fundraising, with a proven record of closing six‑ and seven‑figure commitments.
Excellent interpersonal and relationship‑building skills, with proven success working with executive leadership, board members, and high‑net‑worth individuals.
Demonstrated excellence in written communication, with the ability to craft clear, compelling, and tailored donor materials, including proposals, impact reports, and stewardship collateral, that convey powerful narratives and inspire philanthropic engagement.
Exceptional project management and organizational skills.
Bachelor's degree; advanced degree or CFRE certification (or equivalent work experience) a plus.
Background in the performing arts or cultural sector strongly preferred.
Compensation The Louisville Ballet is prepared to offer a salary in the range of $70,000 – $85,000 commensurate with experience.
Contact Information Ashley | Rountree and Associates has been exclusively retained by The Louisville Ballet to oversee this search. For confidential questions or inquiries, contact Lisa Resnik at lresnik@ashleyrountree.com
The Louisville Ballet is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate based on gender, race, age, creed, sexual orientation, or any other protected class.
Salary: $70,000 – $85,000 per year
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The Opportunity The Campaign/Major Gifts (Campaign) Director serves as a senior frontline fundraiser in advancing Louisville Ballet's multi-year comprehensive campaign, Encore for the Future. Reporting to the CEO, this role manages a portfolio of top prospects and donors, driving principal and leadership gifts that are pivotal to the campaign's success. As both a lead solicitor and supporting partner to the CEO, the Campaign Director plays a critical role in cultivating high-impact relationships with individuals and families capable of making transformational investments in the Ballet's future. This role blends frontline fundraising expertise with campaign strategy, ensuring that campaign goals are met through thoughtful participation in planning, coordination, and personalized donor engagement. The Campaign Director will be responsible for a portfolio of up to 100 prospects.
Candidate Profile & Responsibilities Principal Donor Cultivation and Direct Solicitation
Manage and grow a portfolio of 75-100 top campaign prospects and donors with the capacity to make gifts of $50,000 and above, including multi-million‑dollar principal gifts.
Develop individualized cultivation and solicitation strategies for each prospect in collaboration with the CEO and senior leadership.
Lead and participate in all stages of the solicitation process, including prospect qualification, strategy development, proposal preparation, and gift closing and agreements.
Collaborate with campaign consultants, volunteer leaders, members of the development team, and executive leadership to facilitate joint solicitations and strategic donor conversations.
Work closely with the CEO to prepare and execute complex, multi‑faced proposals and long‑term gift agreements for solicitations by executive leadership and cabinet campaign members.
Support the CEO and leadership team in preparing campaign volunteers and Board members for cultivation and solicitation meetings.
Maintain detailed and timely records of donor interactions and moves management in the CRM (Tessitura).
Campaign Cultivation and Stewardship Strategy
Support the creation of tailored and data‑informed strategies for top campaign prospects and the preparation of briefing materials for leadership and volunteers.
Build and sustain deep, meaningful relationships with principal gift donors and prospects through personalized engagement and high‑touch cultivation and stewardship.
Partner with the events team to design and implement bespoke cultivation and stewardship experiences, as well as dedicated campaign events that advance donor relationships.
Develop strategically planned prospect lists for donor experiences and campaign‑related events that advance cultivation and engagement goals.
In collaboration with events and individual giving, develop tailored engagement opportunities with Louisville Ballet's leadership, artists, and programming to strengthen donor connection and loyalty.
Collaborate with internal partners to ensure stewardship plans are executed with excellence and aligned with donor intent and institutional priorities.
Campaign Administration
Serve as deputy staff liaison to the Campaign Cabinet supporting volunteer leadership in planning, tracking, and follow‑through on campaign activities.
Alongside the CEO and campaign consultants, collaborate closely with Campaign Cabinet and development leadership to ensure alignment between campaign strategy and organizational priorities, conducting pipeline review and moves management meetings with designated members of the cabinet.
Candidate Qualifications
Demonstrated success managing complex donor relationships and contributing to multi‑million‑dollar campaigns.
A minimum of six (6) years of experience in frontline fundraising, with a proven record of closing six‑ and seven‑figure commitments.
Excellent interpersonal and relationship‑building skills, with proven success working with executive leadership, board members, and high‑net‑worth individuals.
Demonstrated excellence in written communication, with the ability to craft clear, compelling, and tailored donor materials, including proposals, impact reports, and stewardship collateral, that convey powerful narratives and inspire philanthropic engagement.
Exceptional project management and organizational skills.
Bachelor's degree; advanced degree or CFRE certification (or equivalent work experience) a plus.
Background in the performing arts or cultural sector strongly preferred.
Compensation The Louisville Ballet is prepared to offer a salary in the range of $70,000 – $85,000 commensurate with experience.
Contact Information Ashley | Rountree and Associates has been exclusively retained by The Louisville Ballet to oversee this search. For confidential questions or inquiries, contact Lisa Resnik at lresnik@ashleyrountree.com
The Louisville Ballet is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate based on gender, race, age, creed, sexual orientation, or any other protected class.
Salary: $70,000 – $85,000 per year
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