Vice President of Advancement

Vice President of Advancement | Full-time | Hybrid

Posted May 28, 2026

About Indy Arts Council
Indy Arts Council is central Indiana’s leading arts advocacy and services agency. Our mission is to champion arts and culture. Indy Arts Council believes every resident should experience arts and culture in a way that nourishes and inspires them. This vision of a creative life for all is central to the work we do to support artists, arts organizations, and the community.

Position Overview
The Vice President of Advancement serves as a senior leader in the organization and a direct report to the President/CEO. This position will execute fund development and oversee patron engagement, marketing, and communications. The Vice President of Advancement will execute all fundraising efforts for the organization, including major gifts, annual fund donations, donor appreciation and engagement events, grants, corporate partnerships, and stewardship. This position provides strategic direction to increase philanthropic support, strengthen funder cultivation, deepen community engagement, and further enhance IAC’s culture of philanthropy in ways that drive organizational growth and sustainability. The Vice President of Advancement is also responsible for aligning marketing and communications strategies with fundraising efforts by collaborating on brand storytelling, sector advocacy, and audience engagement initiatives.

Reporting Relationships
This role reports to the President/CEO and is responsible for providing strategic leadership, coaching, and development for two full‑time staff members who report directly to this position, plus additional contractors as needed. These positions include:

Director of Marketing & Communications

Executive Assistant / Office Manager

Key Areas of Responsibility
Development & Fundraising (60%)

Manage and grow a portfolio of donors and prospective donors, guiding relationships through all stages of the donor cycle, including identification, cultivation, solicitation, stewardship, and recognition.

Lead and execute a comprehensive fundraising strategy to achieve annual and multi‑year revenue goals.

Provide strategic leadership for a growing development program, securing support through major gifts, planned giving, individual giving, corporate and foundation partnerships, government funding, sponsorships, and regional and national funding opportunities.

Partner with the President/CEO on major donor strategy, relationship management, fundraising initiatives, and long‑term funding opportunities.

Write and collaborate on proposals, letters of inquiry, grant applications, sponsorship requests, reports, stewardship materials, and other fundraising communications; ensuring timely submission, compliance, and fulfillment of funding deliverables.

Oversee development operations, including CRM management, gift processing and acknowledgements, prospect tracking, grant management, reporting systems, dashboards, and related processes and tools.

Develop and monitor advancement goals, metrics, and benchmarks, and report to measure growth and effectiveness, ensuring alignment with the strategic plan and financial plan.

Oversee and execute annual fundraising events and campaigns, including Start with Art, year‑end giving, and other fundraising initiatives/events.

Collaborate with Finance to align fundraising activity with budgets, reporting, forecasting, and compliance requirements.

Help position Indy Arts Council for major funding initiatives and campaigns through strategic planning and relationship development.

Serve as the staff liaison to the Advancement Committee and support committee strategy, engagement, as well as board presentations, and participation in fundraising and stewardship efforts.

Marketing & Communications (25%)

Oversee alignment between marketing and fundraising, leveraging storytelling, brand strategy, and impact reporting while ensuring consistency and clarity across channels/platforms.

Translate program outcomes and organizational impact into compelling narratives for funders and stakeholders, including the creation of an annual report, impact reports, case statements, sponsorship materials, etc.

Support strategic marketing and multi‑channel audience engagement initiatives, including sector‑wide marketing.

Strategic Leadership & Operations (15%)

Collaborate across departments to collect, analyze, and synthesize data for use in advancement priorities, grant proposals, donor communications, and impact reporting.

Serve on the leadership team, contributing to organizational strategy and decision‑making.

Support implementation of strategic plan priorities and monitor progress toward goals.

Support budgeting, resource planning, and strategic alignment with institutional priorities.

Represent the organization at community, donor, and partner events.

Foster a culture of collaboration, accountability, creative innovation, and growth.

Qualifications & Experience

Bachelor’s degree desired; Master’s degree preferred (or equivalent experience).

7–10+ years of progressive experience in fundraising, advancement, or related leadership roles; CFRE/ACFRE certification a plus.

Leadership experience within arts and culture, nonprofit, philanthropy, civic, or public sector organizations, including work in marketing, communications, engagement, or external relations, preferred.

Demonstrated success in securing major gifts, growing contributed revenue, and building strong relationships with diverse donors, stakeholders, and community partners.

Proven people leader with experience supervising, mentoring, and developing high‑performing teams.

Professional commitment to advancing diversity, equity, inclusion, access, and belonging.

Strong knowledge of and working relationships with funders and philanthropic networks, particularly in the central Indiana region.

Experience working with boards, government agencies, foundations, corporate and civic partners, and community organizations.

Personal Attributes

Arts & culture advocate.

Strong relationship builder across all levels and sectors.

Strategic, collaborative, results‑driven, and data‑informed.

Strong communicator and storyteller with a donor‑centered mindset.

Compensation & Benefits

Annual salary of $120,000, plus a comprehensive benefits package valued at over $15,000.

100 % employer‑paid health insurance (medical, dental & vision) for employees.

5 % retirement fund contributions after 1 year of employment.

Generous paid time off and paid holiday schedule.

Support for professional development and progressive leadership opportunities.

Other benefits include FSA/DCFSA options, access to employee assistance resources, and more.

Hybrid schedule: remote Mondays and Fridays; in‑office Tuesday through Thursday at 924 N Pennsylvania St, 46204. Collaborations and meetings are prioritized on office days. Occasional evening and weekend availability required.

The Indy Arts Council is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

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