Vice President, Development League of American Orchestras New York, NY http://www.americanorchestras.org Send Nominations or Cover Letter and Resume to: Zena Lum Search Director 617-262-1102 zlum@lllsearches.com The Opportunity: The League of American Orchestras leads, supports, and champions America s orchestras and the vitality of the music they perform. Its diverse membership of more than 800 orchestras across North America runs the gamut from world-renowned symphonies to community groups, from summer festivals to student and youth ensembles. The only national organization dedicated solely to the orchestral experience, the League is a nexus of knowledge and innovation, advocacy, and leadership advancement for managers, musicians, volunteers, and boards. Its conferences and events, award-winning Symphony magazine, website, and other publications inform music lovers around the LEAGUE OF AMERICAN ORCHESTRAS BACKGROUNDER 1
world about orchestral activity and developments. Founded in 1942 and chartered by Congress in 1962, the League links a national network of thousands of instrumentalists, conductors, managers and administrators, board members, volunteers, and business partners. The League successfully completed its Campaign for a New Direction in 2012, meeting its five-year, $25 million goal on schedule and laying the foundation for fundamental change in the field. The Campaign was launched in October 2007 to support the League s comprehensive strategic plan, the implementation of which has had a major impact on the nation s orchestras and has better positioned the League to sustain the health and vitality of its cherished industry. Through campaign support, the League has been able to carry out its strategic plan by helping to develop the next generation of leaders, generating and disseminating critical knowledge and information, and advocating for the unique role of the orchestral experience in American life before an ever-widening group of stakeholders. In fall 2016 the League will launch its new five-year strategic plan presenting a major new fund raising opportunity. Plans are in development for a major campaign to support the activities of the plan. The League has a strong annual fund program that must be maintained and enhanced. Additional gifts from major individual and institutional donors for both endowment and current use will allow the League to strengthen its support of member orchestras. In particular, the League seeks additional flexible seed funding for new initiatives that benefit the orchestra field overall. The League has enjoyed thirteen consecutive years of balanced budgets and maintains a strong balance sheet with endowment, cash reserve, and risk capital funds. The orchestra field is responding to a changing landscape that presents challenges but also tremendous opportunities for reinvention. Orchestras and their boards are embracing change, and the League's value proposition is greater than ever. The environment is ripe for an experienced and sophisticated development professional to lead the League s fundraising efforts. The Vice President, Development, a direct report of the President and CEO and member of the senior leadership team, will oversee the planning, implementation, and management of all League fundraising programs. The successful candidate will lead a team of five development professionals. The Vice President LEAGUE OF AMERICAN ORCHESTRAS BACKGROUNDER 2
also serves as the League s point person on the discipline of fundraising for the orchestra field, convening, collaborating with, and supporting development leaders of orchestras across the country. The Vice President works closely with Board members, League donors, and orchestra leaders nationwide. Position Overview Vice President, Development Primary Responsibilities Provide overall leadership to all League development initiatives to reach established goals. Develop and implement a strategy to increase individual giving. Work closely with the President and CEO and the Governance Committee of the Board of Directors to cultivate, recruit, and retain new board members and support management of institutional governance. Manage the development program, preparing and meeting revenue and expense budgets, setting and achieving goals and objectives, preparing clear and accurate reporting and analysis, and recruiting and motivating high-performing staff members. Collaborate with the Chief Operating Officer (COO) to ensure accurate financial projections, tracking, and reporting of contributed revenue. Develop and nurture strong and productive relationships with development professionals in member orchestras. Support and strengthen board member participation in fundraising activity. Convene and support development leaders of member orchestras to share best practices and strengthen overall fundraising in the orchestra field. Contribute development-related content for mid-year and annual conferences. Collaborate with the CEO and all senior team members to align fundraising priorities with annual and long-term strategic objectives and priorities. Participate as a senior team member in a broad range of institutional planning and leadership. Reporting Relationships The Vice President will report directly to the President and CEO and serve as one of his key strategic partners. Reporting to the Vice President will be five full-time staff within the Development Office. The Vice President, along with other Vice Presidents, also has a dotted line to the COO, facilitating operational communication and integration. LEAGUE OF AMERICAN ORCHESTRAS BACKGROUNDER 3
Qualifications and Qualities A positive, results-oriented, and passionate desire to work intensively to advance all League goals and priorities, and build community, through outstanding engagement and fundraising activities. Knowledge of and experience in developing and implementing best practices in philanthropy, including the formation of major strategic priorities, and management of key functional areas in development. A deep and demonstrated appreciation for the power and value of the arts and especially of orchestral music, and a determination to enhance the lives of individuals and society through the arts. Ability and desire to serve as a passionate advocate for the League and for orchestral music. Confidence in working with senior administrative and board officers as well as leading philanthropists. Demonstrated ability to build strong, lasting relationships between an institution and its member constituents. Proven ability to attract and secure major gifts from individuals and other sources. Ability to identify and capitalize on strategic opportunities. Capacity to conceptualize and execute visionary initiatives to enhance short and long-term financial strength of the League and its members. Experience with planning and successful implementation of major campaigns and work with campaign counsel and leadership. Hands-on, hard-working, proactive, results-oriented leadership: Leads by action, example and impact. Outstanding ability to influence and motivate others; recruits outstanding colleagues and empowers them to get results; has high expectations and is energized by achievement. Organizational skills: Uses systems to engage stakeholders, develop philanthropy, build community, manage process, produce results, evaluate outcomes, and create a culture of continuous improvement. Demonstrated ability to act creatively and opportunistically to put strategy in action. Able to work independently and also make strong contributions to colleagues and the team as a whole. Precision and facility with language; the great judgment needed for effective high-stakes communications; strong writing, editing, and speaking skills. The ability to create effective, targeted messaging to drive engagement and fundraising results. Ability to provide advice, as needed, and to serve as a strategic thought partner to the President and CEO. Demonstrated leadership in working under pressure to implement effective time-sensitive cultivation and solicitation strategies. LEAGUE OF AMERICAN ORCHESTRAS BACKGROUNDER 4
The ability to work collaboratively within a diverse community with multiple constituencies, to build cooperation, consensus, and enthusiastic engagement. Experience developing and monitoring budgets. Candidates will have a Bachelor s degree and a minimum of eight years of progressively responsible experience in development/advancement. Strong candidates will also be passionate about and conversant in the subject of orchestral music, and familiar with the particular challenges and opportunities of a national membership organization. Benefits This position offers an excellent and highly competitive benefits and compensation package. Client Overview Dedicated to helping orchestras meet the challenges of the 21st century, the League of American Orchestras consists of leading symphony and philharmonic orchestras, collegiate orchestras, community ensembles, and youth and student ensembles. The only national organization devoted to, and focused, on elevating the orchestra industry, the League was founded in 1942 and later chartered by Congress in 1962. The League creates a network of all facets of the industry, including administrators, managers, board members, business partners, volunteers, and musicians. As the one organization that serves the universally shared interests, needs, and values of orchestras in all their varieties, the League is exceptionally well positioned to help the field. Four strategic areas Learning and Leadership Development, Advocacy, Communication, and Knowledge and Information are at the heart of the League s efforts to provide the orchestra field with more effective, relevant, and meaningful resources to tackle the challenge of adapting to our rapidly changing society. The League s new and expanding programs are already having an impact on the future of orchestras in this country. The League relies on the continued support of foundations, corporations, and individuals in communities throughout the country to raise the funds needed to implement its programs and services more than 60% of its $6 million operating budget. Contributions from League supporters move the League forward as a transformative and unifying force for the field a catalyst for understanding and innovation, a place for the conversations that matter, and a champion for orchestras. LEAGUE OF AMERICAN ORCHESTRAS BACKGROUNDER 5
Leadership Jesse Rosen President and CEO, League of American Orchestras Jesse Rosen has been recognized as one of the outstanding thinkers in contemporary performing arts leadership. As president and CEO of the League of American Orchestras since July 2008, he has raised the level of debate about orchestras among the nation s cultural, policy, and opinion leaders and among the League s 800 member orchestras. Under Mr. Rosen s guidance, the League has taken a leadership role in helping orchestras adapt to a rapidly changing environment, particularly in the recent financial downturn. New initiatives have expanded the League s support of orchestras as they work to strengthen their fiscal health, their management and board leadership, their engagement with their communities, and their artistic vitality. A sought after speaker and panelist, he recently addressed gatherings presented by the Association of British Orchestras, the National Endowment for the Arts, Opera America, Yale University, University of Michigan, and the Juilliard and Eastman schools. Jesse Rosen serves on the board of the American Composers Orchestra, as Vice Chair of the Performing Arts Alliance, on the Board of Overseers of the Curtis Institute of Music and on the Advisory Board of the National Center for Arts Research. He is on the Program Committee of Independent Sector. A lifelong musician and experienced orchestra CEO, Mr. Rosen has stimulated innovation throughout his more than 15-year tenure at the League. He was instrumental in creating new programs such as Music Alive, the American Conducting Fellows, and Ford Made in America. Prior to joining the League, he served as general manager of the Seattle Symphony, executive vice president and managing director of the American Composers Orchestra in New York City, orchestra manager of the New York Philharmonic, and vice president of programs for Affiliate Artists, Inc. A trombonist, Mr. Rosen received his bachelor s degree from the Manhattan School of Music and pursued graduate studies at The Juilliard School. LEAGUE OF AMERICAN ORCHESTRAS BACKGROUNDER 6
Background Checks Prior to submitting your resume for this position, please read it over for accuracy. LLLS does verify academic credentials for its candidates, and our clients frequently conduct background checks prior to finalizing an offer. To learn more, call Zena Lum, Search Director at 617-262-1102 or send nominations or cover letter and resume to zlum@lllsearches.com. All inquiries will be held in confidence. Setting the Standard in Development Search 420 Boylston Street, Suite 604, Boston, MA 02116 617.262.1102 www.lllsearches.com LEAGUE OF AMERICAN ORCHESTRAS BACKGROUNDER 7
Organization Chart LEAGUE OF AMERICAN ORCHESTRAS BACKGROUNDER 8