JOIN OUR TEAM

DIRECTOR OF ADVANCEMENT + COMMUNITY IMPACT

Job Description

Women of Color in the Arts (WOCA) is seeking a Director of Advancement + Community Impact that will lean into the inherent value of the WOCA community which rests in cooperative economics - recognizing that among our vast, connected, and well-resourced community, we have everything that we need. Looking within our community as the first and initial resource for support, this position will also pull from traditional and ancestral knowledge to bring forth supportive resources and find people and institutions that are in alignment with this value. 

The Director of Advancement + Community Impact will work closely with the Executive Director and Managing Director to help realize the mission of the organization through funding initiatives and special projects that support the growth and development of the WOCA community and its members. 

The ideal candidate for the Director of Advancement + Community Impact role is a creative and critical thinker that has a decolonized approach to nonprofit work, an acute understanding of community, experience working in a dynamic environment that demands a high level of flexibility and problem-solving skills, and a clear alignment with WOCA’s mission and vision. 


LOCATION & OFFICE

Fully remote office


SCHEDULE 

A typical work week is Monday - Friday 10amET - 5pmET. Nights and weekends may be required for special in-person events, virtual programming, and Advisory Board and/or community meetings. The weekly work schedule will always be adjusted to ensure boundaries around a 32 hour work week.


KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

The Director of Advancement + Community Impact will: 

  • manage efforts to support WOCA’s organizational operations and community development (This includes fundraising work but with a decolonized approach to traditional “development” work and an intentional focus on building bridges and uncovering resources for our community. )

  • create, develop, and execute comprehensive partnership strategies to drive fundraising initiatives, aligning with the organization's mission and goals

  • help steward transformational, not transactional, investments in our WOCA community and develop a community-centric approach for raising funds 

  • play a crucial role in securing financial support to ensure the sustainability and success of our programs, charting the course for our organization's long-term objectives, with a particular focus on the cultivation of resources for the Sabbatical Fund, a community fund established to help provide opportunities for rest to our members

  • be responsible for grants management including grant design, proposal and report writing, prospect research, effective cultivation and stewardship

  • lead the execution of WOCA’s external marketing materials and communications strategy to ensure that WOCA is well positioned to communicate its work and results to key stakeholders

  • develop written, printed, and media materials to articulate WOCA’s mission and results to various external audiences, including WOCA’s Annual Report, for use in meetings with potential investment partners, media, and in briefings with WOCA’s senior leadership team and Advisory Board.

QUALIFICATIONS

  • passion and commitment for social justice 

  • prior experience in fundraising and partnership building

  •  a background working in a nonprofit arts or cultural organization, (particularly valued is experience within a grassroots setting)

  • exceptional interpersonal and communication skills, including both oral and written communication skills 

  • experience in proposal writing and developing non-profit fundraising materials, including campaign materials and annual reports, in a way that is visually compelling and that ensures materials are aligned to their audience

  • experience managing or proficiency with a CRM database platform

  • current authorization to work in the United States – a candidate must have such authorization by their first day of employment 

  • 5+ years of work experience preferred 


COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS 

  • $75,000 (full-time position 32 hours/week)

  • full benefits (health, dental, vision, and life insurance)

  • remote work environment + flexible schedule

  • generous vacation time + personal and mental health days

POTENTIAL START DATE

July 2024


APPLICATION CLOSES

April 12, 2024 (Application due date extended to April 19, 2024)

HOW TO APPLY 

Submit your application to the link provided including a resume and cover letter. In the cover letter, please articulate why this role is in alignment with your current goals and what your decolonized approach to fundraising would look like. Although not required, please feel free to submit one (1) work sample that demonstrates your prior experience as related to the job description. 

ABOUT WOCA

Women of Color in the Arts (WOCA) is a national, grassroots service organization driven and grounded by our values and dedicated to creating transformational change in the arts and culture sector. We do this by championing racial equity as a basic tenet of eliminating systemic disparities in the field and by providing a platform to help amplify the voice and visibility of women of color,* leaders that are disproportionately affected by inequitable structures and practices in the sector. WOCA aims to cultivate a just and inclusive field with the intent of creating equitable systems for all to prosper inside and outside of the arts.

*WOCA uses the term “women” to encompass all those that self-identify as women or with womanhood including non-binary, transgender, and cisgender women. Our intention is to uplift and address the very specific ways in which this particular group of people, and their multiple identities, are impacted by various forms of oppression, notably sexism and racism. WOCA uses the term “women of color” as an organizing tool, acknowledging the expression is a political designation, not a biological one, and borne out of a solidarity movement originating from the labor of Black women.

ABOUT WOCA ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE

Based on the lived experiences of our co-founders and founding members, WOCA was established to help create more visibility and support for leaders who have been systematically marginalized and historically under-represented in the arts sector and to create opportunities where women of color hold shared power at decision making tables. WOCA operates through the lens of women of color in order to best articulate the needs of all people in a racially just world. We recognize that when women of color with their intersectional identities thrive, the world thrives. We like to think of our work as liberatory – but recognize that oppression shows up in many ways, even in communities and organizations of color. Yet, we work to create an environment that is inclusive and intentional. As a membership-driven network, we encourage all our community members to openly express their views on how we can be our best selves. As an organization, we value transparency and the collaborative work involved with creating a culture of community inside and outside of the workplace.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY

WOCA is fully committed to Equal Opportunity Employment and to attracting, retaining, developing, and promoting employees without regard to their race, gender identity, color, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, age, genetic disposition, physical or mental disability, citizenship status, veteran status, or any other characteristic prohibited by federal, state, or local law. We strive to provide a work environment free from discrimination and harassment, and where employees are treated with respect and dignity. We intend that all qualified applicants be given equal opportunity and that selection decisions be based on job-related factors. We offer reasonable accommodation during the employment process for individuals with disabilities. If you need assistance in the application or hiring process to accommodate a disability, you may request an accommodation at any time.

We encourage a myriad of applicants to apply to the position including those that are self-taught and independently educated and those from marginalized and under-resourced communities. We openly embrace single parents and/or independent caregivers understanding the unique skill set this particular group of people possess from having to navigate real-life experiences and challenges that have made them especially adept and nimble at problem-solving.

Don’t check off every box in the requirements listed above? Please apply anyway! Studies have shown that marginalized communities - such as women, LGBTQ+, and people of color - are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. WOCA is dedicated to building an inclusive, diverse, equitable, and accessible workplace that fosters a sense of belonging – so if you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to still consider submitting an application. You may be just the right candidate for this role!