KEXP is an independent radio station and music discovery nonprofit based in Seattle. In March of 2024, KEXP launched a broadcast in the Bay Area, via 92.7 FM. This represents a deep investment in KEXP’s brand of human-centered music curation and a belief that music has the power to transform lives and connect people across all boundaries. To support this Bay Area expansion, KEXP is hiring three positions in philanthropic giving and sales efforts in the region.
Position Summary: The Director of Advancement is responsible for ensuring the success of KEXP’s Bay Area philanthropic program. The Director of Advancement works with staff, board members, and volunteers to provide leadership and strategic direction to growing revenue for KEXP in the Bay Area. They oversee and manage KEXP’s efforts to develop fundraising strategies for individuals, private foundations, government entities, and corporations, and develop annual fundraising plans to meet annual and long-term revenue goals in the Bay Area. They execute personal and program-wide development efforts that identify, assess, cultivate, solicit, and steward donors for outright gifts, pledges, and planned gifts, while working collaboratively with KEXP staff and leadership in Seattle.
Essential duties include:
Bay Area Advancement - Strategic Leadership + Program Management
- Establishes personal and team goals, objectives, and strategies; creates, manages, and evaluates Bay Area expense and revenue budgets.
- Develops and executes short-term and long-range major and institutional giving plans that include overall strategy, proposed activities, required resources, and revenue goals; collaborates with Associate Director of Leadership Giving on management of planned giving strategy and activities.
- Regularly assesses progress toward goals and reports to the Chief Advancement Officer.
- Provides strategic leadership to KEXP staff and volunteers in designing and implementing fundraising strategies needed to sustain annual, major gift and grant support in the Bay Area.
- Supports professional growth and development of direct report by fostering a culture of feedback, accountability, and support; reports back to the team relevant and shareable information about strategic planning, programming, and organizational health.
- Develops and implements donor engagement plan for the Bay Area, in consultation with the Chief Advancement Officer, Business Support, Community Engagement, and Leadership Giving teams.
Frontline Fundraising - Program Management + Portfolio
- Defines and regularly assesses major giving for the Bay Area program including overall strategy, proposed activities, required resources, and donor and revenue goals, reporting to the Chief Advancement Officer.
- Develops a portfolio of approximately 100-150 donors and grantors and uses moves management principles to build relationships with donors whose giving capacity has been rated at $25,000 or more, and solicits gifts that result in solicitations of $5,000 and more.
- Ensures 100-140 substantive contacts are made each year with major gift prospects (an average of two to three substantive contacts per week).
- Solicits at least 20-30 major gifts per year, ranging from $5,000 to $100,000 (or more) each; measures personal performance goals using metrics and tools from the UW and KEXP prospect management and tracking systems.
- Executes personal and program-wide institutional giving efforts that identify, assess, cultivate, solicit, and steward private foundations, government entities, and corporate donors for gifts and pledges.
- Develops and implements techniques to start cold relationships and moves them through the donor commitment continuum to a gift conversation; works with volunteers and staff to identify, cultivate, solicit and steward prospective major donors.
- Clearly and professionally articulates KEXP’s vision and funding priorities, both verbally and in writing, to prospects and donors; prepares written proposals, informational materials, endowment agreements, gift illustrations, and other materials needed to secure major gifts.
- Makes proposal presentations for significant gifts and/or provides training and support to appropriate individuals(s) who will make the solicitations.
- Develops and implements a stewardship plan for major donors and grantors relevant to the Bay Area in collaboration with Seattle-based teams.
- Participates in stewardship and outreach efforts for Bay Area KEXP donor events; represents KEXP to a variety of constituencies and organizations, including other non-profit boards.
- Interprets and integrates market research relevant to leadership giving into fundraising activities as needed.
- Liaises with University of Washington Advancement colleagues as necessary to fulfill letter and spirit of UW/KEXP operating agreement.
- Works with frontline staff and University of Washington Advancement colleagues to identify leadership giving prospects.
- Oversees and carries out special projects as assigned.
Leadership & Collaboration with KEXP Seattle
- Participate in leadership groups including the Advancement Leadership Team, the Executive Team, and the Leadership Giving Team
- Work collaboratively with the Annual Giving Team to support fundraising drives and campaigns.
Organizational & Supervisory Responsibilities:
- Maintains thorough understanding of KEXP organizational policies, including employee handbook, procedures, expense reporting, and payroll submission; follows policies and leads by example.
- Works closely with direct reports to plan, guide, and execute professional development plans and opportunities; sets clear, achievable, and measurable goals for individual performance, providing frequent and constructive feedback, and holds staff accountable to themselves, the team, and KEXP.
- Actively participates in our culture of philanthropy, which honors the important role our donors, volunteers, business and community partners play in the life of KEXP. Collaborates across teams and departments to steward donors on behalf of KEXP and actively seeks opportunities to integrate philanthropy into their role within KEXP operations, programs, and projects.
Supervision Received: Position reports to Chief Advancement Officer
Supervision Exercised: Directly supervises Advancement Coordinator
Education & Experience: Bachelor’s degree and seven or more years of related professional experience; or an equivalent combination of education and experience sufficient to successfully perform the essential duties of the job as listed above.
Position Qualifications:
- Progressively responsible experience in institutional development, with proven ability in cultivating, soliciting and closing major gifts and grants of $25K and more.
- Ability to articulate fundraising vision and engender internal and external support.
- Familiarity with Bay Area philanthropic communities, non-profits, and/or music and arts communities.
- Demonstrated ability to manage budgets, ability to interpret and act upon financial information.
- Exceptional ability to organize staff and motivate external advocates and volunteers.
- High energy level, enthusiasm, initiative, and flexibility.
- Ability to handle and protect sensitive, confidential material.
- Proven experience in recruiting, retaining, and leading dynamic and talented people to build superior, inclusive teams.
- Proven experience in successfully managing teams, including the ability to set, motivate, and achieve individual as well as departmental goals, to mentor and manage performance for all team members, and to facilitate communication between teammates with different styles.
- Ability to work cross-departmentally, facilitating cooperation between teams and leading by example to ensure alignment on organization-wide goals.
- Ability to flex communication style to multiple cultural environments.
- Experience building community and conducting outreach on behalf of an organization.
- Experience incorporating the perspectives of multiple communities, including communities of color, in the consideration of impacts and outcomes of a decision-making process.
- An understanding of the concepts of institutional and structural racism and bias and their impact on under-invited communities, either through lived experience and/or training and education.
- Commitment to advancing justice and equity in the arts with a passion for community building.
- Outstanding attention to detail and a high degree of accuracy.
- Commitment to maintaining confidentiality.
- Ability to take initiative and use independent judgment within established policy and procedural guidelines.
- Strong self-motivation in carrying out responsibilities, organizing and prioritizing multiple tasks, and meeting deadlines.
- Excellent interpersonal, presentation, relationship-building, and communication skills - both written and verbal - for a wide variety of audiences, specifically racially, ethnically, and socioeconomically diverse communities.
- Demonstrated ability to work effectively in teams, as well as provide consistent, high-quality service to a wide variety of internal and external constituents and adapt communication style to multiple cultural environments.
- Demonstrated ability to maintain a professional demeanor, especially while working in a fast-paced environment of constant demands and frequent interruptions.
- Demonstrated ability to work effectively with people of diverse backgrounds and promote a positive working environment, spirit of cooperation, and react positively to change and conflict resolution.
- Deep knowledge, appreciation for, and understanding of KEXP programming and mission.
- Ability to embody the community-oriented spirit of KEXP to both internal and external constituents.
- Must be able to work an irregular schedule, including evenings or weekends as needed and additional hours during peak times, or as required.
- Valid Driver's License, as minimal local travel is required for night and weekend coverage at events; some in- and/or out-of-state travel may also be required.
Physical Requirements: Long periods of being in a stationary position; operating a computer and other office equipment; frequently moving to/from various work areas; frequently communicating by phone and email; frequently remaining in a stationary position during meetings, discerning meeting content, expressing oneself, and exchanging accurate information; frequently moving to/from off-site meeting and/or event locations; occasionally moves supplies and/or equipment weighing up to 20 pounds.
Working Conditions: Primary location in home office environment, with frequent meetings and event attendance at a variety of off-site locations. This position is eligible for up to 100% remote work, with an expectation of in-person availability for key business needs, fundraising drives, and events. This position must reside in the Bay Area.
Compensation & Benefits: This full-time, exempt position includes an annual salary of $125,000 - $130,000. KEXP also offers a generous benefits package which includes medical/dental/vision coverage (premiums 90-100% employer paid), retirement plan with matching, vacation starting at three weeks per year plus holidays and sick leave, and much more.
KEXP is committed to creating a diverse, inclusive, and empowering workplace. We believe that having staff, interns, and volunteers with diverse backgrounds enables KEXP to better meet our mission and serve music-loving communities around the world. We recognize that opportunities in radio and other creative industries have historically excluded and continue to disproportionately exclude Black and Indigenous people, people of color, people from working class backgrounds, people with disabilities, and LGBTQ+ people. We strongly encourage all interested individuals to apply.
To apply, please submit your resume, a cover letter, and answer the screener questions. If you experience technical difficulties with your application, please email jobs@kexp.org for assistance.
