PARK AVENUE ARMORY
Part American palace, part industrial shed, Park Avenue Armory is dedicated to supporting unconventional works in the visual and performing arts that need non-traditional spaces for their full realization, enabling artists to create, students to explore, and audiences to experience epic and adventurous presentations that cannot be mounted elsewhere in New York City. Park Avenue Armory provides opportunities for employees to enrich and develop their love of the arts while contributing their specific skills, expertise, and talents.
THE POSITION
The Senior Director of Institutional Giving is responsible for the Armory’s foundation, government, and corporate fundraising, which accounts for over $2.3 million annually in general operating support and significant restricted support for artistic productions, new initiatives, and Arts Education program. Primary responsibilities include managing a high-volume portfolio of institutional funders; leading the writing, editing, and submission of proposals and reports; overseeing funder crediting; and cultivating and maintaining relationships with key contacts.
The Senior Director of Institutional Giving reports to the Director of Development and takes direction from the Chief Development Officer and the Founding President and Executive Producer. The Senior Director supervises the Manager of Institutional Giving and works collaboratively within a larger Development team of 11 staff. Due to the nature of this role and interaction with staff across the organization, this is a fully on-site role. Some evening and weekend work is required.
RESPONSIBILITIES
- Grant and Partnership Management
- Lead and execute all aspects of institutional fundraising, including foundation grants, corporate partnerships, and government funding. Oversee strategy, proposals, budgets, reporting, renewals, and benefit fulfillment, ensuring timely submission and accurate tracking of funding cycles, deadlines, and key funder communications, including ticketing, events, and membership-related benefits.
- Own and maintain a comprehensive institutional funding calendar, ensuring zero missed deadlines across all foundation, corporate, and government submissions.
- Proactively identify and develop new institutional funding opportunities to support the Armory’s goals and growth, including conceiving, structuring, and securing new partnerships for production funding, event sponsorship, in-kind support, and general operations.
- Serve as the primary relationship manager for a portfolio of foundation, corporate, and government funders to keep them engaged and informed, including maintaining and updating records about conversations and meetings, monitoring participation in events and programs, tracking staffing rotations and changes, and supporting executive-level contact and cultivation.
- Oversee management of funder crediting for all categories of donors, including coordinating the approval process, maintaining the master crediting grid, and working with the Marketing team to ensure appropriate sponsor/funder visibility in all Armory materials.
- Oversee the coordination of Arts Education fundraising activities, including drafting donor communications and invitations across all areas; partner with the Education team to convene quarterly meetings with Development; and maintain an up-to-date understanding of program schedules and activities.
- Support larger Development and institutional efforts with vetted language and presentations for specific solicitations, reports, and other purposes as needed.
- Represent the Development team at events and in donor interactions with energy, warmth, and strong interpersonal skills.
- Serve as the central point person in Development for information on upcoming artistic projects, education initiatives, and public programming; partner across artistic, production, education, finance, and marketing teams to gather information, shape proposals, and ensure alignment with institutional priorities.
- Ensure high-quality stewardship and acknowledgment of corporate and foundation funders, including drafting tailored thank-you and follow-up communications in multiple voices, while maintaining accuracy, consistency, and strong relationships.
- Administration and Management
- Lead and manage the Manager of Institutional Giving, setting clear priorities, establishing workflows, and ensuring consistently high-quality output.
- Prepare senior leadership for funder engagement, i
