Executive Director, The ASCAP Foundation

This is a Full Time Job

The ASCAP Foundation seeks an Executive Director who will provide leadership and guidance to the Foundation, ensuring growth and consistent achievement of the organization’s mission and financial objectives. The Executive Director must be a dynamic, visionary leader who effectively utilizes the Foundation’s assets to routinely advance and fulfill the Foundation’s mission. This will encompass hands-on management and oversight of all facets of operations including management of its staff, engaging in fundraising to ensure the financial health of the organization, directing its communication and marketing activities, providing support to and serving as the liaison with the Foundation’s board of directors, and creating, developing and assessing internal and external music education and talent development programs fulfilling the mission of the organization. The Executive Director serves as the ambassador of the organization and is entrusted with developing and maintaining relationships with other non-profit and foundation leaders, donors, key stakeholders, as well as ASCAP’s board of directors, staff and members.

Reporting to ASCAP’s CEO, or her designee, and accountable to the ASCAP Foundation Board of Directors, the Executive Director will have overall strategic, leadership and financial and operational responsibility for The ASCAP Foundation to fulfill its mission.

Areas of responsibility:

FUNDRAISING & COMMUNICATION LEADERSHIP
• Increase, expand and diversify fundraising income through proactive donor and stakeholder cultivation, annual giving campaigns, benefit events, grant writing and reporting, project-specific campaigns, sponsorships, institutional giving, and online engagement that meets or exceeds annual goals;
• Expand revenue generating and fundraising activities to support existing program operations and expansion, building a diverse revenue portfolio with sufficient unrestricted revenue to support capacity;
• Maintain positive relations with funders and good stewardship of grants, donations, and contracts;
• Expand opportunities for individual donor support;
• Partner with the Foundation’s board of directors to expand and develop its contribution to the organization, especially in the areas of committee effectiveness and direct board support of fundraising;
• Organize, manage and lead board meetings and board committee meetings per year and keep the board informed of important developments;
• Assist in board growth and development;
• Positively represent the organization at ASCAP hosted events and internal meetings, to the general public, at outside events, and with the media;
• Deepen and refine all aspects of communications - from web presence to external relations - with the goal of creating a stronger brand presence in the music community;
• Oversee the production of and create copy for communications vehicles such as newsletters, annual reports, appeal letters, scripts, press releases, acknowledgement letters, and other promotional materials;
• Oversee and approve the Foundation website content;
• Other duties as needed.

MANAGERIAL LEADERSHIP
• Recruit, hire, manage and evaluate staff and maintain open communication through regular staff meetings;
• Cultivate an environment of openness and transparency in all areas;
• Administer personnel policies in compliance with ASCAP human resources;
• Create a culture of excitement, inspiration, creativity, collaboration and collegiality;
• Create and manage short and long-term organizational goals;
• Other duties as needed.

FINANCIAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE LEADERSHIP
• Together with the organization’s finance staff, oversee revenue/expense budgets, audits, accurate financial reporting, analysis, and data integrity, including monthly statements that ensure proper income and expense allocations;
• Oversee the organization’s investment portfolio in concert with the organization’s financial advisor, the board of directors and finance staff;
• Ensure compliance with all federal and state regulations;
• Manage and proactively oversee all aspects of relations with estates and implementation of bequests;
• Review and approve contracts with outside organizations and vendors based on legal review and approval;
• Make day-to-day operational decisions;
• Develop and provide strategic solutions for the organization;
• Maintain official records and documents.

PROGRAM LEADERSHIP
• Together with the Foundation’s program manager, oversee program development, management and execution of the organization’s music education and talent development programs in fulfillment of the Foundation’s mission;
• Continue to build on the excellent professional relationships with outside non-profit partner organizations, grantees, and ASCAP membership personnel;
• Annually assess program initiatives and related funding for compliance and impact;
• Provide input and guidance on the annual grant proposal request process;
• Create innovative live and online programming in fulfillment of the organization’s mission to attract Foundation donors;
• Curate and produce an annual awards event to showcase the work of the Foundation and its beneficiaries.

TRAITS AND CHARACTERISTICS

The executive director must be an exceptional and articulate leader with a demonstrated record of successful fundraising and staff management. The executive director will enter an organizational culture typical of small arts organizations – a small dedicated staff managing multiple priorities with finite resources – and will be tasked with shaping a performance-driven culture.

The ideal candidate will:
• Be committed to collaboration and teamwork with diverse groups of people and partners;
• Possess emotional intelligence allowing them to work with our board of directors, staff, and all stakeholders with transparency, discretion, and responsiveness;
• Be an excellent communicator and motivator of the various constituencies within and without the organization while wo

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