School of American Ballet · 23 hours ago
Director of Philanthropic Events & Partnerships
New York, NY
Full-time
Hybrid
Lead/Staff, Director/Executive
$95K/yr - $105K/yr
5+ years expThe School of American Ballet (SAB) is the preeminent ballet school in the country, dedicated to training professional dancers for careers in classical ballet. They are seeking a Director of Philanthropic Events & Partnerships to oversee major fundraising events, cultivate donor relationships, and manage corporate partnerships to enhance philanthropic revenue and donor engagement.
Performing Arts
Responsibilities
Serve as a senior member of the Development and Marketing leadership team, shaping strategy for SAB’s philanthropic events and corporate partnerships
Partner closely with the Director of Individual Giving to coordinate donor cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies tied to events
Collaborate across the Development, Artistic, and Executive teams to integrate event fundraising into SAB’s overall donor and institutional strategy
Support the Executive Director, Director of Development and Marketing, and Board leadership in identifying and engaging new event chairs, committee members, and major donors
Establish revenue goals, budgets, and performance metrics for each major event
Provide strategic and creative leadership for SAB’s signature fundraising events, including the Nutcracker Family Benefit, SAB Ball, and the Workshop Benefit, with a focus on maximizing philanthropic outcomes
Cultivate, solicit, and steward event co-chairs, committee members, and individual donors to secure sponsorships, tables, tickets, and contributions
Develop compelling event concepts and experiences that advance donor relationships and reflect SAB’s mission and artistic excellence
Oversee logistics, production, and guest experience in collaboration with staff, consultants, and vendors
Lead post-event follow-up and donor stewardship in coordination with Individual Giving and Development Operations
Manage SAB’s portfolio of corporate and brand partnerships, stewarding current sponsors and cultivating new relationships
Partner with the Marketing team to ensure all corporate partnerships and sponsorship activations align with SAB’s brand identity and support broader brand visibility goals
Develop tailored sponsorship proposals and benefits packages that align with corporate partners’ philanthropic and visibility goals
Collaborate internally to ensure timely fulfillment of partnership benefits and accurate recognition in print, digital, and on-site channels
Track and report on corporate revenue goals and sponsor engagement metrics
Supervise and mentor the Event Assistant, setting clear goals and ensuring the successful execution of all fundraising and cultivation events
Promote collaboration, accountability, and professional growth within the team
Manage relationships with external event vendors, consultants, and partners to ensure excellence and efficiency
Qualification
Required
Approximately 5–7 years of progressive experience in fundraising and event management, preferably within a nonprofit or cultural institution
Proven track record of cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding major donors, event leadership, and corporate sponsors
Demonstrated success in planning and executing high-revenue fundraising events
Strong relationship-management skills with the ability to engage high-level volunteers, donors, and trustees
Exceptional written and verbal communication abilities; confident, polished, and donor-facing
Experience managing staff and motivating teams toward shared goals
Strategic thinker with strong attention to detail, follow-through, and creative problem-solving
Flexibility to work evenings and weekends for events and cultivation activities
Preferred
A passion for the arts, culture, or education is strongly preferred
Benefits
Full health benefits
Four weeks of vacation (plus two holiday weeks in December)
Generous retirement savings benefits
Company
School of American Ballet
The School of American Ballet is one of the most famous classical ballet schools in the world
51-200 employees
Funding
Current Stage
Growth StageCompany data provided by crunchbase