Director of Philanthropic Events & Partnerships

Director Of Philanthropic Events & Partnerships

The School of American Ballet (SAB) at Lincoln Center, founded by George Balanchine and Lincoln Kirstein, is the preeminent ballet school in the country. Our mission is to train professional dancers for careers in classical ballet. We provide the resources for a diverse pool of students to train at the highest level with 15-25 a year going on to dance for New York City Ballet, our official but independent ballet company, and other major ballet companies worldwide. SAB has a far-reaching impact on the art form and enriches the lives of each student who comes through its doors, over 800 annually, ages 6 to 18. SAB has approximately 90 part- and full-time employees and an operating budget of $17 million. In the 2025-2026 school year, administrative employees are expected to work in person 4 days per week and may telecommute one day per work week.

As part of a broader effort to strengthen and align roles with strategic fundraising goals, the School of American Ballet (SAB) is recruiting a new Director of Philanthropic Events & Partnerships.

This role emphasizes frontline fundraising, relationship management, and strategic event leadership. The Director will oversee SAB's major fundraising events, cultivate and steward donors and event leadership, and guide the overall event strategy to strengthen donor engagement and philanthropic revenue. The position also manages SAB's corporate partnerships portfolio, with a focus on aligning sponsorship opportunities with SAB's mission, fundraising objectives, and brand marketing strategy.

Reporting to the Director of Development and Marketing, the Director will bring a versatile skill set in team management, complex event execution, and personalized relationship-building with event co-chairs, sponsors, Board members, and volunteer leaders. The Director will work closely with the Director of Individual Giving to align donor strategies, stewardship plans, and moves management efforts across all constituencies, and in collaboration with the Marketing team to ensure partnerships strengthen and reflect SAB's brand priorities and identity.

The Director will manage one direct report, an Event Assistant, ensuring high-quality donor engagement experiences and successful execution of all events and fundraising initiatives.

This is a full-time, exempt position, reporting to the Director of Development and Marketing.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership & Collaboration

• 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.

Event Leadership & Fundraising

Corporate Partnerships

Team Management