Assistant Director of Advancement - College of Fine & Applied Arts

Assistant Director Of Advancement - College Of Fine & Applied Arts

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Based in Urbana-Champaign with hybrid opportunities

The Office of Advancement within the College of Fine and Applied Arts (FAA) invites applications and nominations for one full-time Assistant Director of Advancement to secure philanthropic support for one of the university's premiere public presenting and performance institutions, Krannert Center for the Performing Arts (KCPA). The Assistant Director of Advancement will play a critical role to maximize overall support and opportunities for collaborative corporate and organizational giving. The successful candidate will serve as a member of the FAA advancement team. The College of Fine and Applied Arts is dedicated to the advancement, practice, and understanding of the arts. The central focus of the college is the synergy between research and the preparation of students for professional careers in the creation and interpretation of the environmental, visual, and performing arts. Deeply related to that focus is the commitment to elevate and sustain the study of the arts as both a necessary mode of understanding and a vibrant expression of human experience within the local, national, and international communities.

Organizational Relationship The Assistant Director of Advancement reports to the Associate Dean for Advancement and will work closely with advancement colleagues, the KCPA director, FAA academic department heads, and members of the FAA and university faculty. Job Summary This position will assist Krannert Center for the Performing Arts to broaden and strengthen advancement activities, performance sponsorships, corporate philanthropy, and annual fundraising through digital and / or print communications, phone calls, video conferencing (Zoom, Skype, Microsoft Teams,FaceTime, etc.) and in-person meetings. The position will require some travel of varying durations and locations, up to 25%, including some evenings and weekends. This position will also require attendance at most KCPA performances to cultivate and steward corporate partners, donors and patrons in attendance. The successful candidate will be a collaborative team member who values inclusion and is skilled at building strong internal and external collaborative relationships.

Duties & Responsibilities

• Identify, assess, analyze, and design appropriate strategies for approaching prospects and donors and making the vitally important match between donors' philanthropic interests and KCPA's programmatic and performance needs. Plan and implement effective outreach and cultivation activities to enhance prospect identification and move solicitation and stewardship processes forward. Qualify, cultivate, solicit, and steward a portfolio of organization and corporate giving prospects, determining frequency of contact needed. Document all activities and interactions in the alumni / donor database.
• Develop and maintain close collaborative partnerships with faculty and staff to gain a strong knowledge of the academic and research programs, along with performances throughout the season, to identify and define priorities to be funded through private support. Partner closely with other advancement professionals, including gift officers, stewardship and donor relations, alumni relations, and corporate relations professionals.
• Determine and prioritize lists of donor prospects and other stakeholders to be contacted for meetings and solicitations.
• Prepare and educate unit volunteer leadership and advisory boards (Ex : Krannert Center Advancement Council), faculty and staff members, and other unit volunteers to participate in cultivation, solicitation and stewardship of annual gifts as needed.

Impact in Your First Year

At Advancement at Illinois, we value our employees and provide resources to help you continually learn and grow. We foster a strong, collaborative community of people who are driven by their ability to make a difference.

Within 3 months, you'll :

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By the end of the first year, you'll :

Minimum Qualifications

Preferred Qualifications

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

Appointment Information

This is a 100% full-time Academic Professional position, appointed on a 12-month basis. The expected start date is as soon as possible after the closing date. Salary is competitive and commensurate with qualifications and experience while also considering internal equity. The budgeted salary range is $60,000 to $65,000.

Application Procedures & Deadline Information

Applications must be received by 6 : 00 pm (Central Time) on October 21, 2025. Apply for this position using the Apply Now button at the top or bottom of this posting and upload a resume, cover letter, and the names, addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses of three professional references. Applications not submitted through the specified link will not be considered.

Please note : Immigration sponsorship is not available for this position.