About YBCA
For three decades, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts has served as a dynamic hub for contemporary art in San Francisco's downtown community, showcasing innovative and thought-provoking contemporary art across various disciplines, including visual arts, performing arts, film and more.
YBCA brings together artists, audiences, and perspectives under one roof. We believe it’s this synergy that makes the city what it is today and will be for years to come–a hotbed for new and emerging creativity—a place where the diversity of the Bay Area comes to life and its artists, people, and ideas thrive.
YBCA aims to be a catalyst for conversations around critical social and cultural questions, using art as a medium to engage audiences in meaningful dialogues. To do this, YBCA is committed to supporting artists who push boundaries and challenge conventions, encouraging experimentation and innovation in the arts.
YBCA’s Mission Vision, and Values
Mission: To be a gathering space for creative expression that fosters meaningful connection for all.
Vision: To be a catalyst of creative exploration, expression and innovation that empowers artists, inspires community and drives lasting social change.
Values:
Belonging: We believe the arts are for everyone.
Inclusive Collaboration: We are stronger together.
Optimism: Art has the power to inspire change.
Curiosity: We believe that learning is at the center of all artistic expression.
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Promise to Candidates
WE PROMISE AN EQUITABLE PROCESS
When you apply, we will review your application and give you a fair consideration.
If you need accommodations, let us know at accommodations@ybca.org .
If you interview, we will give you our planned questions 15 minutes in advance so you can think about what story you want to tell.
WE PROMISE TO VALUE YOUR TIME. You will:
Know the salary range for the role before you apply.
Learn about this role, requirements, and ideal candidate through this job description before you apply.
Know the status of your candidacy, whether you advance or not.
Have an opportunity to ask us questions, get a transparent accounting of our strengths and weaknesses, and check the organization’s references before you apply. Ask questions here: jrettew@ybca.org
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Job Title: Chief Development Officer
Reports to: CEO
Classification: Full-Time, Exempt, Benefited
Direct Report: Grant Writer
Schedule: M-F, some evenings and weekend events as needed
Compensation: $206,000/annually
About the role
The Chief Development Officer provides both the overall leadership and the hands-on implementation of YBCA's comprehensive development program. The Chief Development Officer is accountable for the strategy, implementation and results for all of YBCA's contributed income programs including: the annual fund; major gifts program; grant writing; corporate sponsorships; direct mail; legacy giving; donor database management; fundraising events; board giving; and online giving. The Chief Development Officer also provides support to YBCA's Board of Directors as well as assists in recruiting, motivating and training Board solicitors. The Chief Development Officer is a member of the senior leadership team and will likely be able to hire a Development Associate or major gifts officer in the summer of 2025.
What you'll do
Primary Professional Responsibilities
Strategy: Develops and implements YBCA's fundraising strategies. Presents to the CEO an annual development plan, outlining specific goals for each contributed income program. Monitors the development department income and expense budget.
Grants: Researches and submits applications, writes follow-up reports, and develops relationships with grantors.
Corporate: Develops corporate sponsorships and memberships. .
Special Events: Manages all fundraising events.
Direct Mail: Implements our summer and end-of-year appeal campaigns
Board: Guides the board’s work to reach fundraising goals and actively engages the board in fundraising activities, including the identification of new individual and corporate funding prospects. Manages ongoing reporting to the Board and serves as staff liaison to the board development committee.
Relationships: Develops and maintains relationships with individual, foundation and corporate funders.
Executive Leadership: Participates in discussions about the overall strategy and direction of the organization.
Admin: Directs timely and accurate responses to donor concerns, requests, and gifts. Supervises the work of subordinates. Oversees the management and maintenance of the donor database. Directs the overall effort to reduce and improve workflows and eliminate inefficiencies within the department. Oversees, strengthens, and evaluates new and existing vendor relationships.
Budget: Prepares the yearly development budget; monitors the department budget to hit revenue and spending targets; makes changes as needed.
Ad-Hoc: Perform all other duties assigned by the CEO as needed.
Interpersonal Skills
A warm leader who exudes confidence and care for others.
Exceptional emotional intelligence who builds enduring relationships.
A person oriented toward the greater good of the organization and the arts ecosystem of the Bay Area.
Someone with a respectful and accessible leadership style, self-assured and comfortable with situations of ambiguity, and able to easily relate to a wide range of constituencies.
A highly competent team player who finds enjoyment in the workplace, and who is honest, open and balanced.
Excellence without ego – provide five-star customer service to both internal and external stakeholders.
Proactive collaboration – intentionally seeking out others to solve problems before they start.
Comfortable asking others for money and helping mentor others who are not as comfortable do the same.
An entrepreneurial and resourceful leader who is able to recognize and act on new and potential opportunities.
A ‘get-it-done’ attitude who will not only provide strategic direction but do the nitty-gritty work too and the perseverance to get through the hard days.
Demonstrated ability to function well as an independent worker and self-starter, team builder, problem-solver and strategic thinker.
Committed to and enthusiastic about YBCA's mission and values.
Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree in business, nonprofit management or related field; MBA or graduate degree preferred, or equivalent work experience.
At least 10 years of fund development experience, progressing to larger roles with more responsibilities.
CFRE or ACFRE certification preferred.
Ability to perform job duties with minimal supervision
Strong organizational, problem-solving, and analytical skills; able to manage priorities and workflow.
Great communication skills, both written and oral. Recognizes and uses best practices in donor communications, ethics and confidentiality.
Proficient in Microsoft programs and Google Suite
Knowledgeable in Salesforce CRM and skilled in using a variety of prospect research tools.
Ability to attend events and networking opportunities, including some evenings and weekends.
Benefits
4 weeks of vacation plus 10 holidays plus 3 floating holidays per year
100% fully paid medical, dental, vision for individual employee coverage
403b with up to 4% company match, after six months
Life & AD&D insurance, including voluntary, and long term disability insurance
Health care flexible spending account, dependent care flexible spending account, and commuter benefits.
Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
Office Hours. YBCA is located in the SOMA District of San Francisco. Historically, business hours are 9:00 am to 5:00 pm (local time); however, nights and weekends are common. We operate a hybrid workplace with most people working from home Monday & Friday and in the office Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. The expectation is for everyone to operate in a way that supports organizational outcomes, and we believe our leaders are capable of managing their own hours in support of their work and broader organizational goals. You have the flexibility to design your schedule based on the goals of the organization, the deliverables you are advancing on any given week, and your personal priorities. Our organization works towards outcomes, and, generally, people here work 37.5 to 45 hours a week.
Travel. It is estimated that 20% of this role’s time will be spent traveling primarily in the San Francisco Bay Area for networking meetings and donor events.
Residence. Residence in the San Francisco Bay area is required with three days in office per week.
Equal Opportunity Employer
YBCA provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, amnesty, or status as a covered veteran, in accordance with applicable federal, state and local laws. YBCA complies with all applicable state and local laws governing non-discrimination in employment. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including, but not limited to, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.
Accommodations
YBCA is committed to providing access and reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities in all aspects of the employment process. If a reasonable accommodation is needed, please contact accommodations@ybca.org with the subject line “Accommodations Request”.
Health and Safety
At YBCA, we continue to prioritize the health and well-being of our community. Our current COVID-19 health and safety protocols meet or exceed local, state, and federal public health requirements. We require proof of vaccination against COVID-19 as a condition of employment. Exemption from these requirements will be reviewed according to standards set forth by state and local health agencies and reasonable accommodations will be made for those providing valid exemptions.
All initial interviews will be conducted remotely via phone or video conference. Please note that this position may perform some work remotely and on site responsibilities.
Application Status
After you apply, you will receive a confirmation email to let you know that your resume has been received. A member of our recruiting team will personally review your application and, if you are a potential match for one of our open positions, we will be in touch. If there is not a match right now, we will keep your resume on file for future opportunities.
Agencies and Recruiting Firms: Please note that we will only review applications submitted directly by candidates and do not accept resumes or pay fees to third parties. Any unsolicited resumes received will be considered the property of YBCA.
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FAQ
What are the three (3) things the new hire must accomplish in the first three (3) years to be successful?
Double contributed revenues from about $3M to $6M (we think there is some low-hanging fruit).
Build the development team and infrastructure.
Forge strong relationships with major donors, foundations, corporations, artists, and government agencies.
What are the unwritten rules and non-negotiables for success in this role? What are the unwritten rules for working with the Board? (quotes taken from staff and board interviews)
Trust is paramount.
“One of the unspoken rules of success that I wish I had learned earlier is that trust at YBCA, specifically, is what gets things done. Building trust and the team [is an unspoken rule of success].”
Actively engage in a partnership with the board rooted in trust and transparency.
“We've turned over a lot of this board and recruited people who are invested in the success of [YBCA]. So, I would just say the standard we've set for that has been a ton of straightforwardness. [This board] care[s] about San Francisco; they see why YBCA is important. They see why it's interesting, and they bring it, so do your homework, and trust them as a partner.
“I think [the new hire] has to be a good listener. And also someone who brings people in… I think this person, it would be good for them to listen.'”
Be open to partnering with a new board and still figuring out how to work together most effectively.
“We have a bunch of new board members that have come on; we [have] a new refocus. And there was a lot of really sensitive information that needed to be sort of cleaned up, so the board hasn't necessarily been functioning in sort of a humming process the way that it would in normal times. So I say that acknowledging that these were extraordinary sorts of circumstances in the past [is important].”
“It is a very new board. I think we just brought on nine new board members. So, based on who [these board members] are, these are great leaders in their own fields. This board is just forming and norming, and they're going to figure out how they're functioning.”
How big of a team will I directly manage?
As Chief Development Officer, you will have one consulting grant writer. However, we want you to build the team to what is reasonable and cost effective to achieve our fundraising goals.
What will my onboarding process look like?
In addition to traditional onboarding processes, the new hire will receive an employee handbook, attend a series of meetings with critical internal and external stakeholders (e.g., board members, YBCA leadership team, artists, etc.), and have training sessions with YBCA colleagues and additional stakeholders.
Working alongside the YBCA board and other members of the leadership team, you will co-design and implement a 90-day success plan, complete overview sessions to review YBCA’ s mission, vision, history, values etc., join weekly 1:1 meetings with team members
What does DEI look like at YBCA?
YBCA is deeply committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, access, and belonging in its programming and in creating a work culture and environment that is reflective of San Francisco Bay Area demography. The Center encourages and actively recruits applicants representing dimensions of difference that include — but are not limited to — age, national origin, ethnicity, race, religion, ability, sexual orientation, gender or political affiliation.
In the past, we have:
Increased employee candidate recruitment to diverse populations.
Recruited a board of directors that is majority BIPOC (including officers).
Exhibited a majority of BIPOC visual artists.
Included 'belonging' and 'inclusive collaboration' in our organization's value statement.
What are the top things that your organization does better than anyone else? We interviewed key stakeholders within YBCA in February 2024. This is what was shared:
YBCA's downtown San Francisco location positions the organization to be the premier destination for, and a leader within, the arts community.
“[It has a bright spot] just by its location; it is better by being in the middle of a critical moment of downtown revitalization in San Francisco. The news stories are exaggerated, but downtown San Francisco is still in recovery mode, and YBCA is right in this perfect spot to be a player in that field. So I think that one of the things it does better than anybody else is it is better positioned than anybody else.”
“I think our location. It would be one thing for us to just exist, we exist in the middle of downtown San Francisco across from a convention center surrounded by other cultural organizations. I don't think it's the same as if we were just off by ourselves somewhere. We have very, very strong proximity to the central business district in terms of people who commute regionally, but also people who come to San Francisco for work and are just walking around and obviously people who live here [and take] transit. All those things work in terms of our location.”
YBCA's multidisciplinary art orientation cultivates and embraces experimentation while striving to make art an accessible and meaningful experience for all.
“YBCA is a performing arts center and visual arts center in addition to hosting different events. This is one place where I go where the crowd is quite diverse, pulling in everyone from the Bay, not homogeneous. We believe art is for everyone. That is what we are trying to do with our location. Everyone can physically access art, and people feel like they belong. Sometimes, these spaces can create barriers. This is a place where I can say, as a person of color, there are few institutions of this size and scale that I feel I can be myself in as a patron.”
“I also think that it is more experimental than most organizations in the art space, which is really fun and interesting and rewarding. I think that's part of its San Francisco DNA but also a little bit of its ambiguity of purpose. [YBCA] is meant to be kind of a little bit of everything to everybody type space. It's got a lot crammed into two buildings between performing arts, visual arts, community events, and whatever [else]. So I think that its experimental nature is something that it does very, very well and [would] hate to see that go away.
YBCA has the potential to do several things exceptionally well but has yet to realize that potential.
“I don't think the organization is yet in a place where they do anything better than anybody else. I think the promise of what YBCA is or could be [and what could make YBCA] very distinct and different [is being] the place where it leads the intersection of art and social justice in meaningful ways [and] not in buzzworthy ways. It can be the place that flattens hierarchies between contemporary art, community art, and cultural art. It can be a place that reimagines the role an arts organization can play in people's lives as moving people emotionally to move them to action in their own lives. So there's a huge promise that I think many of us have wanted YBCA to walk for a long time that has not, in my observation, yet been successful in doing.”
“I think the organization is continuing to work and figure out who it is and where it wants to go. So I wouldn't actually call up anything currently as things that we do exceptionally well.”
What top things would your critical friends ask your organization to stop or start doing? We interviewed key stakeholders within YBCA in February 2024. This is what was shared:
Clearly define YBCA's value proposition and brand identity to communicate its story and drive awareness effectively.
“Clarifying what we do and what we don't do are like the big thing[s]. There is confusion around [whether we] are a social services place for artists or whether we are a place where people go to see stuff. Creating clarity around that [is needed]. Either stop doing this thing or frame it within the other thing, but figure it out because we're confused.”
“Tell that [YBCA] story. Yes, it's hidden and a gem, but there is no cohesive story to tell. Create the vision; tell the story; drive the audience.”
Develop and execute a development model that capitalizes on YBCA's opportunities for contributed revenue and stabilizes the organization financially.
“[YBCA] need[s] additional streams of revenue that aren't necessarily tied to the city or other things that might not provide stability. Diversity in revenue will be a big thing, as well as just cleaning up the financial practices, which [YBCA is] in the process of doing. The foundational things that you would expect an organization to have, regardless of size, weren't in place at YBCA. [That's] slowly changing, but [YBCA] might [want] to change at a little bit faster speed than it is.”
“I think just programming in general. Again, the exhibition that's up right now is great, but I think it'll be up for nine months then. So, you know, there's no regular programming, whatever that is, that I think needs to be done better. YBCA has a smaller theater where I think we used to have a film series; I'm not saying we need to go create a film series, but there are four or five nonprofit organizations that put together a film festival, who [could] be using this space to program it. [YBCA should be] thinking a little bit more creatively and bigger about how to really use the facilities there. Beyond just renting them out to other people, which we need to do. It needs to be a complete package of both earned income, but then also to show the value of YBCA not only as a venue, but as a presenter of these convenings or these ideas or these conversations.”
Develop the systems and operational excellence to deliver on its mission.
“[One thing YBCA could start doing is] try to align resources to the objective – comprehensive planned use of the asset that meets the goals of the organization [which] is the most important thing. Not just making the space available to friends and to make money. There is no calendar driven by the intention of the organization. That’s the biggest step.”
To Apply
https://ats.rippling.com/ybca/jobs/d96a51bd-2fd6-4719-9ea0-04b9e70646a9