Vice President of Institutional Advancement

Introduction

Cleveland Institute of Art (CIA), one of the nation’s leading independent colleges of art and design, seeks a dynamic, entrepreneurial, and relationship-driven leader to serve as its next Vice President for Institutional Advancement (VPIA). Reporting directly to the President + CEO and serving as a member of the President’s Cabinet, the VPIA will serve as the College’s chief advancement officer and a key strategic partner in shaping CIA’s next chapter of institutional growth, sustainability, and impact.

Founded in 1882, Cleveland Institute of Art’s mission is to cultivate creative leaders who inspire people, strengthen communities and contribute to a thriving and sustainable economy through an innovative education in art and design. In addition to mission stewardship, CIA’s values of Accessibility, Creativity, Excellence, Inclusivity, Individuality, Responsibility, Stewardship, Transparency, and Wellness are thoughtfully integrated and inform the College’s policies, processes and institutional culture.

Located in Cleveland’s vibrant University Circle cultural district and through its recent expansion into Mid Town, CIA serves approximately 500 degree‑seeking students within a highly collaborative and immersive educational environment. CIA graduates are artists, designers, makers, storytellers, innovators, and entrepreneurs whose work shapes industries, communities, and culture around the world. In addition, CIA boasts a robust portfolio of community programs and classes for youth and lifelong learners.

CIA enters this search at a moment of meaningful institutional momentum and philanthropic success. The College is in the final stretch of its $35 million Transformation Campaign, with more than $32 million raised to date and several historic milestones already achieved, including doubling CIA’s endowment, securing the largest gift in the College’s history, exceeding scholarship fundraising goals, launching the Jane

B. Nord Center for Teaching + Learning, and opening the new state‑of‑the‑art Interactive Media Lab — an innovation hub at the nexus of art and design, technology, industry, and community. At the same time, CIA is in the final year of execution of an ambitious 2020‑27 Strategic Plan focused on cultivating creative leaders, advancing the College, and strengthening the community through student success, curricular innovation, workforce alignment, and long‑term sustainability.

In addition, as part of its broader business model transformation (BMT) efforts, CIA is strategically diversifying its academic model, aligning expenses with revenue, investing in areas of market growth, and modernizing institutional operations.

The Vice President for Institutional Advancement will partner closely with President + CEO Kathryn Heidemann, whose leadership is grounded in institutional transformation, creative collaboration, and future‑focused strategic thinking. The relationship between the President and the VPIA will be highly collaborative and deeply integrated. The President is an active and engaged fundraising partner who values strategic thinking, creativity, transparency, humor, and risk taking.

This role requires both strategic sophistication, systems thinking, and a growth mindset. The VPIA will lead advancement strategy while also maintaining meaningful engagement with donors, prospects, alumni, foundations, community leaders, and strategic partners. The successful candidate will be:

• a strategic and collaborative leader
• an exceptional relationship‑builder
• a compelling communicator and storyteller
• and a forward‑thinking advancement executive capable of balancing vision with execution

• Develops and executes a comprehensive institutional advancement strategy aligned with CIA’s strategic priorities and long‑term financial sustainability.
• Coordinates closely with the Office of the President to develop and execute cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies for high‑priority donors, institutional partners, and campaign prospects. Provides…