Assistant Director of - 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 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.

This position will assist Krannert Center for the Performing Arts (KCPA) to broaden and strengthen advancement activities, performance sponsor ships, corporate philanthropy, and annual fundraising through digital and/or print communications, phone calls, video conferencing, and in‑person meetings. The role requires up to 25% travel, including evenings and weekends, and attendance at most KCPA performances to cultivate and steward corporate partners, donors, and patrons.

The successful candidate will be a collaborative team member who values inclusion and is skilled at building strong internal and external relationships.

• Identify, assess, analyze, and design appropriate strategies for approaching prospects and donors and making the vital 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 organizational 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 understanding 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 (e.g., Krannert Center Advancement Council), faculty and staff members, and other unit volunteers to participate in cultivation, solicitation and stewardship of annual gifts as needed.

• Within 3 months, you’ll:
  • Become familiar with the strategic vision and priorities of KCPA and FAA
  • Meet your assigned Prospect Development Analyst and begin to dig into your portfolio
  • Attend professional development and networking activities for newcomers within Advancement
  • Be introduced to fundraising fundamentals and terminology adopted from Plus Delta Partners
• Within 6 months, you’ll:
  • Begin contacting and cultivating relationships with key prospects, donors, and alumni to create and implement solicitation strategies
  • Partner with stewardship, donor relations, events, alumni relations, and communications colleagues on department and College‑wide initiatives
  • Be able to share multiple meaningful impact stories of transformative gifts
• By the end of the first year, you’ll:
  • Cooperatively set annual goals with your supervisor and portfolio management team
  • Continue portfolio growth of qualified prospects and successful solicitation strategies
  • Receive one‑on‑one coaching from People and Culture to help transition to your new role
  • Build a robust network of colleagues across campus

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 close date. Salary is competitive and commensurate with qualifications and experience while also considering internal equity. The budgeted salary range is $60,000 – $65,000.

To ensure full consideration, applications must be received by 6:00 pm (Central Time) on March 5, 2026. Apply for this position using the Apply Now button at the top or bottom of this posting and upload a…