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Chief Advancement Officer

Boston Center for the Arts

Role overview

Qualifications

  • 10+ years of advancement, direct fundraising, communications and/or external affairs leadership experience
  • Demonstrated success in securing major and leadership-level gifts
  • Experience overseeing marketing, communications, and institutional brand strategy
  • Strong experience working with boards, senior leadership, and high-level stakeholders

Responsibilities

  • Build and manage a leadership giving pipeline valued at $1M+ annually
  • Develop and lead BCA’s comprehensive advancement strategy
  • Partner with the CEO to activate the Board of Directors in fundraising and donor engagement
  • Expand BCA’s presence within Boston’s philanthropic, civic, and cultural communities

Key facts

Hard skills

Fundraising Philanthropy Strategic Partnership Marketing Donor Registration Civic Engagement Storytelling

Other skills

  • Communication
  • Relationship Building
  • Collaboration
  • Leadership
  • Team Management
  • Strategic Thinking

About the company

Boston Center for the Arts logo

Boston Center for the Arts

Museums, Historical Sites & Cultural Institutions

Mission Boston Center for the Arts (BCA) is a not-for-profit performing and visual arts complex that supports working artists to create, perform and exhibit new works, develops new audiences, and connects the arts to community. The Complex The BCA’s 190,000 square foot campus consists of: • Four theatres. These include the BCA Plaza Theatre with 142 seats; the BCA Plaza Black Box with up to 90 seats, as well as the new, state-of-the-art Stanford Calderwood Pavilion, which houses the Roberts Studio Theatre with up to 209 seats and the Wimberly Theatre with up to 370 seats. • Rehearsal and education space. Rehearsal Hall A and Deane Rehearsal Hall in the Calderwood Pavilion are the main rehearsal spaces for larger companies and are also used for performances, events, and meetings. • The Mills Gallery. The premier, independent non-profit gallery in Boston, showing the work of local and national, established and emerging artists • The Tremont Estates Building. The Artists Studio Building is the working home for over 50 artists. • The Cyclorama. Opened in 1865, the Cyclorama is on the National Register of Historic Places. Featuring a copper skylight dome atop a round brick-lined 23,000 square foot space, the Cyclorama can host up to 1,200 visitors. • The Boston Ballet Building. This Graham Gund-designed building has been home to the Boston Ballet for 16 years. • The Community Music Center of Boston (CMCB). Now in its 99th year, CMCB has positively impacted the lives of thousands of children and adults each year, many of them underserved, through lessons and classes on site, in the Boston Public Schools, through social service agencies and at community centers. • Beehive Jazz Café, is nestled in the BCA complex in space that was once occupied by a black-box theatre at street level and a basement. Now, a dining room on the upper level overlooks the lower level café and stage where live jazz is featured nightly.

Company details

Company typeTPE
IndustryMuseums, Historical Sites & Cultural Institutions
Company size11 - 50

Links

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Job description

Title: Chief Advancement Officer
Reports to: Chief Executive Officer
Management: Yes
Exempt: Yes
Annual Salary: $135,000 - $150,000

About Boston Center for the Arts

Boston Center for the Arts (BCA) is a multidisciplinary cultural campus in Boston’s South End, home to artist studios, arts organizations, exhibition and performance spaces that together create a dynamic ecosystem of creativity and programming.
Through its residencies and initiatives, BCA serves as an epicenter for an expanding cohort of artists working across disciplines and has helped catalyze creative careers by providing fertile ground for experimentation, collaboration, and artistic risk-taking. At the heart of the campus is the historic Cyclorama, whose distinctive 360-degree form reflects a legacy of immersive storytelling and continues to inspire new experimentation at the intersection of art, technology, and public experience.
At a time of significant institutional transformation, BCA is deepening partnerships with the City of Boston and cultural leaders across the region while advancing bold commitments in governance, artistic leadership, capital planning, and civic collaboration. Under the leadership of its CEO and first-ever Artistic Director, BCA is building a more connected, artist-centered, and partnership-driven future for the organization and the broader creative community.

Position Concept

The Chief Advancement Officer (CAO) is a senior member of the leadership team responsible for driving philanthropic growth, strengthening the Boston Center for the Arts’ institutional brand, and expanding the organization’s visibility and engagement across Boston’s cultural and civic landscape.
Reporting to the CEO, the CAO leads all advancement efforts, including major gifts, individual giving, foundation and corporate partnerships, marketing, communications, and institutional storytelling. This role plays a central part in shaping how BCA engages donors, audiences, artists, campus partners, and community stakeholders while advancing BCA’s role as a civic and cultural convener that amplifies the collective impact of artists, campus partners, and creative organizations.
The CAO will work closely with the CEO, Artistic Director, and Board of Directors to cultivate major donors, activate board engagement in fundraising, and develop strategies that advance BCA's evolving role as a civic and cultural convener within Boston's creative ecosystem. As the organization's lead fundraising executive, the CAO will maintain a portfolio of major donors and prospects, personally solicit and close five- and six-figure gifts, and drive a comprehensive advancement strategy that supports both annual operations and long-term institutional growth.
Key Responsibilities

Major Gifts and Philanthropy

  • Build and manage a leadership giving pipeline valued at $1M+ annually, with accountability for achieving defined contributed revenue targets and moving prospects through all stages of the donor lifecycle.
  • Manage, develop, and expand a portfolio of leadership donors and prospects capable of making transformational gifts.
  • Lead and drive the cultivation, stewardship, and solicitation of leadership gifts in partnership with the CEO and Artistic Director.
  • Develop personalized engagement and stewardship strategies for high-capacity donors.
  • Strengthen long-term donor relationships through thoughtful communication, engagement opportunities, and institutional stewardship.
  • Partner with the CEO to develop annual fundraising goals, revenue projections, and performance metrics, regularly reporting progress against contributed revenue benchmarks.

Advancement Strategy

  • Develop and lead BCA’s comprehensive advancement strategy, including major gifts, annual giving, donor engagement, campaigns, and fundraising initiatives.
  • Establish ambitious but achievable revenue goals and strategies to expand philanthropic support.
  • Build and maintain a strong pipeline of major gift prospects and institutional supporters.
  • Partner with the CEO and senior leadership to align advancement priorities with organizational vision and strategic growth.

Board Engagement

  • Partner with the CEO to activate the Board of Directors in fundraising and donor engagement.
  • Support board members in cultivating, stewarding, and soliciting donors and institutional supporters.
  • Provide advancement updates, fundraising strategy, and campaign planning support to board committees and leadership.

Strategic Partnerships, Community Engagement, and External Relations

  • Build relationship-based partnerships that amplify and connect the work taking place across BCA’s campus, including collaborations with campus partners, artists, and cultural organizations, strengthening BCA’s role as a collaborative civic and cultural platform within Boston’s creative ecosystem.
  • Expand BCA’s presence within Boston’s philanthropic, civic, and cultural communities.
  • Identify opportunities for cross-sector partnerships, sponsorships, and collaborative initiatives aligned with BCA’s mission and strategic direction.
  • Represent BCA at external events, convenings, and community engagements alongside the CEO and Artistic Director.
 

Marketing, Communications, and Institutional Brand

  • Oversee BCA’s marketing, communications, and institutional brand strategy across all public-facing platforms.
  • Guide institutional storytelling that amplifies the impact of BCA’s artists, programs, partnerships, and campus initiatives.
  • Strengthen BCA’s visibility as a leading cultural hub and platform for civic and creative leadership.
  • Ensure consistency of voice, messaging, and visual identity across organizational communications.
  • Collaborate with leadership and program staff to translate artistic and civic initiatives into compelling public narratives.

Team Leadership

  • Recruit, hire, manage, lead, and mentor staff responsible for development, marketing, and communications.
  • Foster a collaborative and mission-driven culture across advancement functions and contribute to a positive, collaborative culture across the organization.
  • Strengthen systems, workflows, and infrastructure that support long-term fundraising and communications success.

Qualifications

  • 10+ years of advancement, direct fundraising, communications and/or external affairs leadership experience.
  • Demonstrated success in securing major and leadership-level gifts.
  • Experience overseeing marketing, communications, and institutional brand strategy.
  • Strong experience working with boards, senior leadership, and high-level stakeholders.
  • Demonstrated ability to build meaningful relationships, communicate institutional vision, and engage philanthropic, civic, and cultural stakeholders.
  • Strategic thinker with the ability to operate both collaboratively and entrepreneurially.
  • Passion for arts, culture, civic engagement, and artist-centered world

Compensation & Benefits

  • Salary range: $135,000–$150,000, commensurate with experience.
  • Boston Center for the Arts offers 4 weeks of paid time off, and 2 weeks of additional paid administrative closure.
  • Benefits: 80% BCA-sponsored health, dental, and vision insurance; flexible spending plans, life and disability; and a 403(b) retirement savings plan.
  • This is primarily an in-person position with 1 work-from-home day per week + a bank of remote days to use throughout the year.
  • Complimentary tickets to BCA and BCA partner events and performances.
Please submit a resume and a cover letter with your application. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

Boston Center for the Arts is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The BCA prohibits discrimination based upon an individual’s age, ancestry, citizenship, color, creed, disability, ethnicity, marital status, national origin, race, religion, sex, gender, sexual orientation, veteran status, or any other characteristics protected by applicable federal, state or local law.
 

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