Director of Development

Statewide non-profit cultural agency seeks experienced development professional to support President/Executive Director and Board in implementing development plan. Includes hands-on solicitation efforts and planning/ executing annual operations fund raising, planned giving, and capital campaign.

Qualifications should include a Bachelor's degree and a minimum of 3 years professional development experience. Successful candidate will have extensive experience working with volunteer boards, soliciting major gifts, as well as a thorough working knowledge of Louisiana and national philanthropic communities. Candidates must be computer literate with proficiency in database, spreadsheet and word processing programs; comfortable in a fast-paced, team-oriented atmosphere with a high energy level. Superior interpersonal skills and ability to build relationships are essential. Position will be based in New Orleans; some travel required.

For complete job description, visit www.leh.orq. Please mail cover letter, resume and salary history to Michael Sartisky, Ph.D., President/Executive Director/, Louisiana for the Humanities, 938 Lafayette St., Suite 300, New Orleans, LA 70113 or Sartisky@leh.org.  Position open until filled.

Development Director

The Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities, the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, is seeking a development director. The development director will have major responsibility for developing a new capital campaign, the annual fund program while developing new fund-raising opportunities and strategies. The development director reports to the President/Executive Director and works very closely with the Board of Directors.

Major Responsibilities:

Annual Fund Program

• Administer and expand Annual Fund Program
• Set contribution revenue goals with the President/Executive Director
• Develop, promote and implement plans and strategies for achieving development goals
• Assist and motivate the Board of Directors and fund-raising volunteers
• Directly oversee major gifts, corporate sponsorship/ philanthropy, and foundation giving
• Work collaboratively with other senior staff, especially the President/Executive Director to achieve overall organizational goals

Capital Campaign

• Develop strategies for new Capital Campaign, target $5 Million.
• Develop and implement cultivation, solicitation and stewardship strategies for leadership, major and community level donors
• Coordinate the work of the Board of Directors; assist the Board of Directors and fund-raising volunteers
• Prepare fund-raising materials
• Coordinate marketing and public relations strategies to support the capital campaign and other fund-raising efforts
• Together with the President/Executive Director and the Board, represent the LEH to the philanthropic community and funding constituencies

Job Requirements:

• Three years or more experience as a fund-raising professional - including past managerial experience in capital campaigns and annual funds.
• Entrepreneurial ability to build an annual fund-raising program and staff, and understanding of the unique characteristics of fund raising in the humanities
• Demonstrated skill in working in a complex environment at a strategic and operational level
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Demonstrated initiative and keen interpersonal judgment
• Attitude and presentation appropriate to effective interaction with Board and community leadership
• Familiarity with computer based information systems
• Experience in fiscal management
• Marketing, public and community relations experience a plus
• Baccalaureate or higher degree
• Demonstrated love of the humanities

Compensation: Commensurate with background and experience

Are you interested in participating as a scholar or storyteller in a PRIME TIME program?

PRIME TIME and bilingual PRIME TIME provide a unique six-to eight-week program of reading, discussion, and storytelling at public libraries and other venues.   Bilingual programs are specifically tailored for Spanish/English speaking families with book titles and discussions provided in both languages.

The PRIME TIME model pairs a scholar and a storyteller as discussion leaders, combining analysis and demonstration for 6-10 year olds and parents who are at-risk due to low literacy skills. Using award-winning children’s illustrated books, a storyteller will model storytelling and read-aloud techniques, and a humanities scholar will stimulate discussion of core humanities themes. Together, the discussion leaders create an environment in which parents and children connect literature to real-life via humanities-based discussion and lay the foundation for life-long learning experiences.

Scholars should have a doctorate in a humanities discipline (literature, history, philosophy, and related areas) with university teaching experience.  Scholars with a master’s degree in a humanities discipline with university teaching experience will be considered.  A PRIME TIME scholar must be comfortable working with participants who have limited reading skills and do not have experience talking about books.  The honorarium for six-week programs is $875 and for eight-week programs is $1,125. Payment is for leading the weekly sessions and submitting a final narrative report on the program’s outcomes.

PRIME TIME storytellers must possess knowledge of children’s literature and demonstrate the ability to work with non-traditional audiences.  The storytellers will not be performing but demonstrating storytelling and reading aloud techniques that are accessible and replicable for the parents/guardians. Individuals interested in this role may have library science backgrounds, elementary education certification, or professional storytelling experience.    Ideally, storytellers at bilingual sites will be fluent in Spanish.  The honorarium for six-week programs is $875 and for eight-week programs is $1,125.  Payment is for leading the weekly sessions and submitting a final narrative report on the program’s outcomes.

Interested and qualified individuals should contact any PRIME TIME staff member and prepare to submit a curriculum vitae (scholars) or appropriate work history (storytellers) for consideration. Once a decision has been made, applicants are notified by a PRIME TIME staff person. An invitation to attend a PRIME TIME Training workshop (January or August) will be extended once the applicant agrees to work with a PRIME TIME site in his/her area.  Trained discussion leaders are placed on PRIME Time’s growing list of scholars and storytellers and are likely to be contracted periodically. For additional details on qualifications and responsibilities, click here (link to attached) team member sheet).  Or for more general information call (504) 620-2625.

Are you interested in participating as a scholar facilitator in the RELIC programs of the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities?  RELIC (Readings in Literature and Culture) is the LEH’s chief public humanities reading program serving adults throughout Louisiana.

Basic Facts about Scholars in RELIC:

Our programs are intended for the public library patrons and general adult reading public as a means of discussing issues and themes as supported by the texts in the humanities provided on loan to the program.  Scholars are primarily facilitators, but they are expected to provide sufficient structure so as to maintain a framework of critical thinking about the subjects discussed.  Scholars are encouraged to maintain flexibility in the sessions so as to allow new directions or initiatives suggested by the audience.  Programs are conducted in many libraries in Louisiana.  Scholars find that the experience of leading RELIC programs is overwhelmingly positive, due to the fact that the audiences are adults with a personal interest in participating, and often contribute personal insights from their life experiences.

The honorarium for programs with single scholars is $1,000, plus travel stipend if applicable. At sites in which two scholars are participating, the honorarium is $800 per team member (plus travel stipend).  Payment is compensation for developing the specific syllabus for a program site, leading the six discussion sessions, and submitting a final narrative report on the program's outcome.
 
Scholars draw from a Program Master Syllabus in any creative manner with which they choose to do so; even the session titles are only suggestions that can be modified or replaced.  There are eight sessions in each of the Master Syllabi (some have only six), but a final copy ready syllabus consists of six titled sessions, in which is to be included a series of questions or an over arching issue to address through the readings for each session.  It is this version that guides the audience participants from session to session, much as in the manner of a class syllabus.

Interested scholars should submit a current vita and cover letter describing program subject areas of interest and how one’s teaching style would related to the audiences served by RELIC.