Director of Development

Job Description: Our Mission is to empower young people to transform their lives through music and community.DCYOP has been an integral part of the Washington, DC community since 1960 and has fostered the musical development of more than 60,000 youth. Our team includes a full-time staff of nine, ten Board members, nine conductors, and more than thirty teaching artists, all dedicated to creating and sustaining experiences that empower and change lives through music. We are growing and thrilled to bring in our next Director of Development to collaboratively carry our vision forward for hundreds of youth in the DC region.What We Are Looking for in Our New Director of Development They will be intentionally empathic and fearless. They will be fiercely and deeply committed to putting people first, and to work clearly and directly with the team to provide the real support that our students, teachers, staff, and Board need. They will have a deep appreciation for the ways that young people’s lives can be transformed through programs like ours.Our Director of Development will be truly exceptional on two related fronts – team leadership and building community connections.At DCYOP, they will directly handle: Ensuring DCYOP’s Vision for the Future, Managing Resources, Financial Management, Facilitating Clear Communication, Cultivating Community Support.They will have a working knowledge about and some experience in: Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging, Educational Pedagogy, Non-Profit Fundraising, and Orchestral Music.Structure and Compensation Starting annual salary between $100,000-$110,000, medical, dental, and vision insurance, and paid time off.Flexible weekly hybrid schedule, which currently includes one day per week in a physical office with the entire staff and participation in a rotating Saturday program schedule. Estimated Search Timeline Application Period: April 29 -May 31, 2024 After the end of the application period, please reach out if you are still interested and we will let you know if there is still an opportunity for consideration.Initial Screening Conversations & Semi-Finalists Conversations: These will be ongoing as applications are received and reviewed (May 15-ongoing)Finalist Interviews On-Site in Washington DC: June 25th- 28th, 2024Employment Begins: Summer 2024Semi-finalists will be compensated $200 and Finalists will be compensated $1,000 for their participation. To learn more details about the position, please click here or email:Calida Jones: calida@creativeevolutions.comDr. Kim Davis: kimberly@fivesixteenconsulting.orgDIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITYPLEASE APPLY BY: May 31, 2024CreativeEvolutions.com/openpositionsWho We Are“One month before starting my senior year in high school, I was on an airplane bound for Japan with the DC Youth Orchestra. I could not imagine then how deeply my musicianship, sense of community, and love of learning would be influenced by being a member of DCYOP. The ripples of formative experiences in the program continue to resonate in my life.”- Maestro Kenneth Whitley“This is a phenomenal program that brings incredible meaning to the lives of kids in the community.” - Board Member Jeff LeviOur Mission is to empower young people to transform their lives through music and community.We believe:That all young people should have access to the transformative power of music education. We believe that excellence is fostered through diversity, inclusion, and community. We believe that students are supported in their personal journeys by meeting them where they are. We believe that youth orchestras can model change and shape the future of the orchestral music world. Our HistoryOur team includes a full-time staff of nine, ten Board members, nine conductors, and more than Thirty teaching artists, all dedicated to creating and sustaining experiences that empower and change lives through music. DCYOP has had only four Executive Directors since its founding in 1960. Our Board of Directors transitioned from a management to a governance role about 20 years ago. With a current annual budget of $1.75 million—and healthy cash reserves—we are committed to responsible planning and management of our resources, with the next fifty years of service to the DC community in mind. DCYOP has been an integral part of the Washington, DC community, and we have fostered the musical development of more than 60,000 youth in the region. Lyn McLain, then the music teacher at Coolidge High School, founded DCYOP to serve as the District’s first city-wide youth orchestra. At the time, every DC public high school had an orchestra or band program, so our purpose was to bring together the most dedicated and talented students to play together and musically represent the city. Over the decades, as funding priorities have changed, many of DC’s public schools have lost their music programs. Two-thirds of our students are now enrolled in DC public schools that do not have an orchestra or band program. To address this, we expanded to accept students as young as four and a half years old and residents from across the DC-Maryland-Virginia (DMV) region. We are proud to provide an entry point for young musicians exploring orchestral music for the first time, and to offer a path of musical study for students from over 200 schools.As the first youth orchestra to perform at the Kennedy Center, we have toured 24 countries, including, most recently, Spain and Portugal; played for US presidents and diplomats; and worked with esteemed musicians such as Aaron Copland, Lorin Maazel, Mstislav Rostropovich, Marvin Hamlisch, Gustavo Dudamel, Yo-Yo Ma, and Kevin Deas. We received the National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award (formerly Coming Up Taller) and the Mayor’s Award for Outstanding Contributions to Arts Education. The Catalogue for Philanthropy selected us as “one of the best small non-profits in the Greater Washington region” for the last decade. Board President Dr. Robert Blaine We maintain and want to continue to grow our relationships with our dedicated alumni. Many graduates have gone on to successful professional careers in music, and also remain involved with DCYOP as Board members, supporters, and guest artists. Prominent musician alumni include Élise Sharp of The String Queens, Daniel Foster, Principal Viola of the National Symphony Orchestra; Toyin Spellman Diaz, Oboist in the Imani Winds; Chris Royal, Professor of Music at Howard University; John McLaughlin Williams, Grammy Award®-winning conductor; and John Wineglass, Emmy Award®-winning composer. Alumni have also found careers in the sciences, writing, and politics, among other disciplines, with standout examples including DC Mayor Muriel Bowser, the Honorable Cheryl Long, CEO Linda Cureton, author Tracy Chevalier, and activist, writer, and comedian Baratunde Thurston.Our Day to DayWe believe that every child should have the opportunity to learn a musical instrument and play in an orchestra. At DCYOP, the orchestra serves as a model for community. An atmosphere of competition is replaced by a shared endeavor for musical excellence. Through the ensemble, our young musicians develop the character of respectful team players. Through the study of a musical instrument and diverse genres of music, our students develop the confidence and creativity that empowers them to tackle life’s challenges.We offer group lessons and ensemble training on all orchestral instruments for students ages 4½ to 18. More than 400 students participate in group classes, ensemble rehearsals, and performances each semester through our main-site programming on Saturdays at Takoma Elementary School in DC, as well as through our afterschool partnerships in several DC public schools. In addition to our semi-annual free public concerts held at the University of the District of Columbia, our ensembles occasionally perform in other public engagements throughout the metropolitan DC area.We intentionally seek to mitigate existing financial and public school access barriers by making high-quality ensemble music education available to all students, regardless of background, socioeconomic status, or ability. Our students come from more than 200 public, public charter, and private schools, as well as a variety of socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds. Our PartnersWe serve as the lead partner on the Washington Musical Pathways Initiative. Pathways is a talent development program for student musicians who identify as Black, Indigenous, and/or People of Color, and want to pursue advanced study in music. Pathways provides musical scholarships to support talented young musicians from communities who have been historically excluded from orchestral music due to systemic racism. In this program, we partner with the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the National Symphony Orchestra, and Levine Music, funded by a $2 million grant award from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. The Pathways funding covers 2022 to 2024, including ensemble expenses for DCYOP students that are in the program, and a funded Pathways Program Manager position on the DCYOP staff.How this Search will Operate – Values, Communication, and CompensationOverall Estimated Timeline:Application Period: April 29 - May 31, 2024 After the end of the application period, please reach out if you are still interested and we will let you know if there is still an opportunity for consideration.Initial Screening & Semi-Finalists Conversations: These will be ongoing as applications are received and reviewed (May 15-ongoing).Finalist Interviews On-Site in Washington DC: June 25th- June 28th, 2024Employment Begins: Summer 2024After an initial submission of credentials, a candidate may be invited for a virtual Screening Conversation with Calida Jones and Dr. Kim Davis from Creative Evolutions. Following the Screening Conversation, a group of candidates will be advanced to the virtual Semi-Finalist conversation with an Industry Representative in the non-profit development sector. Semi-finalist candidates will all be compensated $200 for their participation. Candidates who advance as Finalists will be invited to come on-site in June to interview at DCYOP and will be compensated an additional $1,000 plus reimbursement of all travel, lodging, and food expenses for their trip.This search process is rooted in values shared by DCYOP and Creative Evolutions, and will include the following elements:It is important to us that you are treated with respect and are appreciated for the value you create for DCYOP through your participation. Throughout the process we commit to active communication with you, so you are never wondering what is happening or where things stand with your application or the hiring process.It is very important that the DCYOP Staff, and board participate in the selection process to set you up most effectively for success. This announcement has been informed by many perspectives, and finalists will have the opportunity to come on site and meet the entire staff and board before a hiring decision is made.In addition, Creative Evolutions is engaging a paid Industry Representative who will be collaborating with Creative Evolutions to design and conduct the Semi-Finalist Conversations as part of the process. This peer will select the candidates who advance to Finalist consideration and will also commit to be available for up to three calls for the selected Director of Development during their first year of employment at DCYOP to provide strong collegial or mentorship support during the transition period.If you have questions or recommendations, we encourage you to contact the search team at Creative Evolutions at:Calida Jones: calida@creativeevolutions.comDr. Kim Davis: kimberly@fivesixteenconsulting.orgWhat We Are Looking for in Our New Director of DevelopmentWe are excited to add this very important role to the DCYOP team. DCYOP has a staff team with a wide span of skills and capabilities, including staff members with many years of experience with the organization. The current Board of Directors collectively represents a wide range of industries and knowledge from music to talent acquisition, finance and the law, as well as including an official parent representative and several other Board members who have previously had students in the program or are DCYOP alumni.Human Expectations and Personal ValuesThe Director of Development will be deeply committed to fostering strong relationships within the community to build a positive image such that companies, schools, civic organizations and individuals will make DCYOP the local nonprofit organization of choice for funding.As our Director of Development, you will understand and proactively manage human expectations and human relationships; personal values are crucial in effectively developing and maintaining relationships with DCYOP constituents. Managing human expectations refers to the desires and anticipations individuals have regarding their environment and culture. The Director of Development should align these expectations with DCYOP’s goals and create a culture where board members, volunteers, teaching artists, parents, students, and donors can interact and learn from one another. This individual will be a visible member of the DCYOP community who will model community building through their interactions with staff, board, parents, and students.The desire to contribute to a thriving and healthy organizational culture will be a notable feature of our Director of Development – they are fueled by being present and getting to know everyone in long-term and authentic ways. They aren’t just a good listener – listening to others and learning about them is their favorite way to spend their time. To meet human expectations and honor personal values, the Director of Development should prioritize open communication, transparency, and collaboration within the team. This includes providing opportunities for collaboration, teamwork, and discovery fostering a culture of trust and respect, and ensuring that the work environment aligns with the core values of the team members.By recognizing and addressing human expectations and personal values, the Director of Development can contribute to the overall success and satisfaction of both the DCYOP staff and the community as a whole.Where Our Director of Development will be ExceptionalOur Director of Development will be truly exceptional on two related fronts – strategic fund development planning and execution and community engagement.As the lead strategist for fund development, this team member will craft a multi-year plan aimed at increasing revenue and meeting the needs for programming. This plan will serve as a guiding framework that informs and aligns with the organization’s revenue growth objectives over the next three years. The Director of Developm