Role Summary

Armory Center for the Arts based in Pasadena, California, seeks a full-time hourly/non-exempt External Relations Assistant (40hrs/week). Under the supervision of the Vice President of External Relations, the External Relations Assistant manages the fundraising database; supports all individual giving and membership activities, including gift entry, preparing gift acknowledgments, membership packets, and annual fund mailings; and assists with fundraising events, grants management, and other Development duties as assigned. In addition, this role is also responsible for assisting with Armory’s communications efforts. This includes its online presence in the form of its website and all social media platforms.

Organizational Overview 

Armory Center for the Arts mission is to nurture our community and its young people by creating, learning, and presenting art to advance equity and social justice. The Armory was formed in 1989 when the Pasadena Art Workshops (the former education department of the Pasadena Art Museum) merged with the Pasadena Gallery of Contemporary Art (formerly the Baxter Art Gallery at California Institute of Technology). Deeply committed to cultural equity and community empowerment, the Armory presents contemporary art exhibitions, performances, and educational experiences at its main facility in Pasadena and offsite throughout the City of Pasadena and Greater Los Angeles. For more information on the Armory, visit armoryarts.org/about.

Duties & Responsibilities

(Work Load Breakdown: 75% Development, 25% Communications)

Fund Development

      Database 

• Maintains integrity and currency of constituent records within the Bloomerang donor management and fundraising software database;
• Daily, enters gifts into Bloomerang fundraising database and daily gift report, and reconciles batches with Finance monthly;
• Prepares departmental reports as needed.

      Individual Giving

• Processes, coordinates, prepares, and distributes donor and member mailings, including renewal letters, acknowledgment letters, appeals, membership cards, and packets;
• Liaises with Studio and Visitor Services teams to promote Armory membership program and increase donations; 
• Responds to requests from donors and members and provides timely follow-through;
• Prepares content for quarterly donor/member newsletter;
• Maintains and organizes membership materials and inventory.

      Special Events 

• Assists with and attends Armory special events including but not limited to the annual benefit and auction (duties include early-stage planning, managing ticket orders, and patron gifts, processing in-kind donations, check-in duties, and other logistics)
• Provides support for other Development related events, including annual institutional giving reception, exhibition openings, and other departmental special events as needed; 
• Helps prepare for periodic donor and foundation site visits.

      Grants Management

• Assists with foundation and corporate prospect research;
• Assists External Relations team with application and report submission materials.

Communications

• Stay updated with the best social media practices to communicate with internal and external constituents.
• Assist with basic website maintenance in a consistent and timely manner with the most current information from all departments.
• Maintain and organize digital assets, such as photos, videos, and logos.
• Develop relationships with Armory staff and work effectively between departments on relevant projects.
• Attend various Armory events to gather information and photography as necessary.

Other Duties

• Takes and prepares minutes at weekly External Relations team meetings, Development Committee meetings, Benefit meetings, and other meetings;
• Liaises with Development department volunteers; 
• Provide administrative and calendaring support to External Relations team;
• Other development and communications duties as assigned.

Qualifications

     Basic Qualifications

• A Bachelor’s degree in related fields or 2 years of equivalent work experience beyond the requirements listed may be substituted for a college degree;
• Excellent oral and written communication skills; good public presentation skills;
• Proficient with data entry, data exports, and preparing reports;
• Working mastery of, Google Workspace, Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and Excel;
• Experience with remote working and/or collaborative tools including Google Meet and Zoom;
• Attention to detail and ability to organize data, schedules, tasks, and projects;
• Availability to periodically work evening hours or weekend days;
• Passion for the Armory’s mission and its cultural equity values is essential.

     Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in nonprofit development and experience at a museum or art center is preferred;
• Experience with social media strategy and management including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn,
• Experience utilizing InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, and other Adobe applications a plus;
• Experience working with donor management software platforms;
• Experience in marketing, event management, and fundraising;
• Familiarity with bulk email tools (MailChimp), basic HTML, and website content management systems (we currently use SilverStripe).

Compensation

Up to $19.35/hour for 40 hours per week. Benefits include generous vacation time, nine paid holidays plus the holiday break, Dec 25-Jan 1, free parking, opportunities for professional development, and free Armory studio art classes. 

How to Apply

To apply, please send a resume and cover letter careers@armoryarts.org. Please write “External Relations Assistant” in the email’s subject line. No phone calls, please. Applications are due by October 24, 2022.

We understand that it is unlikely that an applicant meets all of the qualifications for a given role. If much of this job description describes you, you are encouraged to apply for this role.

An Equal Opportunity Employer
It is the policy of the Armory Center for the Arts to provide all persons with equal employment opportunities without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, age, veteran or marital status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.