California

Assistant/Associate Director of Philanthropy & Engagement

Athenaeum Music & Arts Library  ·  La Jolla, CA 

We sit at the intersection of music, art, community, and history — and we are growing! The Athenaeum Music & Arts Library is a beloved San Diego institution entering an exciting new chapter after a strategic planning process. We are in search of a driven and creative fundraiser to help write the next one.

 
About Us
The Athenaeum Music & Arts Library is a dynamic cultural hub and membership library where music, art and learning thrive. Welcoming the San Diego community and beyond since 1899, we create spaces where curiosity, creativity, and community flourish. We provide music and arts library resources, studio art classes, and year-round exhibitions, concerts, lectures, and other public programs to San Diego communities. Our organizational budget is approximately $2.5 million, and we work across two locations: the historic library in downtown La Jolla, and the Athenaeum Art Center in Logan Heights, inside the Bread & Salt building.

 
The Role
The Assistant Director of Philanthropy & Engagement reports directly to the Executive Director, and will own our full fundraising operation — individual donors, corporate partners, grants, membership, and our annual benefit gala. You will lead fundraising efforts, membership program, and communications. This position will collaborate deeply with the Executive Director and manage the Membership and Communications departments to achieve organizational fundraising goals that promote and support the Athenaeum’s mission and programs. You will manage a small team and work shoulder-to-shoulder with the Board to grow the culture of giving that sustains everything we do.

 
What You Will Be Doing
Raise Money

•     Design and implement fundraising strategies to meet budget goals for individual, foundation, corporate, and governmental sources

•     Work from an existing development plan to grow membership and income; and work with internal and external stakeholders on important institutional fundraisers, including an annual benefit celebration

•     Drive a major gifts program — prospect, cultivate, and close

•     Lead corporate membership pursuits and steward key relationships

•     Partner with the Executive Director and Board on solicitations

Run the Annual Benefit

•     Lead the benefit committee and event consultant to produce our signature fundraiser

•     Balance fundraising targets with memorable donor experiences

Grow Membership & Communications

•     Manage the Communications Associate and Membership Assistant

•     Develop strategies to reach new and diverse audiences across the region

•     Keep all channels — email, social, web, print — cohesive and compelling

Manage Grants & Finances

•     Oversee grant relationships and work with our consulting grant writer

•     Track revenue, provide projections, and evaluate fundraising effectiveness

 
What You Bring Along
The successful candidate will have a proven track record as a nonprofit leader with experience in individual donor development, special events, communications and outreach, and foundation and corporate fund development. He/she/they will have a passion for the essential role the Athenaeum plays in San Diego’s cultural landscape.

•     5+ years of progressive nonprofit development experience

•     Proven track record in raising funds from foundations, corporations and individuals

•     A skilled solicitor — strategic, creative, and confident asking for gifts

•     An exceptional relationship builder and communicator in every format

•     A collaborative manager who brings out the best in a small team

•     Genuinely curious about equity, diversity, and building broader community ties

•     This position requires US Citizenship

•     Preferred: Experience with Raiser’s Edge and working for arts/culture organizations

 
What We Offer
•     $75,000–$90,000, commensurate with experience; Full time (exempt)

•     Employer-sponsored healthcare and voluntary benefits

•     Generous vacation + 13 paid holidays

•     403(b) with match after one year

•     Flexible work environment

•     Paid parking in downtown La Jolla

•     Full family membership + free admission to all Athenaeum programs

 
We Look Forward to Meeting You!
Start date: As soon as possible.  Please submit your cover letter and resume to Christie Mitchell, Executive Director, at careers@ljathenaeum.org

 

We Take Care of Our People
   The Athenaeum is committed to a diverse and inclusive workplace. We value and celebrate     

   diversity, believing that every employee matters and should be respected and heard. We are proud

   to be an equal opportunity workplace and affirmative action employer, committed to providing

   employment opportunity regardless of sex, race, creed, color, gender, religion, marital status,

   domestic partner status, age, national origin, or ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical

   condition, sexual orientation, pregnancy, citizenship, military, or Veteran status. For individuals with  

   disabilities who would like to request an accommodation, please contact careers@ljathenaeum.org

Director of Communications
Ryman Arts | Los Angeles, CA

About Ryman Arts

Ryman Arts transforms lives by creating access and opportunity for a diverse community of young artists through self-expression, rigorous education in art skills, and mentoring.

For 36 years, Ryman Arts has provided tuition-free, college-level visual arts instruction and mentorship to talented young artists across Southern California. Today, Ryman Arts operates on four college campuses and is entering an exciting new chapter of growth, including the development of a new digital arts and workforce initiative for alumni.

As we expand our reach and evolve our public presence, we are seeking a strategic, creative, and collaborative communications leader to help shape the next chapter of the Ryman Arts brand.

Position Summary

The Director of Communications will lead the strategic evolution of Ryman Arts’ voice, storytelling, visual identity, and communications ecosystem during a pivotal period of organizational growth and brand transformation.

This role will oversee institutional communications across development, education, alumni engagement, digital platforms, campaigns, events, and public-facing storytelling, while helping guide a major brand refresh and website redesign initiative already underway.

The ideal candidate is both strategic and hands-on: someone who can think deeply about brand positioning, audience engagement, and institutional storytelling while also helping execute high-quality communications across channels.

This person will work closely with the Executive Director, the Director of Development, and the Development and Communications Coordinator, and collaborate across departments to help articulate a more contemporary, cohesive, forward-looking expression of Ryman Arts while preserving the heart, rigor, and community-centered mission that define the organization.

Key Responsibilities

Brand Strategy & Institutional Voice

• Help shape and steward the evolving Ryman Arts brand, voice, and storytelling strategy
• Partner with the Executive Director and leadership team to develop messaging that reflects organizational growth, excellence, and innovation
• Guide consistency in tone, visual identity, and communications across all public touchpoints
• Help position Ryman Arts as a premier, forward-thinking arts education organization

Brand Refresh & Website Initiative

• Serve as internal communications lead for the organization’s upcoming brand refresh and website redesign
• Collaborate with external creative agencies, designers, photographers, videographers, and web partners
• Help oversee brand implementation, rollout, and long-term stewardship
• Ensure the refreshed brand reflects accessibility, inclusivity, creativity, and organizational excellence

Content, Storytelling & Digital Communications

• Oversee organizational storytelling across web, social media, email, print, video, campaigns, press, and presentations
• Develop compelling content that supports student recruitment, donor engagement, alumni pride, and public visibility
• Partner with program staff to elevate educational storytelling and communicate student and alumni impact
• Develop communications strategies that strengthen alumni engagement, participation, mentorship, and long-term connection to Ryman Arts
• Guide development of multimedia storytelling, including photography, video, and digital campaigns
• Oversee editorial planning and content calendars across departments and initiatives
• Establish and monitor key communications metrics, including website, email, social media, and campaign performance, to evaluate effectiveness and inform strategic decision-making
• Develop and support press materials, media outreach, and earned media opportunities that elevate Ryman Arts’ visibility and impact 

Development & Advancement Communications

• Partner closely with the Director of Development, Development & Communications Coordinator, and Alumni Engagement Specialist on donor-facing storytelling and campaign communications
• Support fundraising campaigns, sponsorship materials, donor stewardship, annual reports, and major institutional messaging
• Help strengthen donor confidence through clear, cohesive, mission-centered communications

Leadership & Collaboration

• Provide strategic direction, mentorship, and supervision for communications-related staff, projects, and creative contractors as assigned
• Collaborate cross-functionally with Education, Development, Alumni Engagement, Operations, and Executive leadership
• Build communication systems and workflows that support collaboration and consistency across teams
• Develop and manage the annual communications budget in collaboration with organizational leadership, ensuring effective allocation of resources across communications, initiatives, campaigns, vendors, and strategic priorities

Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience in communications, brand strategy, marketing, editorial, public relations, or related fields
• Strong storytelling and editorial instincts with excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Experience leading integrated communications initiatives across digital and print platforms
• Experience managing creative projects, campaigns, websites, and/or brand initiatives
• Demonstrated ability to balance strategic thinking with hands-on execution
• Strong visual sensibility and understanding of brand systems and audience engagement
• Collaborative, emotionally intelligent, and highly organized
• Experience in arts, education, nonprofit, cultural, or mission-driven organizations strongly preferred

Preferred Experience

• Brand refresh or rebranding experience
• Website redesign/development collaboration
• Photography/video direction or multimedia storytelling
• Executive communications or thought leadership support
• Press and media relations experience, including story development, media outreach, earned media placement, and strategic promotional partnerships
• Familiarity with CRM/email marketing systems and analytics
• Experience supervising staff or creative teams

Compensation, Schedule, & Benefits

• Salary range: $100,000 – $115,000 a year
• Full-time exempt position
• Standard 35-hour workweek
• Hybrid schedule based in Los Angeles
• Competitive benefits package including health coverage, eligibility for a matching 403(b), paid time off, holidays, and other benefits.

Why Join Ryman Arts
Ryman Arts is entering an exciting period of growth and transformation. This is an opportunity to help shape the voice, visibility, and future identity of a deeply respected arts education organization while contributing to meaningful work that changes young lives through creativity, mentorship, and access.

How to Apply
Please email a cover letter and resume as PDFs along with 1-3 relevant work examples in writing, marketing, branding, web, campaigns, or other related project, to: info@ryman.org with the subject line “Communications Director 2026”

Application review will begin immediately; application deadline Monday, July 20.