Business / Arts
Senior Director, Development and Partnerships
Organization
Celebrating 50 years in 2024, Business / Arts is a national charitable organization that shows the power of partnership between business and the arts. In 1974, Business leader Edmund C. Bovey responded to a call from the Canada Council for the Arts to mobilize business support for the arts. Bringing together 50+ Chief Executive Officers from across Canada, the Council for Business and the Arts in Canada (now known as Business / Arts) was established. For over 50 years, the mission has remained the same—to champion business investment in the arts and build strong, lasting partnerships between the arts, business, and government in Canada. Through a variety of initiatives, Business / Arts is uniquely positioned to bring together business, private patrons, government, and the arts, all in the service of supporting the growth of Canada’s arts sector. The organization’s focus is on three main objectives: to convene and lead; to support and facilitate; to share, amplify, and advocate.
Business / Arts leads several programs that strengthen the leadership and capacity of both large and small arts organizations. The signature artsvest program is a national mentorship training program designed to build capacity in Canada’s cultural sector. artsvest provides small to mid-sized arts, culture, and heritage organizations with resources, expertise, and training in marketing, board governance, and sponsorship, along with matching incentive funds and peer-to-peer networking. To date, 5,966 representatives from 2,576 organizations have participated in the artsvest training and formed 5,864 partnerships with businesses, raising over $26.8M in new private sector investment. Combined with matching funds, the overall impact is $37.2M to Canada’s cultural sector.
In 1998, Business / Arts and the Banff Centre for Arts & Creativity invited the chairs, executive directors, and artistic directors of 20 of Canada’s largest arts organizations to a summit. The first Canadian Arts Summit was predicated upon the belief that these influential leaders could, by working together, better support Canadian artistic aspirations. The Summit has grown and continues to play a vital role in bringing together leading voices from Canada and internationally to help shape the future of arts in Canada. In 2024, the Summit gathered 170+ senior arts leaders and advocates in Banff for three days of collaboration and will reconvene in 2025 at the National Arts Centre on April 3–5.
Business / Arts further supports leadership development via the Emerging Leadership Program, which provides mentorship and networking opportunities to the next generation of arts leaders from across the country. The organization also delivers on its mission to share, support, and advocate for the sector, producing the quarterly Arts Response Tracking Surveys (ARTS) and monthly Speaker Series webinars, equipping 2000+ arts organizations with data and tools to navigate emerging trends confidently.
Through the annual Business / Arts Awards Celebration, the organization honours exemplary philanthropists, corporations, partnerships, and community changemakers. The event brings together over 300 guests annually to recognize and celebrate these outstanding contributions to the arts and to inspire others.
Business / Arts continues to flourish under the leadership and guidance of its 22-member Board of Directors made up of prominent Canadian business leaders, with Robert J. Foster serving as Chair, as well as nine Ambassadors who serve as honorary Directors. Since 2020, President and CEO Aubrey Reeves has led a collaborative team of 12 permanent staff. The head office is located in Toronto, where approximately half of the staff team is based, while the other half works remotely from across Canada. For the fiscal year ending December 31, 2023, the organization reported $1.9 million in revenue, with $1.6 million in revenue derived from grants, sponsorships, donations, and earned revenue across all programs.
Community
The Business / Arts headquarters are based in Tkaronto (Toronto), which for thousands of years has been the traditional gathering place of many nations, specifically the Anishinaabe, Wendat, Haudenosaunee, and the Mississaugas of the Credit, and is now home to many First Nations, Inuit, and Metis peoples. Business / Arts acknowledge that Toronto is covered by Treaty 13, signed with the Mississaugas of the Credit, and the Williams Treaties signed with multiple Mississaugas and Chippewa bands. Settlers were invited into this treaty in the spirit of peace, friendship, and respect, and we have a duty to uphold these values.
Toronto, Ontario, is Canada's largest city, situated on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario, located on the Treaty Lands and Territory of the Mississaugas of the
Credit First Nation. As of July 2022, Toronto's population was approximately 3,025,647 residents. The city is part of what is known as the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), a sprawling metropolitan region with a population exceeding 6.7 million people as of 2021. The GTA encompasses not only Toronto but also surrounding municipalities, making it one of the largest urban areas in North America.
As Canada’s financial and cultural capital, the city is home to a diverse and generous donor base, including high-net-worth individuals, major corporate sponsors, and influential philanthropic foundations. With a strong tradition of corporate social responsibility, many of Toronto’s top businesses actively invest in arts, culture, education, and community development, creating significant opportunities for meaningful partnerships. Toronto has three universities, two polytechnics, two colleges, and 128 specialized research centres. The city has also been undergoing a construction boom over the last decade. This increased commercial development is also coinciding with major transportation upgrades, including the $640 million revitalization of Union Station, Canada’s busiest transportation hub. Toronto also plays a significant role in the global film industry, serving as a filming location for numerous television shows and movies.
The city boasts a median age of 39.6 years, reflecting a balanced mix of youth and experience. In 2020, the average household income was $84,000. Toronto was the first city in Canada to be designated as a UNESCO Creative City of Media Arts and is also the fastest-growing technology market in North America, with 80,100 jobs created—greater than the job growth in New York City, Seattle, and Boston combined.
Toronto is renowned for its vibrant neighbourhoods, varied culinary scene, and extensive cultural institutions, including the Art Gallery of Ontario, Canadian Opera Company, Harbourfront Centre, Canadian Stage, National Ballet of Canada, Royal Ontario Museum, The Second City Toronto, Toronto International Film Festival, Toronto Symphony Orchestra, among many others. In addition to numerous museums and performing arts organizations, large-scale special events can be found almost every weekend of the year throughout the GTA. Several signature events include Nuit Blanche, Luminato Festival Toronto, Pride Toronto, Canadian National Exhibition, and Toronto Caribbean Carnival, to name a few. With more than 8,000 international restaurants from which to choose, the food scene in the GTA is one of the finest and most eclectic in the world.
Sources: toronto.ca; destinationtoronto.ca; statcan.gc.ca; thestar.com; financialpost.com
Position Summary
The Senior Director of Development and Partnerships (Senior Director) will be the driver of organizational revenue generation in partnership with the President & CEO and Board of Directors. Based primarily in the Toronto region, they will be a leader, motivator, and part of the senior management team working in collaboration with the artsvest Senior Director and the President & CEO on the overall strategic direction and management of Business / Arts. Supervising the Development Coordinator, they will lead by example, working in close proximity to their staff. Deeply knowledgeable about the arts sector and fundraising in Canada, the Senior Director will be comfortable stewarding current relationships with business partners, board members, and donors, as well as in developing new partnerships. They will be eager and adept at collaborating across teams on the management of the finances and operations of the organization.
Role and Responsibilities
Relationship Building and Donor Relations
- Generate relationship building and fundraising strategies, in collaboration with the Senior Leadership team, which leverages Business / Arts’ unique value proposition.
- Lead and implement a plan for individual donor cultivation, including Board, Ambassadors, and Board Emeriti.
- Direct and oversee activation and fulfillment of business partnerships, sponsorships, and the stewardship of donors.
- Represent Business / Arts, in coordination with the President & CEO, to individuals, organizations, and the broader philanthropic community to increase awareness of the organization and expand on revenue generating opportunities.
- Direct annual fundraising campaigns and requests for specific programs and initiatives.
- Embrace other relationship building and donor relations tasks, as necessary.
Strategic Leadership and Prominence
- Partner with the Senior Leadership team in advancing the overarching strategic themes for the organization and engage and enroll the business community to substantially raise the Business / Arts national profile.
- Maximize the impact of artsvest Phase V (2022–2026); engage governments with its story; and help develop and encourage the participation of diverse and next generation donors, corporate supporters, arts leaders, board members, and influencers for Phase VI (2026–2030).
- Reimagine the corporate membership structure to increase engagement and growth.
- Collaborate with the Senior Leadership team on the Human Resources’ strategy, recruitment, hiring and team management, advancing professional growth opportunities of staff through mentorship and other supports.
- Steward and support the Awards Committee and Development Committee.
- Embrace other strategic leadership and external visibility tasks, as necessary.
Program Management and Operational Excellence
- Direct partners’ activation, project logistics, and communications roll-out on key events, such as the annual Business / Arts Awards and the Canadian Arts Summit.
- Recognize the needs and opportunities for programs and initiatives within the arts field and the corresponding public and private sector for funding sources.
- Advance and manage organizational and individual program and operating budgets and forecasts for the Canadian Arts Summit, Business / Arts Awards, Emerging Leadership Program, Speaker Series, and other programs in collaboration with the Senior Leadership team.
- Embrace other program management and operational excellence tasks, as necessary.
Traits and Characteristics
The Senior Director will be professional and personable with a strong aptitude for managing various stakeholder relationships, including donors, sponsors, funders, board members, advisors, and volunteers. A strong spokesperson and advocate for the arts, they will have excellent interpersonal skills and be able to nurture trusting, open relationships that encourage learning and participation. They will bring sound judgment, tact, and diplomacy to working with a diverse group of people.
Other key competencies include:
- Time and Priority Management – The acumen for prioritizing and completing tasks in order to deliver desired outcomes within allotted time frames.
- Negotiation and Goal Orientation – The creativity to set, pursue, and attain goals and agreements regardless of obstacles, multiple points of view, or circumstances.
- Flexibility – The dexterity to readily modify, respond, and adapt to change.
- Teamwork and Interpersonal Skills – The ability to organize and motivate others while creating a sense of order, direction, and active participation among the internal and external stakeholders to achieve collective goals.
- Personal Accountability – The sensitivity to take accountability for decisions, grow from mistakes, and possess a high degree of awareness of the impact of personal actions and decisions.
Qualifications
Post-secondary education in a relevant field or equivalent knowledge and experience of fundraising and sponsorship in the cultural or business sectors is required. Experience in leading and mentoring direct reports and working collaboratively is essential. Skills or acumen working with Google, MS Office, QuickBooks, Keela, and project management software applications are preferred. An ability to speak in both of Canada’s official languages, English and French, is an asset but not required.
Compensation and Benefits
This is a full-time position offering an anticipated salary range of $90,000 to $100,000. Business / Arts offers flextime and hybrid work options in Toronto, which includes a four-day workweek through the summer months of July and August. There is a health and dental plan and opportunities for annual performance bonuses.
Applications and Inquiries
Business / Arts is committed to equity in our policies, practices, and programs. Applications are welcomed from all qualified individuals. We encourage applications from equity-seeking communities, including women, racialized and Indigenous persons, persons with disabilities, and persons of all sexual orientations and gender identities/expressions. Please advise of any accommodation needed to ensure you have access to a fair and equitable process.
To submit your cover letter, which outlines your suitability for the position, and your CV/resume (electronic submissions preferred), please click here or visit artsconsulting.com/opensearches. For questions or general inquiries about this unique opportunity, please contact:
Jeff Erbach, Associate Vice President
Luisa Adrianzen Guyer, Vice President
52 Church Street, Suite 217
Toronto, Ontario M5C 2B5
Tel (888) 234.4236 Ext. 241 (Erbach)
Email BusinessArts@ArtsConsulting.com
To support and celebrate a Canadian art and culture sector that is inclusive and accessible to all, Business / Arts commits to policies and practices that respect human rights and empower a just, dignified, inclusive, and equitable society.
Click here for the downloadable PDF.