Description

Executive Director - Summary Profile

Location: Grass Valley, CA

Reports to: President and Board of Directors

Supervises: A senior leadership team overseeing a staff of approximately 25 employees (full- and part-time)

About The Center for the Arts

Since 2000, The Center for the Arts has been a cultural cornerstone of Nevada County, presenting more than 100 events annually across music, theater, dance, comedy, literary, and visual arts. The organization operates from a newly renovated, state-of-the-art venue in downtown Grass Valley, with a Main Stage accommodating up to 507 seated or 750 standing guests.

The Opportunity

The Board of Directors seeks a dynamic, experienced leader to serve as The Center’s next Executive Director. Reporting to the Board, the ED sets strategic direction, leads fundraising and external relations, and ensures the organization has the resources, systems, and partnerships needed to fulfill its mission. The Executive Director leads through a senior management team, balancing delegation with accountability, and partners closely with the Board to strengthen governance, fundraising capacity, and long-term sustainability.

This role comes at an important moment for the organization. The Center has made meaningful progress in strengthening operations and clarifying its earned revenue strategy, while also recognizing the need to build more consistent, reliable contributed income to support long-term sustainability. The next Executive Director will be asked to lead with judgment, clarity, and follow-through—aligning ambition with capacity and guiding the organization forward with intention, alignment, and care.

Key Leadership Priorities (First Year)

• Build and personally manage a portfolio of 25+ major gift donors
• Align fundraising efforts across major gifts, membership, sponsorships, and campaigns
• Strengthen the Board’s role as fundraisers and ambassadors
• Lead financial decision-making with transparency and discipline
• Serve as a visible spokesperson and community leader

Ideal Candidate

Strong candidates will bring nonprofit fundraising experience, sound financial judgment, and the ability to lead senior teams while partnering effectively with a governing board. They will be skilled communicators, effective relationship-builders, and passionate about the power of the performing arts to strengthen rural communities.

Compensation & Benefits

The salary range for this position is $121,000 - $142,000, commensurate with experience. Benefits include paid Flexible Time Off (four weeks annually), flexible scheduling and hybrid work potential after onboarding, complimentary tickets to non-sold-out shows, and discounts on workshops, merchandise, and bar service.

Inclusion Statement

The Center for the Arts is committed to fostering a diverse, inclusive, and equitable workplace and encourages candidates from underrepresented backgrounds to apply. 

To Apply:  Review full job description and apply here. Review of applications will begin March 23, 2026, with initial outreach to selected candidates anticipated in early April.

Requirements

Executive Director - Job Description

Location: Grass Valley, CA

Schedule: Full-time, includes evenings and weekends for events, donor engagements, and board meetings

Compensation:  $121,000 - $142,000 per year depending on experience

Classification: Salaried, exempt

Reports to: President and Board of Directors

Supervises: Director of Finance & Administration, Director of Operations, Development Operations Manager

Organizational Overview

Since 2000, The Center for the Arts, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts organization, has been a cultural cornerstone of Nevada County. Presenting more than 100 events each year—including music, theater, dance, comedy, literary, and visual arts—The Center operates from a newly renovated, state-of-the-art venue in downtown Grass Valley. The facility includes the Main Stage, which accommodates up to 507 seated or 750 standing guests.

We seek a dynamic experienced leader with a passion for how live arts can transform a rural community and who will help raise the profile and funds necessary to sustain the organization into the future.

Position Summary

The Executive Director (ED) is the chief executive and chief fundraiser of The Center for the Arts, responsible for the organization’s leadership, financial sustainability, and long-term success.

Reporting to the Board of Directors, the ED sets strategic direction, leads fundraising and external relations, and ensures the organization has the resources, governance, and leadership capacity to fulfill its mission.

The ED leads the organization through a senior management team, establishing priorities, guiding strategic trade-offs, and retaining accountability for organizational performance, financial health, and risk while delegating operational execution to department leaders. The ED maintains a strong working relationship with the Board through clear communication, regular reporting, and ongoing board development.

First-Year Priorities

• Build major-gifts capacity: Establish and personally manage a portfolio of top prospects; cultivate, solicit, and steward at least 25 individual donors giving $5,000+ annually.
• Create a unified fundraising strategy: Align membership, major gifts, sponsorships, and campaigns with clear goals, timelines, and metrics.
• Develop the Board as fundraisers and ambassadors: Implement clear expectations, tools, and training to increase board participation in donor cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.
• Stabilize organizational finances: Lead financial decision-making during a period of growth and transition, ensuring reliable cash flow and clear communication with the Board.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

   Executive Leadership & Strategy

• Serve as the organization’s chief executive, accountable for overall performance, sustainability, and impact.
• Lead execution of the organization’s strategic plan in partnership with the Board and senior staff.
• Set organizational priorities and make final decisions on resource allocation and strategic tradeoffs.
• Foster a mission-driven, accountable, and collaborative organizational culture.

   Financial Leadership & Sustainability

• Carry primary responsibility for the organization’s financial health, stability, and long-term sustainability.
• Supervise the Director of Finance & Administration, who serves as the organization’s technical authority on accounting, compliance, and financial reporting.
• Lead financial decision-making during periods of constraint or uncertainty, in close consultation with the Director of Finance & Administration and Director of Operations.
• Partner with the Board Treasurer and Finance Committee on budgeting, forecasting, audits, and financial oversight.
• Communicate clearly and transparently with the Board regarding financial performance, risks, and mitigation strategies.

   Fundraising & Resource Development

• Lead and personally participate in fundraising across individual giving, major gifts, sponsorships, foundations, and special events.
• Supervise the Development Operations Manager to ensure effective donor stewardship, accurate tracking, reporting, and campaign execution.
• Cultivate and steward relationships with major donors, sponsors, foundations, and institutional partners.
• Activate and support the Board in fundraising, donor cultivation, and ambassadorship.
• Ensure fundraising goals align with organizational capacity and strategic priorities.   

   Board Relations & Board Development

• Serve as the primary liaison between the Board and staff, providing clear reporting and strategic insight.
• Partner with the Board President to strengthen governance practices, committee structure, and meeting effectiveness.
• Lead board development efforts, including recruitment, orientation, training, and succession planning.
• Build a board culture that embraces fundraising, ambassadorship, and shared accountability.

   Marketing, Communications & External Relations

• Provide strategic leadership for the organization’s external presentation, public messaging, and brand identity.
• Work closely with the Marketing Manager on organizational messaging, audience-facing communications, and marketing initiatives that support development goals and institutional priorities.
• Partner with the Director of Operations, who provides day-to-day supervision of the Marketing Manager, to ensure marketing execution aligns with organizational strategy, programming priorities, and internal capacity.
• Serve as the organization’s chief spokesperson and public representative.
• Build and maintain relationships with community leaders, civic partners, government agencies, media, and peer organizations, advocating for the organization’s mission, programs, and community impact.

   Organizational Oversight

• Lead the organization through a senior management team, delegating day-to-day operations, programming execution, and administrative systems to department heads while retaining responsibility for organizational priorities, cross-functional alignment, and performance accountability.
• Maintain oversight of organizational performance by setting goals, approving major initiatives, monitoring results, and intervening when risks, capacity constraints, or strategic misalignment arise.
• Ensure alignment between external commitments, financial realities, and internal capacity.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of senior leadership experience in nonprofit or arts organizations.
• Demonstrated success in fundraising, including major gifts and sponsorships.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and execute strategic fundraising plans and meet financial targets.
• Demonstrated strength in organizational messaging, public presentation, and relationship-based communication.
• Experience in budget development and financial oversight for organizations in the $2M-$5M or more.
• Proven ability to inspire and manage teams and collaborate effectively with boards.
• Strong judgment, financial acumen, and comfort making complex tradeoffs.
• Excellent communication, relationship-building, and public leadership skills.
• Knowledge of the performing arts industry and nonprofit governance.
• Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree in arts administration, business or a related field preferred.

Benefits

• Paid Flexible Time Off (FTO); 4 weeks per year
• Flexible scheduling and hybrid work potential after onboarding
• Complimentary tickets to non-sold-out shows
• Discounts on workshops, merchandise, and bar service

Inclusion Statement

Don't meet every single requirement? Studies show that people from underrepresented backgrounds often don't apply unless they meet 100% of the qualifications. The Center for the Arts is committed to fostering a diverse, inclusive, and equitable workplace. If you’re excited about this role but your experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification, we still encourage you to apply.