The Organization
About The International Association of Blacks In Dance
The International Association of Blacks in Dance (IABD) was founded in 1991 to preserve and promote dance by people of African ancestry or origin. Since its founding, IABD has evolved into an international arts service organization that:
- annually hosts its signature conference and festival that convenes over 800 dance professionals from around the world;
- serves as a source and publication for scholarly discourse on the dance sector;
- functions as an intermediary grantmaker;
- advocates for and delivers funding, capacity building, audience development, and performance opportunity support for its members; and
- presents periodic workshops, year-round programs, and other special events to benefit the IABD membership and the general public.
Through tireless efforts in the arts and culture sector, IABD validates the significant connections and influence that dance by people of African ancestry or origin have on the American and international cultural landscape. IABD’s work is rich with insights, knowledge, and expertise vital to current and future dance professionals. Currently, IABD members consist of dancers, arts administrators, choreographers, dance companies, directors, students, educators, philanthropists, and scholars.
Within the last 5 years, IABD has received significant support and investments to assist with growing its impact in the dance sector. With those investments, IABD redefined its own infrastructure and hired its first set of full-time staff members, increasing its operational and programming capacity. In 2019, IABD became the first Black-led dance service organization to grant over $1M of funding to Black dance companies across the United States.
IABD is in a critical stage in its evolution and actively looking to align itself with a strategic and resourceful finance professional that will support its next iteration. It is anticipated that the right leader will be instrumental in strengthening IABD’s fiscal operations.
Position Overview
About the Opportunity
For the majority of IABD’s 31 year history, fiscal operations were outsourced to external accounting consultants. This Finance Director opportunity is the direct result of targeted investments from IABD’s funders to secure the legacy of this organization. This role is an exciting opportunity for a leader that is ready to have an integral role in this organization’s fiscal evolution.
The Finance Director will have the opportunity to develop and oversee IABD’s financial systems and strategies. They will have a strategic impact on IABD’s operations, financial analysis, and short- and long-term planning. The Finance Director will perform daily fiscal operational tasks while liaising with IABD’s external bookkeeper and CPA. The ideal candidate will ensure that all financial processes are handled within established standards and that payroll cycles are conducted with integrity and by industry standards.
The Finance Director will report to the President and CEO and work in partnership with the staff and Board of Directors to achieve organizational goals. IABD projects revenue for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2022, at $3 million. The association’s diverse revenue platform includes programming, membership dues, sponsorships, grants, and a fiscal sponsorship program.
Key Roles and Responsibilities
The Finance Director will focus their efforts on three primary areas: managerial accounting, financial management, and reporting and analytics. Working in close partnership with IABD’s senior leadership, they will hold key responsibilities for:
Managerial Accounting
- Managing Quickbooks Online Advanced to code, track and pay invoices
- Ensuring payments for contracted services and consultant engagement activities are paid for services rendered
- Managing all accounts receivable (i.e., member dues, ad sales, contracts, consultant agreements, sponsorships, federal grant funds, fiscally sponsored projects, and preparation of appropriate reports)
- Creating templates for contracts and consultant agreements
- Maintaining a filing system for executed forms
- Serving as the primary point of contact for accounting at IABD events (e.g., event registration, payment processing, and on-site registration processes).
- Delivering appropriate follow-up with staff, members, vendors, etc., to ensure timely payment of all receivables and payables
- Ensuring timely delivery of IRS Form 1099 for all vendors
- Providing management and oversight of payroll processing and related vendors with Intuit.com
Financial Management
- Collaborating with IABD’s auditing firm to conduct annual financial audits/reviews
- Working with IABD’s senior leadership team to ensure that cash flow is monitored and maintained
- Overseeing compliance requirements with all city, state, and federal filings (taxes, licenses, 990s, etc.) to maintain and protect IABD’s nonprofit status
- Working with IABD’s Board of Directors (specifically the Finance Committee) to manage and report on all IABD investment accounts
- Maintaining all financial policies and procedures of the Association
- Acting as a liaison with IABD’s Investment Managers and providing direction as appropriate
Reporting and Analytics
- Collaboratively developing operational and grant budgets for IABD’s senior leadership team
- Preparing management and financial reports that show expenditures, variances from budgets, and projected outcomes
- Proposing benchmarks for analyzing financial and operating performance
About the Ideal Individual
IABD’s Finance Director will have a deep understanding of nonprofit finance. They will prioritize effective communication and collaboration to build bridges and foster lasting change within IABD.
The Finance Director is:
- An Influential Relationship Builder. You are adept in working with diverse stakeholders and facilitating productive relationships with the Board of Directors, members, staff, and vendors. You strive to make authentic connections and build trust to advance the organization’s goals.
- A Strategic Thinker. You have demonstrated the ability to build consensus and work collaboratively to execute plans and achieve goals.
- An Exceptional Communicator. You have excellent oral and written communication skills and can craft targeted, nuanced messaging for diverse audiences. You possess a strong ability to interact with staff, volunteers, members, and other key stakeholders with diplomacy, discretion, and tact.
- Ambitious and Tenacious. You thrive with ambitious goals and possess strong attention to detail and planning to accomplish those goals. You can take action confidently and can handle issues independently.
- Resourceful and Adaptable. You are at ease with ambiguity and rapid change. You possess a positive attitude and can develop creative solutions to obstacles. You can juggle many essential responsibilities at once, and you are rigorous about prioritizing.
- An Abundant Thinker. You believe that we are living in a world of abundant resources and that the right team of partners can make incredible things happen. You can see the possibilities, even in seemingly impossible situations.
- Consistently Operating with Integrity and Ethics. You are an individual of unquestioned integrity, ethics, and values — someone who can be trusted without reservation and is unafraid to advocate and stand firm in these values.
- The salary range for this position is between $75,000 to $80,000. IABD offers healthcare benefits, life and disability insurance, paid time off, holiday observances, professional development opportunities, and other work/life benefits. IABD is prepared to offer a $5,000 signing bonus for a highly qualified candidate.
How To Apply
Application Inquiries
IABD is conducting this search in partnership with McNeil Creative Enterprises (MCE), a national executive search firm serving the arts and culture sector. Click here to apply.
Confidential questions about the position and IABD may be directed to jobs@mcearts.com.