The National Arts Club invites applications and nominations for the position of Executive Director, available in the Fall of 2025. The Search Committee has engaged the Catherine French Group to assist them in identifying and recruiting their next Executive Director, a leader who will advance the mission, visibility, and long-term sustainability of the National Arts Club.
About the National Arts Club
nacnyc.org
The National Arts Club (NAC) is a unique combination of a private membership/dining club and a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit cultural institution that is open to the public. With a mission to stimulate, foster, and promote public interest in the arts and to educate all people in the fine arts, the NAC offers more than 150 free multidisciplinary arts programs to the public every year. NAC exhibitions, musical and theatrical performances, lectures, and readings reach an annual audience of more than 30,000 members, neighbors, and visitors, thus demonstrating NAC’s role as an important hub for the arts in the heart of Manhattan.
The National Arts Club was founded in 1898 by author and poet Chares De Kay, literary and art critic for The New York Times. In 1906, NAC acquired the historic Samuel Tilden Mansion on Gramercy Park South, two houses built in the 1840s and now designated a National Historic Landmark. More recently, the NAC has committed to updating the Tilden Mansion and to increasing accessibility for all visitors.
Over the years, the National Arts Club’s membership has included a distinguished list of writers, performing artists, visual artists, and collectors along with philanthropists, patrons, and arts lovers of all ages. Today, NAC is governed by a 21-member Board of Governors and has an annual operating budget of $9 million. The Board, 2,000 members, and staff of approximately 70 embrace and share the core values of the National Arts Club: Community, Creativity, Respect, Integrity, Transparency, and Courage.
The Opportunity
The next Executive Director will have the opportunity to lead a membership organization with a 127-year history as a meeting place, dining club, and venue for both performing and visual arts for members and the general public alike. The Executive Director (ED) will bring leadership, vision, and oversight to all aspects of the organization in close collaboration with the Board of Governors, volunteer program committees, and the membership. The ED will lead the NAC’s fundraising efforts, increase the NAC’s engagement with the city’s cultural communities, and strengthen the Club’s private and public partnerships.
The Position
The Executive Director of the National Arts Club is responsible and accountable for advancing the Club’s mission, visibility, and long-term sustainability. Reporting directly to the Board, the Executive Director works with the President of the Board, the full Board of Governors, the Club’s volunteer committees, the General Manager, the staff, and NAC’s members to set strategic priorities, cultivate resources, and ensure alignment with the Club’s not-for-profit mission while honoring its traditions and community. The ED plays a major role in raising NAC’s profile within the New York City cultural landscape, and in attracting new members, audiences for its programs, and donors to support those programs.
As the NAC’s chief fundraiser, the Executive Director is responsible for cultivating and maintaining a culture of philanthropy throughout the organization and with its stakeholders. The Executive Director is the chief external representative of the National Arts Club with the arts and cultural community, government, business community, and philanthropic organizations throughout the city, the state, nationally, and internationally. With the Board of Governors, the Executive Director ensures that NAC has the resources needed to ensure the preservation of the NAC’s historic home, growth of its artistic programming, and cultivation of community and donor partnerships.
The Executive Director engages, supervises, motivates, and evaluates a high-performing professional team that includes the General Manager, the Controller, the Director of Marketing and Communications, the Curator, and the Development team. The ED ensures that the General Manager has the resources needed to maintain the Club’s facilities, physical plant, and extensive food, beverage, and hospitality services. The ED instills and maintains a positive internal spirit among the staff, Board, and membership.
Since the Executive Director is the visible representative of the National Arts Club with internal and external stakeholders and the community at large, the ED will be expected to attend NAC and other arts and cultural meetings and events throughout the city on a regular basis, including events that take place on evenings and weekends.
Candidate Profile
The successful candidate will combine skills of internal management with the ability to strengthen and develop external relations with artists, arts organizations, and funders. The candidate will have prior successful experience in executive leadership and management positions, preferably with mission-based not-for-profit organizations in the arts or historic preservation. Since the candidate will serve as the public face of the NAC, experience establishing connections and enhancing relationships with philanthropic, arts, and preservation communities is essential. Prior experience working in New York City, while not required, will be considered an asset.
The successful candidate will have a demonstrated record of success as a fundraiser from individuals and institutional donors. The candidate will have experience working with Boards, staff, and volunteers to strategize, build consensus, and achieve financial and operational goals. The candidate will have substantial project management experience.
The successful candidate will have strong interpersonal and leadership skills, with the proven ability to motivate staff and volunteers. The ED will be a person of integrity and high ethical standards. The ED will have a collaborative, servant-leader management style and a deep personal belief in the power, value, and importance of the arts.
Compensation
The salary range for this position is $275,000 to $325,000. The National Arts Club offers a competitive benefits package that includes medical benefits, a deferred compensation/retirement plan, all statutory benefits, and a discretionary bonus.
Applications
The National Arts Club welcomes nominations of and applications from all qualified candidates regardless of race, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, disability, religion, ethnicity, or national origin.
Please submit a cover letter that describes your specific interest in the position and your qualifications for the position as described in the candidate profile. Include with a resumé and contact information for at least three references. All applications will be treated as confidential, and references will not be contacted without the applicant’s agreement.
Electronic submissions in Adobe Acrobat PDF format are requested. Please submit to: applications@catherinefrenchgroup.com.
The position will remain open until filled. The Search Committee will begin to review credentials in mid-October.
