The Diversified Search Group led the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s successful 2023 search for Managing Director of Development. Ebonie Pittman was appointed to the role and leads the strategy, development, and implementation of a broad-based funding program to support the organization’s ongoing programs as well as new projects and initiatives. She manages a staff of 12 in overseeing a diversified fundraising portfolio comprised of leading foundations, major corporate sponsors (both domestic and international), individual philanthropists, and high-profile fundraising galas.
For more than 60 years, the Ailey organization has furthered the pioneering vision of the choreographer, dancer, and cultural leader Alvin Ailey by building an extended cultural community that provides dance performances, training and education, and community programs for all. Since its founding, the Ailey organization has become one of the preeminent and most beloved dance institutions in the world, widely recognized for its unparalleled artistry and commitment to social change. More than a dance company, this performing arts community plays a crucial social role, using the beauty and humanity of the African American heritage and other cultures to unite people of all races, ages, and backgrounds.
Before joining Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Pittman served as Senior Director of Development at Dance Theatre of Harlem, where she oversaw all fundraising activities. Previously, she was the Senior Director of Philanthropy for Institutional Support at American Ballet Theatre, where she also played a leadership role in the advancement of the company’s former Project Plie diversity initiative, now known as RISE. She has served as a review panelist for the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs and New York State Council on the Arts. Pittman’s background includes dancing at a very early age and spending summers studying at North Carolina School of the Arts, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, and the Bates Dance Festival. She danced professionally with Mezclado Movement Group in New York City.