Director of Development
: Job Details :

Director of DevelopmentPosition ProfileAbout the OpportunityHudson Valley Shakespeare (HVS) is in the midst of a transformational moment as an organization. After undergoing tremendous artistic and programmatic evolution in recent years, following the successful transition from a founding leader to the installation of Artistic Director Davis McCallum in 2014 and Managing Director Kendra Ekelund in 2022, HVS is in a place of great strength in terms of its mission, work, and leadership. At the same time, HVS has just broken ground on building a new permanent home in Garrison, NY, a LEED Platinum certified open-air theater, to be named the Samuel H. Scripps Theater Center. The new theater will be located on 98-acres of land overlooking the Hudson River, providing the organization the opportunity to evolve from a seasonal festival to a cultural anchor for the Hudson Valley and an enduring destination for arts lovers nationally and globally. Now in the public and final phase of a triumphant $58 million capital campaign to complete this project, HVS is poised to assemble a stronger staff infrastructure, provide increased resources to artists, and elevate its presence with the local community and national theatre landscape.To meet this moment and seize its many opportunities, HVS seeks a highly motivated, skilled, and experienced Director of Development to join the team and lead the organization's fundraising efforts. They will work in close partnership with the Artistic Director, Managing Director, and an engaged and energized Board to expand development initiatives that support high artistic standards, foster strong connection to the community, and cultivate successful engagement of both loyal and burgeoning donors, funders, and audience members. The Director of Development oversees a full-time Development Manager. At this moment of institutional growth, HVS will also hire a Director of Marketing and Communications, who will be a key collaborative partner to the new Director of Development and leadership. Together, as a team, they will find innovative ways to build on the organization's beloved reputation, and to broaden and deepen its circle of supporters to best position the organization for long-term success.Job DescriptionReporting jointly to the Managing Director and the Artistic Director, the Director of Development is a key member of HVS senior staff and works in close relationship with the HVS Board of Directors, and specifically, the Development and Nominating Committees. They will be responsible for articulating, planning, and overseeing the implementation of a comprehensive development plan for all sources of contributed revenue â which currently delivers just over $1.5 million annually, but should be grown in the coming years to surpass $2 million to meet the organization's strategic goals and operating needs. With the Managing and Artistic Directors, the Director of Development will act as a leader in the successful completion of the organization's current capital and endowment campaign. They will be entering the organization at a time of great momentum in terms of donor development and must be ready to convert the new relationships cultivated during the campaign into long-standing deeply connected partnerships and ongoing annual support for HVS. The Director of Development has a direct report of Development Manager.Duties & ResponsibilitiesFundraisingâ ¢ Provide strategic and creative leadership in raising just over $2 million in annual contributed revenue through individual and board giving, foundation, government and corporate support, and special eventsâ ¢ Articulate and lead a clear annual development plan and incorporate departmental short and long-term goals, benchmarks that reflect growth, specific targets for various areas of giving, and other necessary objectivesâ ¢ In collaboration with the Managing Director, set annual goals for each line of contributed revenueâ ¢ Oversee management of the department's budget and the annual evaluation of the development department's programs including cost benefit analysisâ ¢ Create a strong and compelling case for support each year, aligned with organizational goals, integrated into various communication platforms, and utilized by staff and Boardâ ¢ Oversee the implementation and management of individual annual fund giving, including board gifts and the major gifts relationships (donors $1,500+), ensuring ongoing cultivation, solicitation, and stewardshipâ ¢ Harness an active pipeline of major donor prospects and board prospects, including donors who generously participated in the capital campaign, to ensure that the organization builds on those newly formed relationships and stewards them into the futureâ ¢ Review daily ticket buyers lists for on-site fundraising initiatives and maintain a presence at the theater tent greeting major donors during the summer seasonâ ¢ Oversee the planning and execution of the Gala in deep collaboration with the Development Manager, leadership, and the Board; and guide the Development Manager in the task of planning and completing an array of cultivation events for current and prospective donorsâ ¢ Manage HVS's institutional giving strategies, including the cultivation of institutional relationships, and oversee the workflow of the institutional grant applications and reports, collecting content from all departments and managing submissionsâ ¢ Act as a leader, alongside the Artistic and Managing Directors, in the final phase of the capital campaign efforts, where approximately $8 million is yet to be raisedBoard Developmentâ ¢ Build ongoing relationships with Board members to further their engagement, solicit their annual gifts, confirm their Gala participation, and support them in their development of relationships for the organizationâ ¢ Liaise with the Board Committees dedicated to all fundraising, Gala support, and Board recruitment, and build ongoing communications related to these effortsâ ¢ Prepare and present development reports at quarterly Board meetings to show progress towards goalsâ ¢ In collaboration with the Managing Director and Board leadership, identify and recruit potential Board members and solidify the onboarding processes for new membersOrganizational and Departmental Leadershipâ ¢ Serve as an enthusiastic and visible spokesperson and ambassador for the organizationâ ¢ Examine and improve systems that will aid development operations, including ongoing fundraising communications, prospect research, and gift acknowledgments, and processingâ ¢ Manage the hiring, onboarding, and performance review processes for all development team membersâ ¢ Work in partnership with the Artistic Director and Marketing Director and other team members to promote the brand of the organization and continuously understand and improve the patron's experienceâ ¢ Understand and uplift HVS's values and practices around equity, inclusion, accessibility, and sustainabilityQualificationsâ ¢ Proven experience and a successful track record of fundraising in the non-profit development sector, knowledge of theater or performing arts is a plusâ ¢ Knowledge of the arts and culture philanthropic community, familiarity with New York State and the Hudson Valley region is advantageousâ ¢ Ability to communicate ideas and plans with fellow staff and board members, then build consensus, and manage a project from start to finishâ ¢ Capacity to build external relationships with a wide range of supporters, and promote HVS's mission with passion and commitmentâ ¢ Familiarity with capital campaign processes and openness to work with and learn from an outside consultantâ ¢ Excellent organizational, written/oral communication, and interpersonal skillsâ ¢ Experience planning and executing large-scale donor events (galas, etc.) and engaging a Board in the success of those eventsâ ¢ Strong understanding of how to best utilize a relational donor database and the ability to accurately analyze, interpret and take action on patron dataâ ¢ Skill in both innovative and strategic thinking, excited to grasp the big picture, prioritize, and manage the workflow of projects, and collaborate with the team on the testing of ideasâ ¢ Enthusiastic and curious team member, eager to be an active and engaged leader within a dynamic theater companyâ ¢ Appreciation for the beauty of the HVS environment and passion for sustainable practicesCompensationThe salary for this position is $100,000-120,000. Hudson Valley Shakespeare provides comprehensive benefits, including providing access to insurance (health, dental, vision, life, long and short-term disability upon eligibility); offers paid time off; and parking. Employees contribute to their health insurance coverage.HVS is an equal opportunity employer dedicated to building a culturally diverse and equitable environment, and we strongly encourage applications from people of color and women. Candidates from populations underrepresented in the theater field are strongly encouraged to apply.Application InstructionsTo apply, visit the online application (and submit your materials. Your cover letter should include any training or experience relevant to the job profile that you would like to highlight, why you consider yourself a good fit for this opportunity, and anything else you'd like us to know about your qualifications that may not be present in your resume.The priority application deadline for this search is November 21, 2024. Applications received by this date will receive priority consideration. While we will still accept and consider applications after this date, we encourage you to apply as early as possible for the best chance at being considered for the position. Please note that meeting the priority deadline does not guarantee an interview.#J-18808-Ljbffr