Director of Development

Organization

Spruce Peak Arts is dedicated to using the inspiration and creativity of the performing arts to fulfill its ambitious mission to inspire, educate, and entertain all of us, all year round. Spruce Peak Arts delivers engaging experiences for all ages that connect audiences to the performing arts in deep, meaningful, and delightful ways. The organization’s goal is to be both collaborator and catalyst and to inspire the imagination of the audience and the artist through unforgettable shared experiences.

A year-round presenter of performing arts and educational and family programs, Spruce Peak Arts’ home base is the Spruce Peak Performing Arts Center in Stowe, Vermont. Opened in December 2010, this 420-seat multi-use theater is a modern performance center boasting pristine acoustics and state-of-the-art technical systems, including the capacity to support high-quality live streaming and recording. The front of house features a mixed-use lobby/gallery and exhibition space and hosts small events, receptions, art exhibitions, readings, and lectures.

Spruce Peak Arts offers world-renowned entertainment, including live music, art shows, dance, comedy, film, lectures, and emerging artists and performers from around the region, United States, and world. From Natalie Merchant to the Dance Theatre of Harlem, Freedom House to Arlo Guthrie, and Warren Miller to Orebolo, Spruce Peak Arts uses its artistic platform to reach and inspire the community. Spruce Peak Arts hosted the second Ice Dance International Residency, which featured classes, workshops, school tours, and public performances of two repertory pieces created during the residency. Future offerings include live and filmed classical dance via master classes by Boston Ballet II, Bolshoi Ballet’s The Nutcracker in HD, and the lively Squirrel Nut Zippers Holiday Caravan Tour. Spruce Peak Arts is also home to the Spruce Peak Chamber Music Society consisting of three weeklong chamber music residencies and educational programming.

The Spruce Peak Arts Gallery was founded in 2018 to add another level of creative energy and collaboration to the beautiful theater setting. In the summer of 2021, Spruce Peak Arts presented the exhibition Exploring Earth, the third in an environmental art series that began with Exploring Air in 2018 and Exploring Water in 2019. Visual artists from this series of exhibitions have been collaborating in the Spruce Peak Arts’ virtual panel discussion series Being a BIPOC Artist in Vermont.

Spruce Peak Arts is committed to creating access to the arts and enhancing educational experiences for central and northern Vermont communities through its programming supported by the Community & Education Fund. Arts education is offered through student matinee performances, school visits, classes, workshops, and residencies. Through deeply discounted tickets for students, Spruce Peak Arts creates access to the arts and enhances educational experiences for area schools, families, and community organizations year-round.

Spruce Peak Arts is led by Executive Director Hope Sullivan and governed by a 13-member board of directors led by Chair Lisa Hagerty. For the fiscal year ending October 31, 2020, the organization reported total revenue of $815,847, with $610,451 from contributions and grants and $205,396 from program services. Total expenses were $736,038. For fiscal year 2021, Spruce Peak Arts exceeded its revenue goals, finishing the fiscal year with a projected surplus of approximately $120,000.

Community

Nestled at the foot of Mount Mansfield, Stowe is located at the heart of Stowe Mountain Resort in Northwestern Vermont. The town is situated 45 minutes from Burlington, Vermont, 2.5 hours south of Montreal, and 3.5 hours north of Boston. Home to approximately 648,000 residents statewide, Vermont is small in population but large in natural beauty and history. One of the largest producers of maple syrup in the world, Vermont’s primary industries are tourism, forestry, agriculture, and manufacturing, including Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream and Green Mountain Coffee Roasters. The state also has a long history of environmental awareness and sustainable agriculture. Several colleges and universities are located nearby, including University of Vermont, Bennington College, Middlebury College, Norwich University, and Castleton State College. In an evaluation of health care, education, economy, and fiscal stability, Vermont ranked 11th on U.S. News & World Report’s list of states that are performing well for their citizens.

Named as one of America’s best small towns by Travel + Leisure Magazine, Stowe is one of New England’s most picturesque, scenic towns. Its fall foliage viewing was ranked number one on TripAdvisor’s Top 10 United States Foliage Destinations. Winter skiing and snowboarding at the Stowe Mountain Resort, spring trout fishing, maple sugaring, hiking, paddling, and (mountain) biking are just some of the many outdoor attractions Stowe has to offer.

More than a resort town, Stowe is home to an intimate community of 4,500 year-round residents with its own topnotch public school system. In addition to its year-round community, Stowe hosts a significant community of part-time residents, with almost 70 percent of residencies in Stowe serving as second homes. This strong sense of community differentiates Stowe from other ski towns. It has become a very desirable post-COVID destination, with its full-time residents increasing by 25 percent in 2020.

Stowe is home to a vibrant arts community featuring numerous performing arts organizations, galleries, museums, artisans and craft makers, and many other attractions. In addition to Spruce Peak Arts, Stowe hosts the Lamoille County Players, Stowe Theatre Guild, and Stowe Performing Arts, which is held on the spectacular grounds of the Trapp Family Lodge. Visual and contemporary arts are presented at the Ziemke Glass Blowing Studio, The Current, and Little River Hot Glass Studio & Gallery. The region’s storied history is preserved by the Stowe Historical Society Museum, Vermont Ski and Snowboard Museum, and the nearby Noyes House Museum. Stowe also hosts numerous festivals and events, including the Stowe Winter Carnival, Vermont Renaissance Fair, Green Mountain Games, von Trapp Brewing Oktoberfest, and the newly established Stowe Jazz Festival.

Source: gostowe.com, travelandleisure.com, vtcng.com, usnews.com

Position Summary

Reporting to the Executive Director, the Director of Development will serve as a thought partner as Spruce Peak Arts enters its 12th year of operation. As the sole member of the development team, the Director of Development will bring focus and expertise to activate the organization’s existing development program and capitalize on its potential. They will serve as the principal fundraiser and strategist in collaboration with the Executive Director and board. The Director of Development will use innovative and traditional methods to identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward new and existing donors. As an ambassador, the Director of Development will establish trusting, authentic relationships with full- and part-time Stowe residents, regional and national funding partners, community leaders, and external stakeholders. Mentoring and training both staff and board partners to leverage their passion and interest, this individual will establish a culture of philanthropy to support increased revenue and organizational and programmatic expansion.

Roles and Responsibilities

Donor, Member, and Audience Engagement

• Implement a systemic, donor-centric approach to prospecting, cultivation, solicitation, stewardship, and recognition for all donors and area businesses, with special emphasis on engaging seasonal residents.

• Proactively collaborate with and marshal resources of the Executive Director, board of directors, and key volunteers to identify donor engagement opportunities that build meaningful and supportive donor relationships regionally, nationally, and internationally.

• Articulate and promote a compelling case for support, capitalizing on existing relationships to ensure members and donors renew and increase their investment in Spruce Peak Arts’ programming and community engagement activities.

• Analyze Spruce Peak Arts’ membership program and collaborate with the Executive Director and guest artists to create donor and audience engagement opportunities that build investment, knowledge, and value for donors, members, and audiences.

• Evaluate, refine, and implement event strategies that build brand awareness and engage donors, community members, and stakeholders in Spruce Peak Arts’ programming.

Internal and External Advocacy

• Utilize and engage the board of directors and community partnerships to their fullest potential to expand Spruce Peak Arts’ sphere of influence.

• Establish, nurture, and embody the values of Spruce Peak Arts culture of philanthropy.

• Communicate Spruce Peak Arts’ mission, vision, values, and goals with credibility, passion, and enthusiasm.

• Professionally represent Spruce Peak Arts in the regional, national, and international community.

• Embrace a robust schedule of attending concerts, fundraising and engagement events, and other activities that support Spruce Peak Arts’ goals.

Development Operations and Team Mentorship

• Build a long- and short-term fundraising plan, in partnership with the Executive Director, to meet ongoing institutional financial goals and needs, including planning for a future endowment campaign.

• Implement a full spectrum of fundraising opportunities for individuals and institutions, including grant writing and a comprehensive annual fund and major gifts program that integrates personal solicitation, direct mail, social media, and email to support contributed revenue goals.

• Provide inspirational mentorship and development training to professional colleagues and board partners, including the development committee, to solidify skills and support engagement and investment in Spruce Peak Arts’ development efforts.

• Assess current fundraising efforts and build out existing development systems, diversifying revenue opportunities and establishing relationship management protocols to expand membership and significantly grow contributed revenue.

• Collaborate with the Executive Director and staff team to ensure that internal culture, organizational structure, human and financial resources, technology, and operational plans are aligned to support a culture of philanthropy.

• Monitor revenue and expense budgets and prepare and present accurate and timely reporting and analysis.

• Conduct a comprehensive overview of the Patron Manager database, confirm data entry practices, and ensure accurate and effective donor and prospect data integrity, including implementation of relationship management protocols.

• Ensure that box office, marketing, and development share patron and donor data and collaborate to optimize revenue and maximize Spruce Peak Arts’ artist, donor, audience, and stakeholder experience.

Traits and Characteristics

The Director of Development will be a self-sufficient, proactive, charismatic, and successful fundraiser with significant relationship management skills. A self-aware, accountable professional, the Director of Development will have the ability to build trust and inspire those around them to invest in a vision. They will be a highly organized and project-oriented individual who can establish plans, engage systems, and lead people to accomplish goals. The Director of Development will be an active listener with a strong aptitude for public speaking. A decisive, future thinking problem-solver, they will engage others in decision making, appreciate new approaches, and value contributions of a team to support the achievement of plans and outcomes. The Director of Development will also demonstrate cultural sensitivity and emotional intelligence, welcoming new opportunities to learn and facilitating growth and learning in others.

Other key competencies include:

• Diplomacy and Interpersonal Skills – The dexterity to connect with a diverse array of people and personalities, deftly navigating sensitive and difficult topics with grace and respect.

• Goal Orientation and Time and Priority Management – The skill to establish specific, realistic, and time-sensitive goals and overcome obstacles to deliver outcomes within designated timelines.

• Customer Focus and Influencing Others – The awareness to anticipate the needs of others and desire to exceed expectations coupled with the ability to personally affect the perspective and decision making of others.

• Self-Starting and Resiliency – The flexibility to take initiative, be professionally assertive and persistent, recover quickly from setbacks, and move forward with renewed energy.

Qualifications

Spruce Peak Arts does not require specific educational degrees to be successful in this position. A quantifiable track record of results-oriented development success in managing an individual gifts program in a nonprofit organization is needed, ideally within the arts and culture field. Qualified candidates will possess exceptional relationship management and ambassadorial skills. A demonstrable ability to thrive as the sole member of the development team is necessary. The successful candidate will appreciate the nuance of a global audience integrated into a rural community and have the experience to successfully navigate that culture while demonstrating an eagerness to invest in all that rural living has to offer. The ability to work flexible hours frequently on evenings and weekends and limited travel regionally, nationally, and in Canada is a mandatory part of this role. Reliable all-weather transportation is required. Strong computer skills, including Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and advanced donor research and customer relationship management systems (Patron Manager preferred), are necessary.

Compensation and Benefits

Spruce Peak Arts offers a competitive salary and comprehensive benefits package, including a base salary range between $80,000 and $95,000, medical and dental insurance, a total of 24 days of paid time off plus an additional eight company holidays, and 403(b) retirement plan option. The quality of life, connection to community, and natural environment of Vermont are exceptional.

Applications and Inquiries

To submit a letter and resume with a summary of demonstrable contributed revenue accomplishments in creating and implementing annual and multiyear fundraising plans (electronic submissions preferred), please click here or visit artsconsulting.com/employment. For questions or general inquiries about this job opportunity, please contact:

Shawn D. Ingram, Vice President

Arts Consulting Group

8581 Santa Monica Blvd., Suite 406

Los Angeles, CA 90069-4120

Tel        (888) 234.4236 Ext. 220

Email    SprucePeak@ArtsConsulting.com

Spruce Peak Arts strongly supports equal employment opportunities for all applicants regardless of race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, pregnancy, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, marital status, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, sexual orientation, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by state or federal law