Director of Development

DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT Overview

Title:                     Director of Development           FLSA:                         Exempt

Department:         Development                            Employment Status:    Regular, Full-time

Reports to:             Managing Director                   Date Posted:                May 18, 2023

Position Description

Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company seeks an innovative and experienced Director of Development to join its senior leadership team and provide strategic direction and guidance for the Development department. Woolly values out-of-the-box thinking, big ideas, and bigger passion, and we are looking for a creative leader to help generate the resources essential to achieving our vision.

 

This position creates and implements annual and long-term fundraising strategies to advance the work of the theatre and is responsible for raising approximately half of the annual budget (currently ~$5 million). The Director of Development oversees all fundraising activities for the organization, including major gifts, direct mail and online appeals, special events, institutional giving, planned giving, and donor stewardship. This position is a frontline fundraiser and will have a major gifts portfolio, along with the Individual Giving Manager, Artistic Director, and Managing Director. Additionally, they will work closely with the Board of Directors to grow their fundraising capacity, as and will also serve as a liaison to several Board committees. As a member of Woolly’s senior leadership team, the Director of Development must be a collaborative and creative leader to guide the organization through a uniquely challenging time.

 

Duties and Responsibilities

Development Strategy & Direction-Setting

• Lead the creation and implementation of comprehensive and cohesive development plans, developing both annual and long-range strategies to support sustainability and growth across all funding areas, in service of Woolly’s mission, vision, and values.
• Hire, supervise, mentor, and motivate Development staff, empowering the team and setting them up for individual and collective success.
• Set the tone for the department, embracing and enacting Woolly’s values of radical inclusivity, creative risk-taking, and relentless inquiry & experimentation.
• Create department budget in alignment with core values and long-range strategic plan, and manage it responsibly, including implementing metrics for benchmarking and leveraging the Tessitura CRM database.

 

Fundraising & Donor Relations

• Grow and optimize a robust major gifts pipeline, collaborating closely with Managing Director, Artistic Director, and Individual Giving Manager to implement cultivation and solicitation strategies for individual donors.
• Serve as lead strategist and oversee production for the annual Woolly Mammoth Spring Gala
• Steward existing key donors and create new opportunities for donor engagement.
• Supervise the development and implementation of annual appeals and other campaigns designed to support both donor renewal and new acquisition.
• Oversee internal systems for collecting, managing, and leveraging donor data in Tessitura CRM database to inform strategies.
• Ensure that systems and procedures to track cultivation steps, gift entry, and acknowledgements are effective, timely, and responsive.
• Collaboratively envision a portfolio of special events (benefits, trips, etc.) that align with Woolly’s aesthetic and effectively generate funds.
• Build relationships with regional and national institutional partners (foundations, corporations, government), and proactively identify new projects and partners in collaboration with senior leadership team.
• Work with the Board of Directors to support and guide their active participation in fundraising.
• Serve as the staff liaison to the Board’s Nominating Committee.
• Galvanize and coordinate the varied resources and diverse talents of the theatre’s board, staff, artists, and partners to aid in achieving contributed income goals.

 

Supervisory Responsibilities

• Responsible for providing employees timely, candid, and constructive performance feedback; developing employees to their fullest potential and providing challenging opportunities that enhance employee career growth; developing the appropriate talent pool to ensure adequate bench strength and succession planning; recognizing and rewarding employees for accomplishments. Additionally, this position will:
  • Select, train, and develop an effective and efficient staff including:
  • Interviewing applicants and select new employees;
  • Supervising the department orientation and training of new employees;
  • Recommending salary increases, promotions, transfers, disciplinary actions, and dismissals in conformance with company policy and procedures; and
  • Conducting annual performance reviews.
• Have substantial knowledge of leadership, teamwork, and management principles in line with the values of the organization.
• Direct Reports: Director of Development supervises the Individual Giving Manager, Engagement & Events Associate, Grants Manager, and Development Operations Manager

 

Organizational Leadership

• As a member of Woolly’s senior leadership team, serve as a strategic and creative collaborator in service of long-term direction setting and short-term decision making for the organization.
• Actively contribute to season planning and strategic planning processes, as both a representative of the Development department and a thought partner.
• Serve on interdepartmental committees and task forces as needed.

 

Company-Wide Responsibilities

• Commit to Woolly’s policy of anti-racism and radical inclusivity. This includes participating in anti-bias/anti-harassment training, familiarizing yourself with the policies in the employee handbook, using Woolly’s Liberation Library as an educational resource, engaging in EDI work at Woolly, and furthering your own independent journey with anti-racism.
• Cross-departmental collaboration, including participating in at least one Woolly working group and/or taskforce outside of your own department. 
• Advocate for policies both internally and externally that further advance Woolly’s stated values on an organizational, local, and national scale. 
• Contribute in meaningful ways to the organizational culture.
• Act as an ambassador for Woolly Mammoth in the local community and beyond.

Qualifications

Experience:

• At least 8 years of experience and measurable success in nonprofit fundraising, including setting and meeting goals;
• Demonstrated managerial experience leading a strong team and creating a positive work environment;
• Successful track record of personally identifying, cultivating, and soliciting significant contributions;
• Previous experience with a capital campaign (preferred but not required).

 

Essential Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Ability to set strategic direction and execute such strategy effectively;
• Strong interpersonal skills to identify, cultivate, and solicit significant contributions;
• Strong analytical skills and ability to leverage fundraising data as a tool (familiarity with Tessitura or similar CRM is preferred but not required);
• Clear and effective verbal and written communication with a wide range of staff, donors, vendors, and other stakeholders;
• Highly professional and ethical standards for handling confidential or sensitive information, including knowledge of nonprofit best practices;
• Understanding of Washington, DC and its philanthropic community is a plus;

 

Other Skills or Qualities:

• Self-motivated, organized, and able to manage multiple priorities and projects;
• The ability to collaborate with a wide variety of people, personalities, and working styles;
• Detail-oriented and able to see the larger picture in service of holistic and creative problem solving;
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively;
• Understanding of how fundraising responsibilities contribute to Woolly Mammoth’s mission, embody its values, and achieve its long-term vision;
• An appreciation for theatre and a belief in the arts as an important contributor to society.

Working Conditions

• Typical schedule is Mon-Fri, 10am-6pm, with some early mornings, evenings, and weekends as necessary.
• This position is currently a work-from-home position.
• Must be able to withstand extended viewing of computer screens.
• This position has typically sat in an open/shared office environment with moderate noise levels.
• Woolly Mammoth’s building is located in Washington, DC’s Penn Quarter neighborhood. It is air-conditioned, wheelchair accessible, and is in close proximity to public transportation.

Compensation

 

Salary is $90,000 to $100,000 annually for this full-time exempt position. An excellent benefits package for full-time employees includes medical, dental, and vision insurance; short-term disability coverage; vacation, sick, and personal days.

 

How to Apply

 

Please e-mail your cover letter, resume, and references with “Director of Development” in the subject line to resumes@woollymammoth.net. No phone calls please.

Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer. We provide equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or genetics. In addition to federal law requirements, Woolly complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.

 

Woolly Mammoth seeks a broad spectrum of employees and is strongly committed to a diverse, inclusive, and equitable work environment. We strongly encourage Black, Indigenous, and people of color – as well as members of underrepresented groups – to apply.

Woolly Mammoth Mission and Values

 

Mission:

 

To create rousing, visceral, enlightening theatre experiences that galvanize diverse artists and audiences to engage with our world in unexpected and often challenging ways.

 

Values:

 

We are a radically inclusive community—across race, ethnicity, nationality, age, gender identity, sexual orientation, physical ability, socioeconomic background, and political viewpoint—in which all are encouraged to exchange ideas freely and reach for new understanding.

 

We are a supportive home for creative risk-taking by our company and guest artists, staff, board, volunteers, audiences, donors, and colleagues.

 

Through relentless inquiry and experimentation, we strive for world-class excellence and innovation in every aspect of our work.