Shakespeare & Company is a non-profit organization located in Lenox, Mass., in the Berkshires.
Mission
Shakespeare & Company’s mission is to deliver a sustainable, innovative, and vital program of Performance, Training, and Education for our audiences, artists, community, and the Company. We embrace the humanist ideals and visceral experience of contemporary playwrights and Shakespeare’s work. We foster collaboration, commitment to language, physical empowerment, and the embodied voice.
Vision
Shakespeare & Company strives to be a thriving center of excellence in Performance, Training, and Education. Our work is rooted in the ideals of collaborative inquiry, balance, and authenticity through the interpretation of Shakespeare and contemporary playwrights. We are committed to inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility for all employees, artists, and audiences as we cultivate, craft, and explore universal themes of human experience, engage with the widest possible audience, and inspire future generations of artists and audience members.
Duties and Responsibilities
The Development Director will oversee all of Shakespeare & Company’s development campaigns and manage relationships with the Company’s financial partners. General duties include planning fundraising events, interacting with current and former donors to encourage ongoing contributions, and seeking out opportunities for financial support through grants and sponsorships.
Key responsibilities include:
- Designing and implementing a comprehensive Development Funding Plan annually, which maintains the fiscal health of the organization and provides future financial resources for growth and expansion. Tasks to achieve these goals include but are not limited to grant writing and management; corporate major giving; annual appeal development and management; third-party events, and internal events.
- Assisting with the identification and cultivation of prospective board members; maintaining strong relationships with current board members to enhance board member satisfaction, and encouraging increased board member participation.
- Development of strong relationships within the community to foster a positive image, such that companies, educational institutions, civic organizations, and individuals will make Shakespeare & Company a local charity of choice for funding.
- Acting as the primary point of contact for funding, donations, and fundraising event inquiries.
- Designing, producing, and overseeing a new program for corporate and institutional giving, including initiating contacts with appropriate foundations and corporations. to assist the Artistic Director and Board of Trustees in cultivating relationships.
- Collecting, organizing, and maintaining a complete and accurate database record of donors and funding received, to create funding targets for the Board of Trustees. Establish tracking tools and monthly monitoring.
- Collaborative work with fundraising event chairs, to offer management, production, and oversight of Shakespeare & Company fundraising events. This includes developing and managing production timelines, budgets, and evaluations.
- Collaboration with the Marketing and Communications Department to ensure branding, image, and consistency of messaging in all Development marketing and outreach materials.
- Design and production of an annual giving campaign, working with the Marketing and Communications Department to develop cohesive and targeted promotional and outreach materials.
- Public speaking engagements with the media and/or other stakeholders.
- Networking at selected community and leadership events.
- Presenting programs and fundraising opportunities to various community, corporate, religious, and other groups as needed.
- Direct supervision of Development Department team members.
- Completion of other duties as assigned.
Skills and Knowledge
- Excellent public speaking skills are required.
- Customer service, communication, and recordkeeping experience is required.
- Excellent personal, verbal, and written communication skills.
- The Ability to manage multiple projects while meeting deadlines.
- Solid organizational, time management, and project management skills are required.
- Initiative and collaborative skills indicated.
- The ability and drive to foster and promote business relationships and partnerships within the community.
- Comfortable working with people from diverse backgrounds.
- The ability to build on rapport and relationships to promote Shakespeare & Company’s mission.
Qualifications
- Bachelor Degree
- 2 – 4 years of management experience is required.
- 6 – 8 years of related experience is preferred.
- Knowledge and use of Microsoft Office, including Word and Excel, is required; PowerPoint knowledge is preferred.
