Senior Director, Advancement | Stratford Festival

THE OPPORTUNITY

The Stratford Festival is seeking a highly strategic, experienced fundraiser to be our next Senior Director, Advancement.  A collaborative and dynamic leader of people and projects,  the Senior Director will have the opportunity to make a significant impact on the largest theatre company in North America and arguably one of the most important arts organizations in the English-speaking world.

Reporting to the Executive Director and working closely with the Artistic Director, the new Senior Director will manage a committed staff team of 11 and work in partnership with the Advancement Committee Chair, along with a group of dedicated senior volunteers to manage donor relations and systematically increase support for the Festival.

Leveraging a passion for the performing arts along with proven fundraising acumen, the Senior Director will work collaboratively and diligently to build the donor and prospect pipeline and key revenue streams including major gifts, special appeals, membership, special events and our endowment. Balancing a strategic lens with tactical agility, the Senior Director will be able to quickly assess resources and opportunities to build and implement high-return campaigns, fundraising programs, systems, and activities in a timely manner.

A skilled and highly motivated relationship builder, the Senior Director will use their networking and communication experience to authentically convey the joy and value of theatre to increase engagement and greater support for the Festival. A natural facilitator and people leader, the Senior Director will be able to quickly build trust with colleagues and volunteers while developing productive relationships with donors and prospects in Canada and the U.S.

This is an exciting time to join the Stratford Festival as chart a path toward greater revenue diversification and growth. As part of this journey, our new Senior Director will need to embed themselves in our picturesque, artistic community, living within a reasonable commute to ensure Advancement goals can be met during the high season and throughout the year. In addition to the competitive salary and benefits package, relocation support is available to assist the new Senior Director should they require relocation.

ABOUT THE STRATFORD FESTIVAL

The Stratford Festival is one of the world’s foremost repertory theatre companies. It operates year-round, presenting a season of about a dozen plays each year between April and November, a rich stream of digital content and hundreds of Forum events, designed to deepen understanding of the plays. For every person a theatregoer sees on stage, there are seven people working behind the scenes supporting our incredible experience of theatre.

Embracing an over 70-year heritage of tradition and innovation, the Stratford Festival seeks to bring theatre alive for increasingly diverse audiences, pursue new artistic avenues, and expand the scope and reach of work beyond the stage itself. As part of this effort, the theatre also presents The Meighen Forum, a season-long program of events and activities that complement the playbill; conducts an artistic R&D program entitled the Laboratory; and films plays from its stages for distribution through Stratfest@Home and other outlets reaching audiences around the world.. We have also moved forward with a culture shift to support anti-racism and anti-oppression and ensure a respectful, equitable and inclusive environment in which all staff, artists and audience members can feel a true sense of belonging.

With an annual budget of $80 million, the Festival earns 95% of its revenue through ticket sales, fundraising, and ancillary activities, making it one of the most self-sufficient cultural organizations on the continent.

A registered charity in both Canada and the United States, the Festival has built an $120-million endowment fund to support operating activities, including training, education, outreach, new play development, and capital projects.

The $100-million Spirit of the Tent campaign (concluded pre-pandemic) supported the construction and operation of the new Tom Patterson Theatre. This 600-seat state-of-the-art facility both affirms and enhances the Festival’s position as a dynamic world leader in the development and production of live theatre.

By attracting the finest talent from Canada and around the world and by providing the conditions and training that enable artists to achieve their most courageous work, the Festival immerses audiences in a theatregoing experience that is innovative, entertaining, and unsurpassed anywhere in the world, one that is deeply relevant to, and reflective of, our lives and communities.

What makes the Stratford Festival the largest and most popular repertory theatre in North America?

All of the above plus the simple, immediate, and very human connection between actor and audience!

KEY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Strategy, Leadership & Planning

• Participate in the development of strategic and annual plans for the Festival, contributing advancement expertise identifying opportunities to shape a case around the plans.
• Collaborate with the Executive Director to establish an annual fundraising goal, plan and budget that is aligned with strategic objectives.
• Attend meetings and present reports as required to the Board of Governors, the Finance Committee, the Executive Team, and the Foundation.
• Assess the annual advancement plan and use this knowledge to develop, refine, execute, and evaluate department objectives and operations.
• Implement and track Advancement KPIs to ensure goals are met or exceeded in all areas including the cultivation, solicitation and stewardship of donors and prospects and management of key revenue streams including the annual fund, long-term fundraising (endowment), major gifts, and special
• Represent the Festival as an Advancement ambassador and member of the senior team internally and among the community of theatregoers, donors, prospects, volunteers and other supporters.

Fundraising and Donor Relations

• Work with the Advancement team and across the organization to support diverse revenue streams and programs that will attract, retain, and motivate donors and fundraising volunteers and increase the overall revenue target of $14M+.
• Develop, guide and support campaigns in collaboration with the Executive Director, Artistic Director and Board leadership, including the current “Because Excellence Matters” campaign in honour of the current Artistic Director.
• Work with the Executive Director, Artistic Director, the Advancement team and Advancement Committee Chair and volunteers to identify and implement strategies for major donor prospects to grow the pipeline.
• Identify, cultivate, and manage a large personal portfolio of major and principal gift donors and prospects.
• Ensure appropriate, creative and segmented cultivation, recognition and stewardship are in place for all donors and prospects.
• Work with senior leadership and the Board to coordinate the stewardship of the Festival’s major donors.
• Develop, update and monitor compliance with fundraising policies and CRA and IRS requirements in partnership with the Festival finance department.
• Work collaboratively with Marketing and Communications to develop the annual donor communications plan and key donor communications in support of donor cultivation, stewardship and solicitation activities.
• Leverage a passion for theatre and expertise in fundraising to represent the Festival at all donor-related activities, including opening night performances, fundraising events and other Festival functions as required.

Staff & Volunteers

• Develop and lead a strong Advancement staff team by promoting a culture of excellence, innovation, achievement, and collaboration.
• Assess team resources and department structure to ensure capacity to meet annual and strategic objectives.
• Ensure the appropriate goals and key performance indicators are established and tracked for individual staff members and the team.
• Provide information and learning opportunities to ensure that Advancement staff are up to date on philanthropic trends and well-versed on the changing fundraising landscape.
• Facilitate the active participation of the Board of Governors and senior fundraising volunteers in major gift prospect identification, stewardship, and solicitation.
• Partner with the Chair of the Advancement Committee to schedule regular meetings of the Committee and to implement strategies and processes for Committee members to support the achievement of Advancement goals.
• Collaborate with Festival departments on the fulfilment of fundraising goals from marketing to audience engagement and from finance to production and creative.
• Provide assistance and coaching to Board and senior fundraising volunteers as required to support donor meetings and other fundraising activities.

QUALIFICATIONS AND COMPETENCIES

• Progressive experience in senior fundraising roles, including experience successfully securing gifts at the six- and seven-figure level through diverse revenue streams.
• Current or past experience working in arts and culture is a definite asset.
• Demonstrated passion for the arts and for the Stratford Festival’s mission.
• Proven track record of setting and reaching financial goals with excellent organizational and administrative skills along with the proven ability to manage multiple programs, revenue streams and data.
• Solid and diverse campaign experience including participation in significant campaigns.
• Experience in staff management and strategic leadership roles along with experience operating as part of a cross-functional senior leadership team.
• A proven history building and leading high-performing staff teams.
• Exceptional interpersonal skills with a demonstrated ability to build, manage, and maintain meaningful relationships with donors, prospects, volunteers and other supporters.
• Extensive experience in managing and advancing a complex portfolio of prospects at various stages of development.
• Experience in working with prospects, donors, and senior volunteers from both Canada and the United States.
• Experience with both Canadian and American fundraising models, trends, and techniques. Knowledge of differing approaches and attitudes toward giving in each country and multi-generational approaches to philanthropy.
• Highly developed written and verbal communication skills and excellent public speaking skills.
• Results-oriented personality with a collegial management approach and a high level of integrity.
• Experience with the financial oversight of a department or program and building and managing budgets and annual plans.
• Able to work independently, strategically and be “hands-on” as required.
• Excellent attention to detail with the ability to manage complex situations and events.
• History of imaginative and innovative approaches to the development of new giving opportunities with experience working with diverse donor audiences that reflect changing practices, preferences, and demographics.
• Experience working cross-functionally with Marketing to develop successful donor communications.
• A practical, calm, and creative problem-solver with excellent judgement and decision-making skills.
• The ability to work respectfully and inclusively with diverse populations and community members.
• Post-secondary education in a related field or equivalent work-related experience.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

KCI Search + Talent has been retained to conduct this search on behalf of the Stratford Festival. For more information about this opportunity please contact Samantha David and Jill Anderson by email at StratfordFestival@kcitalent.com

Interested candidates should send their resume and a letter of interest to the email address listed above by November 26, 2024. All inquiries and applications will be held in strict confidence.

To view full position brief, please visit www.kcitalent.com

The target salary range for this position is $172,023 – $206,428 and the Stratford Festival offers a comprehensive benefits package.

The Stratford Festival is working diligently toward a safe and healthy workplace for everyone. We welcome applicants of every identity and encourage applications from Indigenous, Black, People of Colour, Deaf, disabled and 2SLGBTQ+ folks. We are committed to accommodating people with disabilities throughout the recruitment process and beyond. If you require accommodation (including, but not limited to, an accessible interview site, alternate format documents, ASL Interpreter, or Assistive Technology) during the recruitment and selection process, please advise the Search Consultants.