January 2020
Philanthropy and Communications Director
Job Description
Full Time, Exempt, Year-Round, Not Benefits Eligible.
Annual Salary: $42,000-45,000
No benefits or insurance
$5,000 Health Insurance Stipend provided with proof of health insurance.
All regular withholdings apply
Applications will be received until the job is filled.
Position Summary
The Philanthropy and Communications Director is a key partner in the development and implementation of WAM Theatre’s vision and strategic plan. The Philanthropy and Communications Director reports to the Artistic Director, has one direct report (Marketing & PR Associate), is in regular and frequent communication by email, phone, or in person and does as much hands on, detailed day-to-day work as big picture thinking.
ABOUT WAM THEATRE
WAM Theatre is a professional theatre company based in Berkshire County, MA, that operates at the intersection of arts and activism. WAM creates theatre for gender equity and has a vision of theatre as philanthropy.
In fulfillment of its philanthropic mission, WAM donates a portion of the proceeds from their Mainstage productions to carefully selected beneficiaries. Since WAM’s founding in 2010, they have donated more than $75,000 to 19 local and global organizations taking action for gender equity in areas such as girls education, teen pregnancy prevention, sexual trafficking awareness, midwife training, and more.
In addition to Mainstage productions and special events, WAM’s activities include innovative community engagement programs and the Fresh Takes Play Reading Series. To date, WAM has provided paid work to more than 400 theatre artists, the majority of whom are female-identifying.
As a civic organization that embraces intersectional feminism (feminism that acknowledges how multiple forms of discrimination overlap), WAM understands that to address one piece of systemic discrimination means we have to address them all. This is on-going personal and professional work at WAM for the staff and board.
WAM Theatre has been widely recognized for having a positive impact on cultural and community development in the region. WAM is the recipient of the Creative Economy Standout Berkshire Trendsetter Award and previously, was named Outstanding Philanthropy Corporation of the Year by the Western MA Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals. Kristen van Ginhoven, WAM’s Producing Artistic Director, was honored by the Berkshire Theatre Critics Association (BTCA) with the prestigious Larry Murray Award, presented at the discretion of the BTCA Board to a person or theatre project that advances social, political, or community issues in Berkshire County.
For more information: www.WAMTheatre.com
Applicants need not have experience in all areas or all competencies to apply. If WAM’s mission inspires and this position interests you and fits with your career goals and aspirations, please apply.
Primary Duties and Responsibilities
PHILANTHROPY
- Work directly with the Artistic Director to build WAM’s Culture of Philanthropy, which includes the creation of a yearly fundraising plan and quarterly donor email updates that ensures everyone in the WAMily feels seen, heard and valued.
- Manage, engage, steward and cultivate Individual Donor, Corporate Sponsor, Foundation and Grant relationships.
- Develop organized systems and strategy for WAM’s Development outreach.
- Ensure all systems/donor data are up to date.
- Track all donations in donor software.
- Managing and Stewarding a new monthly giving program.
- Oversee calendar and completion of foundation and grant applications and reports.
- Oversee the creation of a yearly annual report, bi-yearly direct mail appeals and an online Giving Tuesday campaign.
- Oversee special events planning with the WAM team and volunteer committees, including an annual/bi-annual gala (organized in partnership with an external Events Planner) and other fundraising, development and outreach efforts; which include yearly donor and volunteer acknowledgement events.
- Organize opening night parties, ex invite artists and sponsors and oversee food ordering and set-up
- Steward the WAM team, volunteers and Board around fundraising strategies and programs.
- Research, identify and secure new funding opportunities.
- Active member of the Strategic Planning Committee.
- Actively engage Board members in implementation of fundraising efforts.
COMMUNICATIONS:
- Create a yearly Communications (Marketing/Publicity/Press) Plan, in association with Marketing Consultant
- Oversee and Execute Communications Plan: Content Strategy/Messaging plus some execution
- Oversee schedule and execution of Marketing & PR Associate tasks, whose job description is as follows:
- Write and submit press releases for all WAM events and news.
- Update website
- Create and send Eblasts
- Help keep all forms of social media current with info about WAM Theatre Events and Global women’s issues
- Coordinate interviews and press events in collaboration with Philanthropy and Communications Manager
- Keep press/media lists updated
- Keep PR Folder in Google Drive organized and updated
- Image cataloguing with Flickr account
- Participate in Marketing Meetings
- Collaborate with WAM team as needed on items like the annual report
- Meet all deadlines as assigned
- Be available for meetings (team and check ins) and press events as possible
- Adheres to the WAM Theatre mission and values
- Abide by agreed upon WAM policies and procedures
- Strategize and execute advanced Digital Marketing in association with PR & Marketing Associate and Marketing Consultant, (ex. Facebook campaigns, update lists, targeted campaigns, google adwords, facebook ads)
- Oversee creation of playbills
- Oversee Associate Producing Director in Lobby set-up and WAM presence
- Work in collaboration with Artistic Director, General Manager, Marketing Consultant on pricing structure, tracking box office, dynamic pricing strategies
- Coordinate with Marketing Consultant in executing Press and Publicity around programming
- Run Marketing Meetings, as needed during productions and over the year
AMBASSADOR
- Work directly with the Artistic Director to ensure everyone in the WAMily feels seen, heard and valued.
- Serve as an advocate and spokesperson for WAM Theatre and it’s unique mission of philanthropy through theatre on email, social media and e-blasts and in person at events, conferences, meetings, etc, in the Berkshire and beyond.
- Be present at performances to engage with the WAMily
GENERAL DUTIES
- Adhere to the WAM Theatre mission and values
- Abide by agreed upon WAM policies and procedures
- Meet all deadlines as assigned
- Be available for meetings (board, team and check ins) and events as appropriate
- Other duties as assigned
Qualifications
- Passionate about women’s issues, social justice and arts as activism
- Incredibly detail-oriented, highly organized, and able to work autonomously.
- Ability to stay calm and organized while coordinating a wide variety of activities and people
- Possesses excellent time management and communication skills (oral and written)
- Proactively ensures that all information remains organized, up to date and all deadlines are met.
- Familiarity and experience with the Berkshires and surrounding theatre community and/or not-for-profit arts community;
- A leader who can represent WAM at events, comfortable with public speaking and networking.
- Socially and emotionally intelligent.
- Fundraising Experience; including knowledge of granting bodies, foundations and corporate and individual donor fundraising.
- Demonstrated event management, and supervisory skills.
- Experience using Donor Software systems and a quick learner on new systems. WAM currently uses Bloomerang.
- Experience using marketing email systems and a quick learner on new systems. WAM currently uses Mailchimp.
- Experience preparing budgets and writing grants.
- Understanding of the operation of a non profit organization; including experience with boards and volunteers.
- Comfort with Technology. Ease with computers and internet. Works easily with email. WAM currently uses Google Drive.
- Instinctive ability to track deadlines and disparate details.
- Creative with drive, passion and the ability to identify opportunities and run with them.
- US Driver’s License and/or the ability to easily get to/from work obligations.
Education
- Bachelor of Arts or Masters in Arts Administration or equivalent,
- Experience in the professional performing arts; preferably development and communications.
How to apply:
Please submit a resume and cover letter to Talya Kingston, Associate Artistic Director, at talya@wamtheatre.com with Philanthropy and Communications Director in the subject line.
Applications will be received until the job is filled.
Position begins as soon as a candidate who fits WAM’s needs and aligns with the WAM team is identified. Please note the first round of applications will be submitted anonymously to the interview team, made up of staff and board, with identifying information crossed out to ensure lack of bias, conscious or unconscious.
Please read our Diversity Statement here: https://www.wamtheatre.com/ mission-and-values/wam-diversity-statement/
WAM Theatre is committed to creating, maintaining and learning about a diverse and inclusive working space and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, color, religion, creed, national origin including ancestry, ethnicity, sex including pregnancy, gender, gender identity, gender expression, and transgender status, gender, disability, alienage or citizenship status, military status, including past, current, or prospective service in the uniformed services, genetic information, predisposing genetic characteristics, marital status, domestic violence victim status, familial status, actual or perceived sexual orientation.