Director of Philanthropy

INSTITUTION OVERVIEW

“One of the nation’s most prominent regional theatres.” The New York Times

As one of the nation's leading professional regional theatres and one of Southern California’s largest arts institutions, the Tony Award-winning Old Globe has served the San Diego region for 89 years. Under the leadership of Erna Finci Viterbi Artistic Director Barry Edelstein and Audrey S. Geisel Managing Director Timothy J. Shields, who work in collaboration with an engaged 47-member Board of Directors, The Old Globe serves a vibrant community in San Diego through the delivery of thrilling theatre art as a public good.

The Old Globe believes that theatre matters, and its commitment is to make it matter to more people. The Globe’s Statement of Values articulates the five cornerstones of its work: Transformation, Inclusion, Excellence, Stability, and Impact. These values mandate programming that invigorates the classics, amplifies new voices and tells stories that are dynamic and meaningful to the Globe’s diverse audiences. Through its stage productions, arts engagement programming, artist training initiatives, new play development platform, and humanities programs, The Old Globe creates theatre that lives beyond the stage.

CONTEXT FOR RECRUITMENT AND ROLE SUMMARY

The Old Globe has earned a reputation for excelling in its high-touch, personal approach to donor cultivation and stewardship, setting the standard for donor care in San Diego. The Globe’s level of intimacy with its donors is rare for most organizations but emblematic of a regional philanthropic market driven by close social interactions and strong interpersonal relationships, and propelled by a philanthropy staff deeply invested in and fulfilled by the organization’s mission. Expansion of the donor base should include maximizing contributed revenue from the immediate region but also pursue fundraising on a much wider geographic scale.

Historically undergirded by strong marketing and a thriving ticket sales operation, earned income has traditionally funded nearly two-thirds of the Globe’s annual budget, while contributed revenue funded the remainder. However, philanthropy must play an increasingly large role going forward given modern fiscal realities at the Globe and the overall theatre community. Individual giving and, more specifically, a core group of major philanthropists, have been the overwhelming drivers of the Globe’s philanthropic support. The Globe’s annual contributed revenue in the future will need to exceed $14 million annually by FY29 and feature an increasingly diversified donor base, and updates to the Globe’s physical space may present the opportunity for a corresponding campaign effort. As San Diego has become increasingly positioned as a corporate alternative to Silicon Valley, life sciences and biotechnology companies and their employees have streamed into the region. It is critical that the Globe engages these corporations, among others, as prospective partners in advancing the arts for overall community health.

The Globe’s work indeed extends well beyond the stage, and its continually evolving and innovative community programs powerfully expand its impact to a broader group of stakeholders. A diversified Globe donor base should incorporate entities and individuals, including those from marginalized communities, who have heretofore not supported the institution, championing an ethos of theatre to be accessed by all, not just the few. The Globe’s Social Justice Roadmap deepens and expands existing efforts in building equity, diversity, and inclusion in the theatre. Consistent with this, the Globe’s philanthropy must proactively advance the Social Justice Roadmap and embrace a community-centric fundraising lens in contrast to the donor-centrism that has informed previous fundraising.

The Old Globe has become an internationally known theatre and influential powerhouse among regional theatres, and can mount a compelling case for support from theatre stakeholders across the U.S. The opportunity beckons for The Old Globe to fully embrace and articulate its place at the vanguard of global theatre, celebrate its artistic preeminence, cultivate philanthropy on a wider geographic scale, and ascend to new heights as an organization.

The Old Globe’s cultural cache and vibrant narrative provide a far-reaching platform to dramatically increase contributed revenue. This is the favorable context in which the Globe seeks a seasoned fundraising professional who will continue the evolution of a comprehensive, modern, and sophisticated fundraising program to support the theatre’s acclaimed productions and community programs. Reporting to the Managing Director with a dotted-line relationship to the Artistic Director, the Director of Philanthropy (DoP) will oversee an 11-person team of energetic and highly engaged professionals in the areas of major gifts, institutional giving (corporate, foundation, and government), planned giving, annual giving, membership, and special events. The DoP’s initial focus will be working as a close and trusted partner to the Managing Director and Artistic Director in evaluating, re-envisioning, and reengineering the way the Globe fundraises, and articulating an overarching fundraising philosophy. The DoP is charged with advancing a sustainable major gift-focused fundraising culture seamlessly integrated with the organization’s programmatic and marketing initiatives, and coalescing the organization-wide philanthropic response necessary to implement the Artistic Director’s vision.

The successful candidate will be a dynamic and highly organized individual who possesses broad-based philanthropy expertise, with particular sophistication in the areas of capacity building and strategic facilitation, as well as outstanding skills in presentation, writing, and organizational diplomacy. Experience building and/or significantly growing a state-of-the art, complex philanthropy function is desired, ideally within an arts-related organization or cultural institution. The Globe requires an individual who is committed to building a responsive, efficient, and highly successful fundraising program within a vibrant, fast-paced, high-volume artistic enterprise with a year-round production schedule. The DoP will embrace the Globe’s evolving mission and the sweep and scope of its leadership’s vision, joining an organization replete with impassioned, driven, creative, and dedicated individuals. For an ambitious fundraising professional, this is an exciting, high-growth opportunity with an institution that is a beloved jewel amid San Diego arts and culture, and a national, if not global, theatre treasure.

EQUITY, DIVERSITY, INCLUSION, AND ACCESS

The Old Globe is actively committed to fostering a culture of equity, diversity, inclusion, and access in all areas of our operation. By making intentional, actionable steps, we strive to make The Old Globe a place where theatre makers, employees, volunteers, audience members, and community members of all identities and backgrounds belong. The Old Globe welcomes candidates who demonstrate a commitment to these goals. We strongly encourage people with the following identities to apply: BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, people living with disabilities, and those from other historically and presently marginalized groups. Multilingual candidates are also strongly encouraged to apply.

The Old Globe has retained the DSG Fundraising & Advancement Practice of the Diversified Search Group to assist in this confidential search process. Inquiries, nominations, and applications (current resumes and cover letters) may be submitted at https://talent-profile.diversifiedsearchgroup.com/search/v2/20216 , or directed to:

Gerard F. Cattie, Jr.
Managing Director and DSG Fundraising & Advancement Practice Leader
Diversified Search Group
The Chrysler Building, 405 Lexington Avenue, 49th Floor, New York, New York 10174
[email protected] | 212.542.2587