Development Director — Arts Fundraising Leader

SUU; Cedar City (UT); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Utah Shakespeare Festival in Cedar City, UT seeks a Director of Development to lead all fundraising efforts and supervise a development team. The role focuses on donor recruitment and retention, grant writing, major gifts, annual giving, and foundation/corporate relations to advance the Festival's mission.

The Director partners with senior leadership, the Artistic Director, and the Board, overseeing development reports, budgets, and donor events.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree and five years experience in the cultivation and solicitation of individual, corporate, foundation, or government donors.
• Proven track record in managing successful fundraising programs.
• Leadership and administrative abilities, with experience in managing and motivating staff.
• Ability to plan and manage strategic objectives with strong time management and organizational skills.
• Superior verbal and written communication skills and ability to connect with diverse donors.
• Experience with major gifts, annual fund, and foundation/corporate relations preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development department and collaborate with USF senior leadership to create and execute an annual strategic development plan to support the growth of the mission and operations of USF.
• Build a development program including major gifts, annual fund, planned giving, corporate and foundation relations, donor cultivation, and stewardship programs.
• Evaluate and rebuild membership models and loyalty programs; manage development reports and forecasts; monitor budgets and expenditures.
• Oversee grant proposals and reporting; grant writing is required.
• Collaborate with staff, board and volunteers to manage donor events with measurable outcomes and strengthen board fundraising involvement.
• Continue fundraising for the Fred C. Adams Endowment, manage pledges, and drive campaigns to public phases.
• Other duties as assigned.

Skills

Fundraising leadership

Donor relations

Grant writing

Strategic planning

Budget management

Team leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree

Job description

Serve as one of the key administrative leaders for the Tony Award-winning Utah Shakespeare Festival located in beautiful Southern Utah. The Director of Development is responsible for leading all fundraising activities of the Utah Shakespeare Festival. Responsibilities include: donor recruitment and retention; research and solicitation: directing foundation, corporate, legislative, and individual giving; grant-writing; and overseeing the Festival's annual fund campaigns. The Director of Development reports to the Executive Managing Director and works closely with the Artistic Director and the Board of Governors. The Director of Development will supervise a team of an associate development director and undergraduate & graduate employee(s).

Date of first consideration: 07/15/2026.

• Lead the development department and collaborate with USF senior leadership to create and execute an annual strategic development plan to support the growth of the mission and operations of USF. Work in cooperation with other departments to create effective and targeted development strategies to meet departmental objectives.

• Build a development cultivation program that consists of major gifts, annual fund, planned giving, corporate and foundation relations, cultivation of individual donors, and stewardship programs that support the current and future needs of the Festival.

• Evaluate and rebuild membership models and loyalty programs that will support and enhance ongoing guest-based donations and support. Manage and oversee the formation and maintenance of development reports and records; prepare and manage the department's forecasts, financial reports and budgets; monitor budget and control expenditures. Follow all SUU policies related to purchasing.

• Supervise and manage the research and preparation of all foundation, corporate, and government grant proposals and oversee grant administration and reporting in collaboration with the SUU Advancement and Grants offices. Grant writing will be required.

• Work closely with staff, board members, and other volunteers to effectively manage donor events with measurable outcomes in the area of attracting and retaining donors. Work with the Festival's leadership to motivate and strengthen the Board in its role in development, and take an active role in serving and supporting the Executive Managing Director, Artistic Director, and Board in their fundraising efforts.

• Continue fundraising for the Fred C. Adams Endowment, including managing current pledges, prospecting new pledges, and taking the campaign to a public phase at an appropriate time.
  Other fundraising efforts/programs/partnerships.

• Other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree and five years experience in the cultivation and solicitation of individual, corporate, foundation, or government donors and a proven track record in the management of successful fundraising programs.

• Leadership and administrative abilities, with experience in managing and motivating staff and the ability to inspire those working with them toward accomplishing common objectives. Collaboration skills and the ability to work as an independent self-starter.

• Ability to plan and manage strategic objectives and set priorities, while also focusing on the details of the department. Possess time management, project management, and organizational skills to ensure effective campaigns, programs, and projects necessary to meet fundraising goals and increase USF's contributed and earned revenue.

• Superior verbal and written communication skills, good business sense, and computer literacy. Ability to personally connect with donors and potential donors, including board members, staff, artists, funders, and volunteers. Possess the openness to be effective in the unique fundraising communities that support USF. Donors and patrons come from Cedar City, Salt Lake City, and surrounding Utah areas, Las Vegas, and across the country.

• Strong work ethic, highest levels of integrity. Must take an active, public role in the cultivation and solicitation of donors, and serve as an ambassador for the Festival.

• Passion for theatre and the arts, understand and support the Festival's mission, and have the ability to articulate this mission and role to others.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with planned giving.

• Five years of fundraising experience, preferably with an arts organization.

• Project management experience.

• Flexibility to welcome and embrace change and the ability to balance the many challenges inherent in a dynamic theatre environment.

• Initiative, creativity, energy, and an entrepreneurial spirit.

This position is contingent on funding.

Due to recent changes in H1B visa fees, Southern Utah University is no longer able to sponsor international faculty and staff that require an H1B visa and are currently living outside of the United States.