Development Director

Who You Are

As a collaborative and visionary fundraiser, you lead with enthusiasm and passion, bringing people together to achieve shared goals. Your leadership will not only shape our fundraising landscape but expand opportunities for our artists with disabilities. You are eager to leverage your fundraising abilities for a mission that transforms lives. Your skills in building and nurturing relationships will inspire others to support CATA’s work and fuel our journey towards a more inclusive, artistically vibrant future.

The Opportunity

This role represents a unique opportunity to lead fundraising at a trailblazing arts organization that has achieved exciting growth in programs, public presence, and philanthropic support. With a stunning new facility, powerful community partnerships, groundbreaking programs, a robust commitment to inclusion, and a highly public recent gift from MacKenzie Scott, CATA is positioned for a new era of growth. Reporting directly to the Executive Director, you will be a key decision-maker and influencer, spearheading our philanthropic strategy and nurturing our generous donor base. You will lead a talented team within a newly expanded Development Department, including a Gift Officer, Associate Director of Development, two Development Associates, and Grantwriter.

Your Mission: Make a lasting impact as an experienced fundraiser, building on CATA’s strong relationships with donors. You will drive our development program, leading your team to success, raising more than $2 million in annual contributions, growing relationships with major donors, and laying the groundwork for CATA's future capital campaigns.

Responsibilities:

• Develop and execute comprehensive, multi-year fundraising strategies to increase gifts year over year and nurture donors’ generosity in alignment with the strategic plan
• Lead CATA’s Major Gifts and Planned Giving Programs, developing strategies for high-capacity donors and funders in partnership with the ED, and directing the work of the Gifts Officer. Cultivate, solicit, and steward donors with capacity for six and seven figure gifts, managing a portfolio of 50+ donors and prospects while also supporting the ED’s prospect list and pipeline; prepare compelling, personalized proposals for high-capacity donors; nurture relationships with prospective and current donors through face-to-face meetings, phone calls, special events, custom acknowledgement letters and other modes of contact; successfully raise funds and solicit gifts in face-to-face meetings and phone calls.
• Lead the development team to reach financial targets and achieve goals, inspiring creativity, collaboration, and problem-solving through effective management strategies
• Oversee grant writer and review and edit priority proposals and reports for institutional funders; steward and cultivate high-capacity institutional funders
• Provide support for Board members’ efforts to nurture donor relationships and generate significant gifts, and guide the work of the board development committee. Partner with ED, Gift Officer, and Board to plan and strategize CATA’s next capital campaign, working with outside consultant to conduct feasibility study
• Serve on Senior Staff Leadership team and develop organization-wide strategy in collaboration with ED and directors in program, communications, finance and administration
• Complete monthly financial reconciliations with senior administrative/finance director
• Support CATA’s equity work through fundraising initiatives and actively participate in DEIA trainings and planning to uphold equity commitments
• Represent the organization at events and meetings

Qualifications:

• Significant experience in nonprofit fundraising with demonstrated success building donor relationships and closing major gifts of $10,000+
• Comprehensive management experience including short and long-term planning, directing a team, and managing budgets
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively in a team setting
• Superb written, verbal, and interpersonal skills
• Knowledge of fundraising best practices including research and cultivation, face-to-face solicitation, proposal writing, special events, phone solicitation, direct mail, gift processing, ethics, and fundraising reporting
• Proficiency in Google Suite, MS Office, CRM software, donor databases and other fundraising technology; experience with Bloomerang a plus
• Ability to relate to a diverse range of people, exercise cultural competence, and further diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace
• Must have reliable transportation to Great Barrington, MA. Local travel is required to meet with donors and attend CATA events, with mileage reimbursement available.

About CATA

Community Access to the Arts (CATA) is an innovative nonprofit that nurtures and celebrates the creativity of people with disabilities. For over 30 years CATA has been a trailblazer in artistic inclusion. Poised to continue our exciting growth, CATA boasts a beautiful new building, robust community partnerships, dynamic programs, strong equity initiatives, exceptional financial planning, and loyal donor retention. In CATA’s powerful arts programs, children, teens, and adults with disabilities explore new interests and express themselves creatively, developing personally and artistically through dance, theater, singing, drumming, juggling, painting, yoga, creative writing, and more. Their vibrant work is showcased in CATA’s public events– performances, readings, and art exhibits, presented in collaboration with premier cultural institutions in the Berkshires including The Clark Art Institute, Shakespeare & Company, and The Mount. Located in Great Barrington MA, CATA has an annual budget of $2.6M. CATA has been recognized for its groundbreaking work through the Massachusetts Cultural Council Commonwealth Award, NEPR Arts & Humanities Award, Mass Nonprofit Network Excellence Award, 1Berkshire Trendsetter Award, and the Barr-Klarman Massachusetts Arts Initiative. In 2024, CATA received a highly competitive grant from MacKenzie Scott’s Yield Giving Open Call. CATA is led by a dedicated team of 21 full-time staff with 20 part-time teaching faculty and a 21-member board of directors.

How To Apply:

Candidates should send a resume and a cover letter that describes how their qualifications and experience match the need. Apply here: https://www.applicantpro.com/openings/cataarts/jobs

All inquiries and materials will be confidential.

04/25/2025