Director of Development

DESCRIPTION

Location: Portsmouth, NH
Schedule: Full-time, salaried, exempt
Reports to: President & CEO
Position scope: Leads a four-person Development and Membership team and oversees approximately $2.4 million in FY27 contributed, special-event, and sponsorship revenue, in addition to the capital campaign.

ABOUT THE MUSIC HALL

The Music Hall is a beloved nonprofit arts and cultural organization in downtown Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Since opening as a vaudeville theater in 1878, it has grown into a vibrant gathering place for live music, comedy, film, literary events, education programs, and community experiences. Today, The Music Hall welcomes more than 130,000 patrons each year across its Historic Theater, Music Hall Lounge, New Hampshire Film Festival, and year-round member and community programming.

ABOUT THE ROLE

The Music Hall is seeking a collaborative, strategic, and relationship-driven Director of Development to lead philanthropy at one of New England’s treasured arts and cultural institutions. This senior leader will be accountable for growing contributed revenue, deepening donor and member relationships, and supporting The Music Hall’s mission to bring people together through exceptional arts, culture, and community experiences.

Working closely with the President & CEO, Board of Trustees, and colleagues across the organization, the Director of Development will lead and be accountable for major gifts, membership, sponsorship, grants, planned giving, special events, and capital support. The role includes personally managing a portfolio of principal and major-gift prospects, leading the Development and Membership team, and directing completion of The Music Hall’s current capital campaign.

The Music Hall is advancing the remaining phase of its Treasure the Legacy campaign, originally set at $15 million and expanded to $18 million to include the acquisition of Kearsarge House. Approximately $13.2 million has been raised toward the $18 million goal. The remaining phase will support community accessibility, safety, ADA compliance, and historic preservation work. The Director of Development will maintain campaign momentum while strengthening the major-gift, membership, sponsorship, grants, and planned-giving infrastructure that supports the organization beyond the campaign.

As part of The Music Hall leadership team, this role collaborates on strategic planning, organizational culture, and institution-wide priorities while advancing The Music Hall’s mission, vision, and core values. Under the direction of the President & CEO, the Director of Development also serves as the primary staff partner to the Board of Trustees Development Committee and designated campaign committees.

The successful candidate will bring a demonstrated record of growing annual contributed revenue, personally cultivating and closing major gifts, leading a capital or comprehensive campaign, increasing donor retention, strengthening membership and institutional giving, deepening corporate partnerships, and building a culture of philanthropy across an organization.

This is an opportunity for an experienced fundraising leader who loves the arts, values community, and enjoys building lasting relationships with donors, members, sponsors, trustees, and civic partners.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Fundraising Leadership

-Lead and be accountable for a comprehensive contributed-revenue program, including major gifts, membership, sponsorship, grants, planned giving, events, and capital support.

-Direct the remaining phase of The Music Hall’s current capital campaign while strengthening the fundraising systems that will support the organization long term.

-Partner with the President & CEO, trustees, and senior staff on donor strategy, cultivation, solicitation, closing, and stewardship.

-Personally manage a portfolio of principal and major-gift prospects and lead the cultivation, solicitation, closing, and stewardship of significant gifts.

-Prepare thoughtful donor briefings, proposals, recognition opportunities, and follow-up plans.

-Use Music Hall programming, member experiences, the New Hampshire Film Festival, and private gatherings to build meaningful donor engagement.

Team, Board, and Community Partnership

-Supervise, support, and develop the Development and Membership team; establish clear responsibilities and performance goals; manage the department budget; evaluate staff performance; and recommend staffing or structural changes to the President & CEO.

-Under the direction of the President & CEO, serve as the primary staff partner to the Board Development Committee and related campaign committees, equipping trustees and volunteers for effective cultivation and solicitation.

-Work collaboratively with marketing, communications, finance, programming, membership, box office, and operations colleagues.

-Develop clear, compelling donor and sponsor communications for print, digital, and website use.

-Build strong relationships with donors, members, sponsors, trustees, volunteers, and community partners.

Planning, Data, and Stewardship

-Set measurable annual revenue, retention, portfolio, pipeline, and activity goals and create practical plans to achieve them.

-Manage the Development budget and oversee fundraising reports, dashboards, forecasts, and campaign projections, reporting progress and corrective actions to the President & CEO.

-Maintain strong donor data, pipeline tracking, and stewardship practices, with a clearly assigned primary relationship manager for each significant donor or prospect.

-Ensure clear staff ownership and accountability for grants and institutional giving, including prospect research, funder relationships, calendars, applications, reports, compliance, and renewals.

-Represent The Music Hall’s mission, values, and community-centered spirit with professionalism and care.

Qualifications

-Bachelor’s degree or an equivalent combination of education and relevant professional experience; advanced degree welcome but not required.

-At least seven years of progressively responsible nonprofit fundraising experience, including experience leading and developing fundraising professionals.

-Direct leadership experience in a capital or comprehensive campaign, including campaign strategy, prospect pipeline development, forecasting, volunteer leadership, and personal solicitation.

-Demonstrated success personally cultivating, soliciting, and closing major gifts, together with broad experience across individual giving, membership, sponsorship, grants, and institutional giving.

-Strong relationship-building, communication, planning, budgeting, and board-engagement skills.

-Experience with CRM databases and donor research tools; Salesforce and PatronManager experience preferred.

-Comfort working in a lively arts and cultural environment, including some evenings and weekends.

-Ability to manage confidential information, complex details, and time-sensitive work with care.

Preferred Qualifications

-CFRE and/or CAP credential.

-Experience in a performing arts, cultural, or membership-based nonprofit organization.

-Experience with planned giving, grant strategy, and digital fundraising tools.

SALARY AND BENEFITS

Base salary range: Commensurate with fundraising leadership and campaign experience. The position is eligible for semiannual performance bonuses based on organizational and individual goals.
Benefits include health and dental insurance, paid time off, parking, 401(k), employee wellness reimbursement, complimentary tickets, cell-phone support, and eligibility for the sabbatical program, subject to current plan terms.

The Music Hall is committed to an inclusive, healthy, collaborative organizational culture grounded in its mission, vision, and core values. Learn more at https://www.themusichall.org/about/our-mission-values/

We welcome candidates who bring sound judgment, integrity, creativity, and genuine enthusiasm for connecting people with the arts.

HOW TO APPLY

To apply, please send a cover letter, resume, and start date availability to [email protected].

The Music Hall is an equal opportunity employer. Qualified applicants will be considered without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other status protected by law. Applicants requiring a reasonable accommodation may contact [email protected].

SALARY

$105,000.00 – $150,000.00 per year