Development Director

Featured

Jul 30

Carolina Theatre of Durham
Durham, NC

Anticipated Start Date: August 10

Description

Working closely with the Senior Director of Development, the Development Manager will execute a comprehensive cultivation and stewardship strategy to sustain and grow individual, corporate, and foundation revenue streams. This role acts as a primary contact for members, donors, grantors, and sponsors, managing data systems and communication workflows to drive engagement. This is a temporary position covering a leave from August 2026 through March 2027. Outstanding performance during this period may lead to an offer for a permanent role as the theater expands its fundraising operations.

Training & Onboarding: To ensure a smooth transition, the first two weeks of the position will be entirely in person. This role will train directly with the current Development Manager, the Development Officer, and the Senior Director of Development to learn departmental tasks, procedures, and internal policies. Serve as the primary contact for members, including new inquiries, renewals, payment questions, requests for tickets, benefits, and communications.

Drive retention and acquisition for the membership program through targeted outreach and hosting individuals in the donor lounge. Identify lapsed members and execute renewal campaigns (calls, events, show invites, etc.). Draft and publish the monthly Star Member Newsletter Research and vet potential corporate sponsors and provide strategies for engagement Assist in writing corporate sponsorship proposals and tracking contracted deliverables and marketing activations. Events & Grant Administration.

Assist in planning the annual Star Member Soiree Assist with planning the annual fundraising gala, Dancing with the Carolina Stars (DWTCS), including sponsorship outreach and coordinating vendors, performers, and logistics with internal teams. Help plan private donor receptions, including invitation design, RSVP tracking, event logistics, and coordination with the Operations team. Contribute to grant administration as needed, including compiling internal metrics and data, drafting narrative proposals, and completing interim/final reports for foundations and government entities.

Responsibilities

Donor Stewardship & Database Management

Assist the Development Officer in maintaining the DonorPerfect CRM database, overseeing accurate gift entry and profile updates. Run data analysis to identify pipeline opportunities for donor retention and major gift growth.
Track donor interactions, benefits delivery, and event attendance with clear follow-up logs.
Generate financial reports to monitor fundraising streams against budgeted goals. Draft and distribute member acknowledgement letters, welcome packets, and personalized notes.

Centennial Campaign & Year-End Appeal

Assist the Senior Director of Development with logistics, data segmentation, and content for the year-end appeal and fiscal year-end annual report.
Partner with the Marketing team to maintain consistent messaging regarding community impact.
Support the Development Committee and Board members in executing peer-to-peer fundraising efforts.
Manage the theater's in-kind giving program to secure operational products and services.

Membership & Corporate Sponsorships

Serve as the primary contact for members, including new inquiries, renewals, payment questions, requests for tickets, benefits, and communications.
Drive retention and acquisition for the membership program through targeted outreach and hosting individuals in the donor lounge.
Identify lapsed members and execute renewal campaigns (calls, events, show invites, etc.).
Draft and publish the monthly Star Member Newsletter Research and vet potential corporate sponsors and provide strategies for engagement Assist in writing corporate sponsorship proposals and tracking contracted deliverables and marketing activations.

Events & Grant Administration

Assist in planning the annual Star Member Soiree Assist with planning the annual fundraising gala, Dancing with the Carolina Stars (DWTCS), including sponsorship outreach and coordinating vendors, performers, and logistics with internal teams.
Help plan private donor receptions, including invitation design, RSVP tracking, event logistics, and coordination with the Operations team.
Contribute to grant administration as needed, including compiling internal metrics and data, drafting narrative proposals, and completing interim/final reports for foundations and government entities.

Requirements

The ideal candidate will be detail-oriented, have strong organizational skills, a friendly and professional demeanor, and excellent relationship management skills, which is vital to the membership program.

Additionally, the Development Manager will value personal interactions with theater guests, members, and donors, and possess the ability to work well with the development team, theater staff, and organizational stakeholders.
Bachelor’s degree or an equivalent combination of skills and experience
At least 2-3 years of experience with fundraising or development required
Experience with managing high-touch relationships and soliciting gifts
Strong database organization and management skills, preferably with DonorPerfect
Prior experience in an entertainment venue or the arts preferred
Strong technical skills, and willingness to learn other software applications as needed
The ability to work independently with minimal supervision as well as within a team
Possess excellent communication skills
Acumen with professional writing, including proposals and agreements, marketing content, and stakeholder communications
Effective decision-making and problem-solving skills
Professional demeanor, collaborative approach, and a positive attitude

Salary Range and Employee Benefits

This full-time, contract position receives $30 per hour with the potential opportunity for a permanent role at the expiration of the contract.

Standard Hours: 40 hours per week; primarily Monday through Friday, with occasional evenings and weekends as needed based on department events and activities.

This role will have the option to work remotely one day per week.

Equal Opportunity: The Carolina Theatre is an Equal Opportunity Employer and values a diversity of people and experiences as part of an equitable and inclusive organization.

How to Apply for this Job

Apply Now

Interested candidates should submit their resume and a one-page cover letter as a single PDF to majorgifts-director@conservationlands.org. Please ensure that the email subject line and the PDF file name are formatted as Firstname_Lastname-Senior Director. All applications must be submitted by 11:59 PM MST on May 20 to be considered.

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