Development Director

The Development Director serves as a key member of Stages’ Management Team, partnering with the Managing Director and Board of Directors to design and lead a comprehensive development program that ensures the organization’s long-term sustainability. Responsible for generating approximately 4 million in annual contributed revenue, this leader develops and executes strategies to expand support from individuals, corporations, foundations, government agencies, and other funding sources.

The Development Director oversees a dedicated team responsible for all fundraising initiatives, providing clear direction, strategic alignment, and operational excellence. This role ensures effective systems and practices for donor cultivation, recognition, and stewardship, while fostering strong collaboration across departments, particularly with marketing, to enhance Stages’ visibility and philanthropic reach.

A strategic and relational fundraiser, the Development Director engages donors and stakeholders at every stage of the giving cycle, actively diversifies revenue streams, and uses data-driven insights to identify and secure new funding opportunities. As a frontline fundraiser, the Director manages a personal portfolio and supports the cultivation and stewardship efforts of staff, leadership, and board members to advance Stages’ mission and values.

About us
Stages makes plays and tells stories that invite everyone to live more deeply and love more boldly. We produce a broad scope of plays and musicals ranging from jukebox musicals and family entertainment to world premieres and new work by emerging writers.
Stages was founded in 1978 and we’ve grown to become Houston’s sixth largest nonprofit performing arts producer and the largest outside the downtown theater district. We perform year-round with an average of 10 productions and thousands of visitors each season. In January 2020, we opened our new $35.4 million three-theater home, The Gordy.
We’re a welcoming, collaborative culture that encourages each staff member to take initiative, share ideas, and help shape the organization.

About you
You are dedicated and results driven with a passion for raising money in support of the organization’s mission, values, and achieving annual fundraising goals. You are a proven leader who leads a staff of passionate team members, while also working to achieve your own goals and objectives. You are personally dedicated to human centric fundraising and understand that success in our business is all about the cherished relationships held between many different individuals. Enthusiastic about the opportunity to lead and contribute to Stages’ development efforts, you are an innovative thinker who works at a quick pace with a deep commitment to the causes you support. You are a strong project manager, who understands how to lay out a plan to achieve a big vision. You are committed to ethical fundraising practices and dedicated to maintaining the highest standards of integrity for trust between an organization and its supporters. You are also motivated to cultivate and nurture relationships with key stakeholders and are a skilled team leader and collaborator. You know Houston’s philanthropic scene.

What you’ll do at Stages
Serve as Stages’ chief contributed revenue strategist and frontline fundraiser, developing and executing a comprehensive annual development plan with clear timelines and strategies to grow restricted and unrestricted support from individuals, corporations, foundations, government agencies, and special events.

Develop and manage the department’s annual revenue and expense budget, ensuring effective allocation of resources and high-quality execution of all administrative and operational functions, including data integrity, donor acknowledgments, reporting, and financial tracking.

Lead a team of four Development staff members, fostering a supportive, collaborative, and high-performing work environment. Set clear strategic goals and performance standards, guide workflow priorities, and conduct regular one-on-one and team meetings. Provide timely constructive feedback and ensure professional development and performance management are aligned with Stages’ objectives and values.

Provide strategic oversight and mentorship to the Major Gifts function, ensuring the successful cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of high-capacity donors and prospects. Partner with the Major Gifts Officer to develop tailored engagement strategies, create individualized cultivation plans, and manage portfolio movement. Support the identification and qualification of new major gift prospects, and coordinate with the Managing Director and Board to align solicitation priorities with Stages’ goals.

Provide strategic oversight and mentorship to the Individual Giving Manager, ensuring the successful cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of lower-level donors. Support the development of personalized stewardship practices that deepen engagement and build sustained relationships.

Oversee and support the Patron Systems & Benefits Manager in maintaining accurate and comprehensive donor data within CRM systems (Spektrix). Ensure that reporting, analytics, segmentation, and gift entry processes are accurate and timely, supporting strategic decision-making across the department. Partner closely to refine data-driven insights, improve workflow efficiency, and maintain the integrity of donor records, acknowledgements, and renewals.

Oversee and coordinate the relationship with the external grant-writer, to include aligning funding priorities with Stages’ goals, managing workflow and deadlines, reviewing proposals and reports for accuracy and voice, and ensuring timely submission and compliance with grant requirements. Lead, with support from the agency, the assessment and development of new foundation funding sources and develop those relationships and pathways.

Establish and maintain clear portfolio guidelines for the Major Gifts Officer and Individual Giving Manager, ensuring lower- and mid-level donors are appropriately cultivated and advanced. Monitor donor movement to support timely handoffs to the MGO, prevent overlap, and maintain a seamless pipeline from first-time giving through major gift stewardship.

Lead the strategy and execution of the annual fund and mid-level donor efforts through digital and multi-channel communications. Oversee segmented campaigns, appeals, and donor journeys to grow sustained giving while ensuring relationship-based fundraising remains central across email, web, social, and in-person touchpoints.

Serve as lead fundraising strategist for the annual Stages Gala, currently contributing a minimum of $1.5MM towards the overall annual fundraising goal. Oversee the project with support from the Development team, event chairs and committee, and an external special events logistics planner.

Develop and steward major, capital, and legacy giving programs, cultivating meaningful relationships with current and prospective donors to support long-term sustainability.

Act as a key liaison with Stages’ board of directors, providing staff leadership in conjunction with the Managing Director for all Board Committees, as well as serving on committees as needed and providing oversight to all development-related committees and board functions.

Ensure all fundraising efforts reflect Stages’ mission and values along with the Association of Fundraising Professionals ethical standards, using data-driven prospect research and stewardship strategies to expand and diversify the donor base and meet all annual revenue goals.

Provide staff leadership to any special campaigns and initiatives, including comprehensive and/or endowment campaigns.

Serve as a member of the Stages Management Team, modeling collaboration, equity, diversity, and inclusion in all leadership practices while upholding the Stages brand, culture, and core values.

To excel in this job, you’ll need
10 years of progressive fundraising experience with a demonstrated record of success across individual, corporate, foundation, and institutional giving.

5 years of management experience with proven ability to lead, motivate, and develop a high-performing team while cultivating a positive, collaborative, and accountable work culture.

Demonstrated success in relationship-based fundraising, particularly in growing individual giving and deepening donor engagement over time.

Established relationships within the Houston philanthropic community, or a proven track record of quickly building strong, productive networks in a new market.

Strong operational and project management skills, including proficiency with fundraising systems, budgets, data tracking, and performance reporting.

Strategic thinker and effective communicator, skilled at setting priorities, aligning department goals with organizational objectives, and inspiring others to achieve results.

Excellent interpersonal, communication, and stewardship abilities, with the emotional intelligence to connect authentically with donors, board members, staff, and community partners.

High ethical standards, integrity, and a deep commitment to Stages’ mission and values.

Flexibility to work evening and weekends for performances, events, and donor engagements as needed.

A genuine passion for the arts and a belief in the power of storytelling to build community.

It’s also great to have
Creativity and innovation in fundraising strategies, with the ability to develop fresh approaches to donor engagement and storytelling.

Advanced expertise in project management, ensuring smooth coordination across complex initiatives.

Experience collaborating with marketing and communications teams to build cohesive messaging and strengthen the organization’s philanthropic brand.

Experience with database management and modeling as a support to creating donor pathways.

This is important
Stages is committed to advancing equity, diversity, and inclusion. We are committed to creating and maintaining a safe creative environment for staff, artists, and our community. We know that through discussion and expression we can continue to promote change in a positive direction. We believe that diversity on and off stage is important. We are committed to bridging cultural gaps and creating an environment of inclusion and equity for all. It is our intent to provide equal opportunities to all who may apply. We welcome every race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, genetic makeup, gender identity or expression, disability, veteran status, and thinking style.

Our hiring process
First, send us some information about yourself—please include an introduction to help us understand who you are and why you’re right for this position (eg: cover letter, email, personal statement, video) as well as anything you think might be helpful to understand your background, experience, and skills. This could include a resume, event materials, writing or other work samples, personal website, LinkedIn profile, etc.

Human Resources
Stages
800 Rosine St.
Houston, Texas 77019
humanresources@stageshouston.com

If we think you might be a good fit, we’ll contact you to schedule an introductory interview with members of our team. This conversation will help us learn about you, share more about the job and Stages, and answer your initial questions. From there, we may also invite you to talk with other staff members from positions across the organization so that you have an opportunity to explore Stages’ culture and work environment, and we can get a sense of what you’ll bring to the team.