Development Director

Development Director

Third Stone, Seattle, WA

bumbershoot.com/thirdstone

Third Stone is a Seattle-based arts and education nonprofit. Our mission is to foster an inclusive, energized, and sustainable arts economy in the Pacific Northwest through festival production, artistic spectacle, and community-driven programming. We are the public arm behind the revitalized Bumbershoot Arts & Music Festival and its new workforce development and education program. Third Stone aims to create a diverse and vibrant cultural hub, driven by our four key pillars: Education, Community, Art and Accessibility, and Festival as the Classroom.

In collaboration with production partner New Rising Sun, Bumbershoot successfully relaunched in 2023 following a three-year hiatus. We embraced our mission as an arts-forward, community-driven program, festival brand, and key contributor to Seattle’s economic revitalization. Since 1973, Bumbershoot has been one of North America’s most influential festivals, occurring on Labor Day weekend on the 74-acre Seattle Center campus.

Third Stone seeks a strategic and dynamic Development Director to lead the design, implementation, and management of comprehensive fundraising strategies. This position will focus on securing a wide range of revenue streams, including corporate partnerships, individual giving, grassroots donations, grants, and public funding. The Development Director will play a foundational role in setting the fundraising strategy and leading its execution, in close collaboration with the Executive Director and Board of Directors. The successful candidate will also hire and supervise consultants, oversee an annual grants calendar, and engage stakeholders in donor stewardship and cultivation efforts.

Primary Responsibilities:

Fundraising Strategy & Leadership

• • Design and implement comprehensive fundraising strategies to secure diverse revenue streams, including corporate, individual, grants, and public dollars.
  • Set long-term and short-term fundraising goals and plans to achieve annual targets, including a $3M annual music festival fundraising goal.
  • Lead the development of plans to identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward a portfolio of major donors, corporate partners, foundations, and public agencies.
  • Supervise consultants and direct annual grants calendar, ensuring that deadlines are met and relationships with funders are nurtured.

Donor Engagement & Cultivation

• • Engage the Executive Director and Board of Directors in active donor stewardship and cultivation work, ensuring they are effectively involved in fundraising activities.
  • Provide leadership in donor stewardship, creating opportunities for donor recognition and long-term relationship-building.
  • Collaborate with the Executive Director and board members to steward major donors, corporate sponsors, and public agencies.

Development Operations & Team Leadership

• • Build and maintain development systems for tracking donor relationships, stewardship activities, and revenue goals.
  • Oversee the creation of all fundraising materials, including appeals, grant proposals, reports, newsletters, and annual reports, in collaboration with the Executive Director.
  • Manage and grow a team of staff, consultants, volunteers, and board members involved in fundraising activities.
  • Provide mentorship and guidance to team members, empowering them to participate in fundraising efforts and contribute to Third Stone’s success.

Event Management & Fundraising Campaigns

• • Lead the planning and execution of fundraising campaigns, donor events, and stewardship activities, including engaging donors and funders at the annual Bumbershoot music festival.
  • Collaborate with internal teams to ensure successful fundraising events that engage key stakeholders and meet revenue goals.
  • Develop and implement grassroots fundraising strategies that mobilize community support.

Qualifications and Candidate Attributes

• • 5+ years of nonprofit experience with a proven track record setting and implementing comprehensive fundraising strategies, with a focus on major donors, corporate sponsorships, grassroots campaigns, and foundation/public grants.
  • Familiarity with the Pacific Northwest arts and culture community, and a genuine passion for Third Stone’s mission and the Bumbershoot brand.
  • Demonstrated success managing major donor portfolios, securing significant contributions, and building robust donor databases and development systems.
  • Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to engage and inspire donors, corporate partners, fundraising team, consultants, and community members.
  • Strong organizational and project management skills, with the ability to prioritize multiple projects and deadlines.
  • A commitment to social justice, actively engaging in personal and organizational reflection, critical dialogue, and growth around issues such as diversity, equity and inclusion.
  • Comfortable in nontraditional work environment and entertainment spaces, such as music venues, art galleries, and festival grounds.

Compensation & Benefits

• • Full-time, exempt position: $110,000 - $125,000
  • Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage
  • Generous paid time off and flexible work hours
  • Hybrid work model (25% travel expected)

Application Process

The search is being managed by Thomas Goldstein Associates (TGA). TGA is a search firm that provides a full range of services to mission-driven companies and organizations in the Pacific Northwest and beyond. To apply, send your resume and cover letter to jobs@bumbershoot.com. To be considered for the role, a thoughtful, personalized cover letter that conveys your qualifications, enthusiasm, and communication style is required. Due to the volume of applicants, we are unable to respond to all inquiries.

Third Stone is an Equal Opportunity Employer. People of color, queer, gay, lesbian and/or bisexual people, transgender, genderqueer and/or non-binary individuals are strongly encouraged to apply.

Third Stone is committed to the personal and professional growth of its employees. We work hard to build a supportive, respectful, and celebratory community among our staff, board, and volunteers. We look forward to finding the next member of our extended Bumbershoot family.