Overview

Clubbed Thumb is at the vanguard of new play curation and creation in the US, launching some of the most adventurous voices and plays seen on the American stage. Since our founding nearly 30 years ago, we have maintained a stalwart commitment to plays that are formally inventive, theatrically impossible, that experiment with language, style, tone and humor. Over time, we have forged a unique organizational model and have thrived because of it. Through keeping our overhead slim, and by carefully calibrating financial risk, we have created an environment that embraces unusual new plays, which has yielded an audience that is young, diverse and extremely hungry for the work. Beyond producing, Clubbed Thumb is also a hive of project and career development, hosting deep programs for early-career writers, directors and producers; an open-application commissioning program; an open submission policy; and a robust slate of workshops, readings and other commissions.

Clubbed Thumb is now at an inflection point, with highly successful programming and a growing profile. In order to sustain this larger footprint and properly support programming, we need to increase our staff’s capacity for fundraising, and our overall contributed revenue. Clubbed Thumb is concluding the first phase of a multi-year capacity-building plan, which—supported by large foundation and individual gifts—pays for various staff enhancements (including the hiring of this position) through 2026, at which point we will need to pay for these enhancements through increased annual income.

We are currently seeking a confident, charismatic and conscientious Director of Development to join Clubbed Thumb’s small, dynamic team and lead this effort. We are looking for someone comfortable talking to strangers of all ages about art and money – and the relationship between the two. We are looking for someone who believes in the work of Clubbed Thumb, and who enjoys scheming; our organization has sustained and thrived despite a modest budget by creatively leveraging our resources—resources which include excellent taste and taking good care of all members of our community, from artists to staff to audience to donors.

Though we are growing our staff from 4 to 5, we continue to be committed to organizational efficiency. Everyone on our team is a leader and a director of their own tasks—we each plan and we each execute. Current staff is an Artistic Director, Producing Director, Development Manager, and Programs Manager. We share our ideas and our to-do lists regularly and keep each other accountable. It is essential that an incoming Director of Development will thrive in this culture—though there will be input, direction and collaboration from the other directors and staff, the DOD will have a lot of authority over their work.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES & GOALS

  • Drive Clubbed Thumb’s development efforts, including establishing both short- and long-term strategy, setting annual revenue goals, and managing the annual fundraising calendar.
  • Lead all individual donor cultivation and solicitation—board, major gifts and events—building on our current stewardship efforts, with an aim to grow Clubbed Thumb’s annual operating income by $250K over the next three years, through major gifts and/or other sources.
  • Develop and execute strategies for the identification of new income sources—individuals, foundations, corporations, etc.
  • Support and supplement current grant writing and foundation outreach efforts.
  • Work closely with the board of 18 to continue cultivating them as direct supporters and advocates for the organization; lead ongoing process of new board member identification and recruitment.
  • Collaborate with a Development Manager who is well versed in their role and the organization, including them in strategy, cultivation, solicitation and stewardship activities.

NECESSARY CHARACTERISTICS

  • Comfort speaking with strangers about their philanthropy and asking them for money.
  • Ability to build and nurture relationships with potential donors, funders and board members.
  • Drive; ambition; the ability to be the engine of your own task list; creativity; imagination; a strong opinion, and of course, a good sense of humor.
  • Organizational skill.
  • Enthusiasm for working closely with a small, entrepreneurial team.
  • Excellent storytelling ability, comfort with writing and speaking.

BONUS CHARACTERISTICS

  • Knowledge of the NYC theater landscape, in particular new plays and early-career programming.
  • Familiarity with Bloomerang and AudienceView.

This is a full-time position. Clubbed Thumb staff works fully in-person at their administrative office at 440 Lafayette Street, generally maintaining a 10a – 6p, Monday through Friday schedule. When nights and weekends are required for programming, donor cultivation and special events, we adjust working hours to compensate for this. January – June is the busiest stretch of the year due to dense programming; July and August are very quiet and is when staff is encouraged to take vacation; September – December are focused on the annual gala, workshops and the various early-career programs.

We welcome applications from people representing a broad range of backgrounds. A bachelor’s degree or an equivalent combination of education and experience and at least five years of fundraising or significant relationship management experience is preferred.

Clubbed Thumb aims to be a charismatic beacon for adventurous art and artists; to forge a strategy that equitably and thoughtfully supports artists and their collaborators; to help level the playing field for women, BIPOC artists, and others who fall outside of the corridors of power—both in traditional narratives and in lived experience. The company emerged as a deliberate alternative to traditional institutional theater structures and is imbued with human values at its core. Clubbed Thumb continuously interrogates programs, policies, and practices to ensure they are equitable, diverse, and inclusive. More information about these values and practices can be found here.

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