The Development Officer is a key member of our administrative team. The Development Officer reports to the Executive Director, and works collaboratively with the Artistic Director, Director of Marketing and Board of Directors. The Development Officer is an integral part of the creative visioning and smooth execution of all donor relations and fund development at Persephone Theatre.

Duties and Responsibilities:
• Assist in creating, implementing, and monitoring for success, fundraising and stewardship plans and their corollary materials (e.g., stewardship reports, thank you letters, correspondence, naming opportunity descriptions, etc.) to secure and keep, major gift donors.
• Secure a targeted amount of gifts & sponsorships identified in the fundraising plan.
• Solicit Foundation and Corporate Sponsorships for the season or specific events or initiatives.
• Coordinate face-to-face solicitations.
• Coordinate mail-out and email solicitations with the Marketing Department.
• Ensure recognition and stewardship obligations outlined in gift agreements are included in customized stewardship plans and actively track their execution. Coordinate annual fund statements to donors and sponsors.
• Strategize, lead and coordinate (in association with the Director of Marketing) all gift announcements and events for donors, including but not limited to the Director’s Circle.
• Assist in creating and implementing our donor recognition program, including giving societies and guidelines for annual giving, mid-level, major and planned giving donors.
• Liaise and coordinate with our volunteer External Relations Committee, as well as participate as a committee member, in the pursuit of donation and sponsorship prospects.
• Participate in the writing of project grants, and seek out new funding opportunities.
• Optimize and update our Theatre Manager database, in coordination with our Box Office Manager, as a tool for documenting, implementing and executing cultivation and stewardship plans.
• Manage our donor naming approvals through the approved Board processes, and inventory the naming opportunities along with the coordination and updating of donor signage, plaquing, or website recognition.
• Manage our sponsorship recognition, in concert with the Director of Marketing.
• Manage sponsorship payments and donation records, in collaboration with the Financial Controller.
• Mail or email all tax receipts for donations over $20, in a timely manner.
• Willingness to increase personal development in fundraising industry best practices in donor and sponsorship relations for all programs and make recommendations for implementation.
• Other projects and initiatives, as mutually agreed.
• Coordinate and plan VIP Directors Circle events, along with other important events like Opening Nights in collaboration with the Director of Marketing
• Coordinate donor events and initiatives to engage new and existing donors
Desired Skills & Qualifications:
• Minimum 3-years of progressive experience in a fundraising or donor relations capacity, or relevant professional experience in a similar role
• Event management with a focus on relationship management, sponsorship solicitation, and volunteer leadership
• Grant and/or foundation writing experience an asset
• Personable with strong customer service skills
• Demonstrated ability to draft materials such as solicitation letters, impact reports, foundation letters, proposals, etc.
• Knowledge of fundraising/database software (Theatre Manager and Spektrix specifically would be an asset)
• Experience with relationship management
• Exceptional communication skills, oral and written
• Strategic thinking and problem-solving
• Ability to work in a changing environment while maintaining a positive outlook
• Must be a team player, and should have a love of the theatre and the performing arts
• Belief in Persephone Theatre’s mission, vision and values, and a commitment to reconciliation, equity, diversity and inclusion

Key competencies include:
• Personal Accountability – a self-motivated sense of purpose and direction that supports reliability and accountability for personal and professional actions.
• Patron Focus – the commitment to patron, donor, supporter, and prospect satisfaction.
• Planning, Organizing, and Managing Time and Priorities – the ability to ascertain top priorities, forecast while anticipating outcomes and risks, and establishing appropriate courses of action.
• Professional Deportment – the position requires the candidate to become one of the public “faces” of the organization.

Salary and Benefits:
 $50,000-60,000 per annum, commensurate with experience
 3 weeks vacation, accrued annually
 Comprehensive extended health and dental plan
 Professional Development support available

This is a salaried, full-time position working year-round and will require some work during evenings, weekends, and holidays. Overtime work can be banked and offered back as time in lieu.

The ideal candidate will begin April 22, 2025. Exact start date to be negotiated.

To Apply:
Please send a letter of interest and CV by email to Breanne Harmon, Executive Director breanne.h@persephonetheatre.org by March 31, 2025, subject line: Development Officer - <Your Name>. Applications will be reviewed as they are received. All applications are held in strict confidence. Thank you to all applicants. Only those selected for interviews will be contacted.

Accessibility:
If there is a potential barrier that might prevent you from being able to apply, we encourage you to let us know so we can work with you to dissolve it. If you require assistance with your application, please reach out to Breanne Harmon, Executive Director breanne.h@persephonetheatre.org or by calling 306-384-2126 ext 223.

Employment Policy:
Fair and equitable employee and volunteer recruitment practices will be used at all times so that all qualified persons regardless of race, creed, age, gender, gender expression, gender identity, marital status, nationality, ancestry, ethnic origins, family relationship, number of dependents, disability, sexual orientation, political affiliation, socio-economic status, or membership in a union will be considered to fill any positions that may become available within the theatre. Persephone Theatre recognizes that people experience disadvantages achieving candidacy due to systemic oppression. Our candidate search process will be deliberately mindful of under-represented groups, and aims to be cognizant of any biases that may interfere with an equitable hiring practice. Persephone Theatre’s employment goal is to hire competent, highly engaged individuals to constitute a staff and volunteer base that reflects the diversity of our community. Persephone Theatre relies on section 48 of the Saskatchewan Human Rights code to give preference to marginalized and racialized people.