Associate Director of Development, Sponsorships and Strategic Partnerships

The Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, DC is seeking an experienced development professional to join our team as the Associate Director of Development, Sponsorship and Strategic Partnerships.  Reporting to the Chief Development Officer, this role will build and manage meaningful, integrated funding relationships for the Folger.  The Associate Director will identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward corporate, business, and community relationships, design and develop custom sponsorship packages and work with key departments across the Folger to advance these partnerships. 

The ideal candidate is a strategic leader with the ability to envision, implement, and steward a thoughtful approach to prospect development and process improvement to support the growth of the Development team at the Folger. They bring a proven record as an experienced fundraising specialist, particularly in building sponsorship programs and corporate partnerships. This individual is an initiative-taker with superior written and oral communication skills, strong problem-solving abilities, and a passion for philanthropy.  

As part of the Development department’s senior team, the AD will support other leaders in fostering a culture of philanthropy, ensuring that fund development is executed in keeping with the values, mission, and strategic direction of the Folger Shakespeare Library. They will work with the Chief Development Officer to establish a balanced mix of donor sources and fundraising programs to attract and retain donors and fundraising volunteers.  

The standard schedule for this role is Monday-Friday, 9:00am-5:00pm, which is a 35-hour workweek. Frequent evening and weekend hours will be required for special programs. This position is eligible for hybrid work with a current schedule requiring a minimum of 3 days on-site per week. The on-site schedule will be coordinated with the CDO.  The selected candidate will need to be within a commutable distance to the D.C. office (DC, MD, VA) by their start date. 

Health & Safety: The health and well-being of all staff, contractors, and visitors is our top priority. While the Folger no longer requires masks or vaccinations (except for AEA spaces), we support and encourage individuals to take the safety precautions they are most comfortable with, and we ask that individual choices are respected. Folger offers organization-funded healthcare plans for full-time staff and extensive leave options to all staff in case of any health issues that arise.  

Compensation:  

• This is a bimonthly-paid salary position, with an annual rate of $100,000-110,000.  

• Total compensation includes an extensive benefits plan, including a generous 403(b) contribution and match, outlined at https://www.folger.edu/employee-benefits.   

Summary of Duties: 

This role will develop, implement, and manage strategic partnerships and sponsorship-driven fundraising to maximize income from organizations and philanthropists to meet contributed revenue goals. This role is responsible for the identification, cultivation, and delivery of new funding and revenue streams generated from sponsors, corporate partners and members, and personal giving from corporate and business executives. 

Duties: 

Strategy and Pipeline Development 

• In partnership with the Chief Development Officer, develops, manages, and implements a   strategy which includes a multi-year plan for outreach, solicitation, stewardship, benefit fulfillment, and future engagement opportunities.   

• Builds and manages a prospect pipeline reflecting a diverse mix of strategic partnership types including individual and institutional sponsors and corporate partners. 

• Develops sponsorship proposals and agreements for businesses, corporations, and corporate foundations that reflect Folger priorities and maximize revenue potential. 

• Conducts discovery meetings and maintains regular outreach to qualify prospective strategic partnerships based on capacity, alignment, and readiness to engage with the Folger. 

Solicitation and Stewardship 

• Identifies, cultivates, solicits, and stewards corporate and individual prospects to secure sponsorship support for Folger events, programs, initiatives, and ongoing operational priorities. 

• Manages multi-year corporate partnerships and corporate memberships, including renewals, contract negotiation, stewardship planning, and benefit fulfillment. 

• Serves as the primary point of contact for corporate members, sponsors, and strategic partners; convenes regular check-ins and ensures contracted benefits are delivered consistently and on time. 

• Establishes and implements corporate and institution donor stewardship priorities including proactive outreach to thank partners and promote renewals.   

Institutional Collaboration 

• Partners with the marketing and communications team to develop sponsorship materials that support new partner acquisition and the renewal of existing relationships. 

• Works with the membership team to identify potential sponsors within Folger's member network. 

• Develops and coordinates engagement pathways that connect corporate and partnership prospects with Folger programs, communities, and mission, including opportunities to interact with Folger scholars, fellows, artists, volunteer leaders, and staff.  

• Partners with the events and marketing and communications teams to align sponsorship opportunities with institutional priorities and to leverage the Folger’s network for prospect development. 

• Coordinates with development colleagues to transition relationships when a prospect is ready for a different engagement pathway. 

• Regularly communicates with internal departments and stakeholders that intersect and would benefit from partnership engagement and sponsorship. 

• Ensures all activity overseen is documented and tracked, and that revenue is accurately recorded and counted toward fundraising totals in coordination with the AD of Development Operations. 

Development Events and Support 

• Supports fundraising for the Folger’s broader initiatives by identifying prospects, compiling lists, and drafting or editing supporting materials. Institutional initiatives may include the annual gala, the Director’s Residency, Shakespeare’s Birthday, Folger’s Theatre, Consort, and Poetry seasons, annual educational and humanities programming, and other future campaigns.  

• Develops and maintains sponsorship opportunity information online, in collaboration with the development team. 

• Works at major development events, including the annual Renaissance Circles dinner, Acquisitions Night, and theater and exhibition openings. Prepares relevant biographies, briefing materials, and correspondence for senior staff. Meets and greets donors and prospects and facilitates introductions with senior and program staff. 

• Help manage renewals, benefits, special gift opportunities, and general business questions.  Performs other duties as assigned. 

Education and Experience:   

• Bachelor’s degree required; Advanced degree or equivalent professional experience preferred.   

• 5-7 years of progressively responsible experience in development, preferably in a cultural, arts, academic or non-profit institution.   

• Demonstrated record of conceiving and implementing fundraising strategies tied to sponsorship and partnership opportunities; experience successfully executing corporate strategy strongly desired. 

• Experience researching and tracking mission-aligned institutions, corporate values and giving priorities, and developing strategies to increase funding. 

• Prior supervisory experience. 

Skills and Knowledge:     

• Excellent verbal and written communications skills.  

• Excellent organizational and time management skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment. 

• Ability to perform well both independently and as part of a collaborative development team.   

• Skilled in facilitating face-to-face solicitation as well as writing persuasive appeals.   

• Ability to effectively engage volunteer leadership and senior staff, as appropriate, in the cultivation and solicitation process.  

• Ability to motivate and nurture growth and foster independence and collaboration as a staff supervisor and mentor.  

• Customer service-oriented, with the ability to work with the public and relate effectively to a diverse donor population. 

• A genuine passion for and commitment to the Folger’s mission, the ability to convey it effectively, and a willingness to continually learn about the Folger’s programs and mission. 

• Exceptional understanding of and adherence to ethical and legal requirements for confidentiality in handling sensitive information and situations. 

• Knowledge of Tessitura, KindSight/iWave, Wordfly, and HTML is highly desirable. 

Working Conditions/Physical Requirements:   

This job operates in a professional office environment. The employee may be exposed to various components of an office environment such as fluorescent lighting, pollen, dust, recycled air, cooling fans, semi-enclosed areas, central heating, seasonal warmer temperatures, and office noise. The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.      

• The normal work week is Monday-Friday, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. Ability to work varying and additional hours as project demands arise (including evenings and weekends as necessary).           

• Ability to work at a computer for an extended period of time, with accuracy.      

• Willingness and capacity to work in an office environment at a workstation, and to come and go repeatedly throughout the day as is necessary, to perform various responsibilities.      

• Capacity to communicate, in person, or using video, phone, or electronic communication methods, in a manner which can be understood.