Opportunities

Des Moines Metro Opera is a major American summer opera festival and is one of the Midwest’s largest performing arts organizations, annually producing over 100 performances in the metro area and around the region. DMMO offers a first-rate artistic experience in an affordable environment. The company’s summer festival season runs from May through July of each year during which three operas are performed in repertory for 15-17 mainstage performances, generally in entirely new productions. The summer festival season takes place in the intimate 467-seat Pote Theater at the Blank Center for the Performing Arts in Indianola, Iowa, a suburb community southeast of Des Moines and about 10 miles from the Des Moines International Airport. The company’s recently completed 2024 season was highly acclaimed and experienced record ticket sales. Audiences and patrons were welcomed from 5 countries and 40 states during the 2024 Season, and approximately 40% of our audiences came from outside the Des Moines Metro area. According to Opera America, DMMO is second in the nation among summer opera festivals in the number of visitors attracted to performances from outside its home state.

The company’s programming encompasses a distinctive mix of styles from five centuries of composition, presented in original productions, utilizing a spectacular array of professional talent and offers high quality productions in one of America’s most unique and intimate theatres. DMMO receives annual reviews from industry publications such as Opera News and Opera Today. The company has also been featured in the pages of the Kansas City Star, The New York Times and The Chicago Tribune, the Wall Street Journal, which said, “Such high production values and careful casting make Des Moines Metro Opera a find,” (2022) and The New Yorker magazine which said, “One of America’s boldest smaller companies…sending psychic shivers into the hot summer night” (2024).

The Opportunity

Under the leadership of General and Artistic Director Michael Egel, Des Moines Metro Opera is looking to the future as it continues to build upon a strong foundation of artistic and organizational work. Recently completing a successful 50th Anniversary campaign in 2022, which raised over $20 million for the celebratory initiatives and to build company’s endowment, the Director of Development will be responsible for exploring creative and innovative ways of diversifying and identifying new revenue streams. As the principal fundraising strategist, the Director will create, develop and execute a development plan that will include public and corporate grants, foundation giving, individual philanthropic support and major gifts.

The Director works in close collaboration with the General and Artistic Director and serves as a key member of Des Moines Metro Opera’s Leadership Team. They will be a collaborative and engaging leader able to partner and build relationships both internally at the company and externally within the greater Des Moines community, the region and the nation. With a keen focus on engaging with various constituent groups, both at the local and national level, the Director will cultivate and steward relationships with new and existing supporters and donors. In addition, the Director will work to leverage a highly motivated staff, an engaged Board of Directors and an experienced Senior Leadership Team to explore creative and innovative revenue streams. This role will be pivotal as the company looks to fund the future of its performing home at the Blank Performing Arts Center on the Simpson College campus.

CANDIDATE PROFILE The ideal candidate for this role will embody a collaborative and genuine leadership style, the ability to engage with diverse groups and lead through inspiration and motivation. While no single candidate will possess every quality outlined for this position; the successful candidate will bring many of the following professional qualifications and personal attributes.

PASSION FOR THE MISSION

• An understanding and belief in the importance of the performing arts to enhance communities, facilitate civic dialogue and inspire joy (either personally or professionally)

• Create and steward philanthropic strategies rooted in the core values and mission of Des Moines Metro Opera

STRATEGIC AND VISIONARY DEVELOPMENT LEADER

• Lead and oversee all aspects of fundraising strategy, including annual operating funds, foundation and corporate support, public grants and related support, special project support, planned giving, and leadership giving in support of programs, productions and artists

• Leverage donor and patron data to effectively inform fundraising strategies

• Create and execute a plan to achieve all combined contributed income goals, including individual, foundation and corporate giving and government grants.

• Project and anticipate future fundraising needs while employing insights to adapt and refine strategies geared towards immediate impact and future growth

• Identify, steward, and cultivate untapped donor potential at the national level with an eye toward expanding the donor base

• Adeptness in working with traditional fundraising channels while also identifying opportunities to expand and diversify fundraising opportunities through various media

• Establish and implement fundraising plans for annual fund of more than $2.3 million with support from a Development Coordinator and in partnership with the General and Artistic Director

• Ensure consistent quality of administration and fundraising, communications and systems; recommend timelines and resources needed to achieve DMMO’s events and strategic goals

EXTERNAL PRESENCE AND PARTNERSHIP ORIENTATION

• Develop and maintain a big-picture view of the local and national philanthropic landscape, including annual funding trends and key sources of philanthropic support

• Manage engagement with funding partners - new and existing - and identify opportunities for new strategic partnerships

• Experience working in close partnership with an engaged Board, senior leaders, staff and funders on fundraising initiatives

• Sustain and enhance a stewardship program, utilizing staff, board and guest artist resources, to cultivate deeper ties with donors

IN ADDITION, STRONG CANDIDATES WILL OFFER:

• Experience with all phases of the relationship building and fundraising process

• Experience managing people and teams to develop clear processes and outputs for internal and external audiences

• Demonstrated experience in people management including board, staff and volunteers

• The ability to see the “big picture,” think strategically, and translate strategy into targeted goals and actions with demonstrated success in creating and expanding a culture of transformational philanthropy

• A creative, entrepreneurial spirit

• The ability to foster strong, long-term relationships with targeted individuals with the objective of strengthening the planned giving program and establishing intergenerational relationships between donors, their families and Des Moines Metro Opera.

• Ability to collaborate with the Director of Business and Finance to align fundraising practices and infrastructure to best practices and ensure successful adherence to restricted giving agreements

• Create and monitor the Development department's income and expense budgets as well as forecast positions throughout the year

• Mindfulness of compliance with all legal requirements

• Strategic thinking with the ability to take a long-term, thoughtful approach to achieving organizational goals

• Demonstrated excellent communications skills and comfort working with a variety of internal and external constituents

• Endowment and capital campaign experience is important

• Bachelor’s Degree at a minimum, Master’s Degree is preferred

• Proven leadership - At least 5 years of senior management experience and experience in relationship building/management or equivalent experience

• Opera / Fine arts and/or cultural experience preferred, but not required

ABOUT DES MOINES

The City of Des Moines is a thriving metropolitan hub, the capital, and the most populous city in Iowa.

A hidden gem to many outside the Midwest, Des Moines is home to a dynamic arts and culture scene, a rising creative force, and a convergence of community-oriented heritage and community revitalization that earned it numerous accolades for affordability, corporate engagement and commitment to attracting families, young professionals, and businesses.

Ranked as one of the best cities for young professionals, Des Moines was also lauded by USA Today for being one of the Top 10 Cities to Live in after the pandemic.