Associate Director of Development - Individual Giving

At Zach Theater, we believe in the power of light — to illuminate new ideas, spark imagination, and connect our community. As Austin’s premier professional producing non‑profit theater, we create bold, intimate performances that challenge, delight, and inspire audiences. Our work extends beyond the stage, serving more than 100,000 Central Texans each year through performances, education programs, and community engagement initiatives.

Zach Theater is seeking an Associate Director of Development
- Individual Giving to serve as a key leader on the Development team and a strategic partner to the Director of Development.

This is a newly created role designed to build upon a strong foundation and scale Zach’s individual giving program, while strengthening the pipeline for mid‑level, major, and planned gifts. As the second‑in‑command within the department, this position will oversee individual giving strategy and execution, manage a growing team, and directly contribute to revenue generation through their own portfolio of donors and prospects.

Zach’s individual giving program currently generates approximately $1.38M annually, with significant opportunity for continued growth in the coming years.

This role comes at a pivotal moment as Zach expands its fundraising capacity through recent investments in systems, strategy, and team growth. The Associate Director of Development
- Individual Giving will play a critical role in growing individual giving at all levels, while strengthening the donor pipeline in support of Zach’s upcoming comprehensive campaign.

This role is ideal for a results‑driven fundraiser and leader who is both strategic and hands‑on and can build on existing momentum, close gifts, develop people, and drive continued growth.

• Translate organizational priorities into actionable fundraising strategies, team objectives, and workflows that support departmental revenue goals
• Serve as a strategic partner to the Director of Development and engage with the Senior Leadership team, contributing to long‑range planning, policy setting, and organizational decision‑making
• Partner with and help activate Board members and volunteers in meaningful fundraising roles to support Zach’s current and long‑term funding needs

• Lead the continued evolution of an annual giving program that inspires increased support across all giving levels, including targeted initiatives such as production underwriting, educational programming, and financial aid
• Strengthen a cohesive donor experience that clearly distinguishes annual fund support from leadership‑level and project‑based investments, while maintaining a strong focus on unrestricted giving
• Partner with the Marketing team to develop a comprehensive, segmented communications strategy that engages donors across channels and clearly articulates Zach’s impact
• Leverage performances, events, and engagement opportunities as strategic tools to deepen relationships, increase donor participation, and inspire giving across all levels

• Manage a portfolio of donors and prospects, with a focus on securing, renewing, and increasing annual gifts at the mid‑level and leadership levels
• Personally solicit and close gifts, demonstrating a high level of comfort and success in direct asks and donor conversations, serving as a model for best practices across the team
• Support senior leadership and board members in donor cultivation and solicitation efforts for key donors and prospects
• Partner with the Director of Development on strategies to align annual giving and comprehensive campaign efforts, supporting donor conversations that may include both annual and campaign investments

• Collaborate with the Director of Development to build and grow Zach’s planned giving program
• Identify and cultivate planned giving prospects within the existing donor base
• Integrate planned giving strategies into donor conversations and long‑term engagement plans

• Oversee strategies that drive…