Organizational Background 

Committed to advancing arts equity in NYC and beyond, for twenty years, Opening Act has actively centered the voices of students of color through free, high-quality theater programming.

Opening Act targets the city’s highest need schools with disproportionately less access to  resources than other schools in the system. These schools are often flagged by the DOE as “underperforming” and lack access to high quality arts education programs. Since inception, we have grown to reach over 5,000 young people. Today, our no cost, year-long, after school theater program serves 57 schools throughout New York City, including our partnership with the city’s alternative school district, where we work with young people who are pursuing a high school equivalency diploma in a formal educational environment because their education was disrupted by a life event.

At this time, when so many of the issues Opening Act’s work addresses – social justice, education,  the arts, equity – are gaining urgency because of national events, our programming is especially critical and relevant.

Looking Ahead

As we approach the new educational landscape of the upcoming year, Opening Act is preparing to return to in-person workshops and will continue offering limited virtual programming and special events.  We have reinvisioned the format of our programs and special events to meet new remote learning and donor engagement requirements, deepened our trauma informed/healing centered practices to support our students, and remain dedicated to creating unique, brave, and empowering spaces for our students and robust community of supporters.

Opening Act is at a pivotal and compelling moment as an organization and we are thrilled to have the opportunity to welcome a new Development Associate: Grants and Special Events to work alongside our new Director of Advancement and play a critical role in our next stage of success in arts education and positive youth development.

Job Summary

Opening Act seeks an emerging leader in the nonprofit field to join a collaborative and dynamic team of professionals as our Development Associate: Grants and Special Events.

We are seeking a highly motivated, organized, and creative individual to provide high-level development, grants and special event support to Opening Act’s development team. The Development Associate: Grants and Special Events will ensure the successful and impactful operation of the organization by providing oversight and operation of Opening Act’s donor management system, including donation tracking and receipts. They will help to manage a portfolio of new and existing foundation and government funders that support general operations and mission aligned and restricted projects.They will work closely with the Director of Advancement to ensure that the pipeline of prospective funders is always growing and new funding opportunities and grants are being pursued on a regular basis. The Associate will be a key contributor in the oversight and organization of both small and large scale fundraising and promotional events to cultivate relationships with our community and donor base by ensuring events are successful and cost-effective, while paying attention to budget and time constraints.

The ideal candidate is detail oriented and enthusiastic about playing an integral role in all the ‘ins and outs’ of running a nonprofit and has outstanding interpersonal skills with the ability to deal effectively with a wide range of individuals and groups while demonstrating warmth, integrity, and professionalism. The position offers exciting and meaningful opportunities to directly impact the strategic and programmatic growth of a growing organization.

To apply for this role, please use this link: https://app.trinethire.com/companies/35204-opening-act/jobs/44567-development-associate-grants-and-special-events