Position Summary
- The Howard Theatre seeks a strategic, entrepreneurial, and externally compelling Executive Director to lead the organization through its next phase of growth.
- This is a formative leadership opportunity for an executive who will shape the organization’s next chapter. The next Executive Director will not inherit a mature nonprofit operating platform. They will help create one. The Howard has an extraordinary legacy, renewed Board energy, strong public symbolism, and real momentum behind a mission-led future. At the same time, it is still converting that potential into a durable institutional model, stronger philanthropic support, and a clearer public identity. The Executive Director will be the day-to-day driver of that transition.
- The Howard’s strategic direction is clear. The organization aims to reestablish the Theatre as a premier cultural hub and a platform for Black artistic excellence, talent discovery, education, and civic life. The Howard intends to move from a largely producer-driven venue model toward a mission-led performing arts center, with signature programming, stronger audience ownership, a disciplined advancement effort, and a higher-functioning governance model.
- The Executive Director will lead that work in close partnership with the Board of Directors and alongside Union Stage, which is expected to remain an operating partner for the foreseeable future.
- This position is ideal for a leader who combines fundraising ambition, programming judgment, public presence, and strong execution. The successful candidate will be equally comfortable in a donor meeting, a board room, a partnership negotiation, and a community-facing cultural setting.
Reporting Relationship
The Executive Director will report to the Board of Directors of The Howard Theatre Foundation, working closely with the Board Chair and Executive Committee.
The Opportunity
Historic Howard Theatre exists to preserve, protect, and celebrate one of America’s most important cultural landmarks. Its mission is to:
• Preserve the physical theatre—its architecture, legacy, and landmark designation as a Save Our American Treasures site.
• Preserve the cultural history of performance, storytelling, and innovation that define the Theatre’s legacy.
• Educate the community through partnerships, heritage tourism, and programs that connect history to modern audiences.
• Present diverse, world-class performances that unite artists and audiences of all backgrounds.
Its vision is to be recognized nationally and internationally as a beacon of creativity, inclusion, and excellence in live performance—where the Theatre’s historic spirit meets future-facing innovation.
The strategic plan identifies a set of tangible institutional opportunities:
• Build a stronger mission-led artistic identity rather than functioning primarily as an event venue.
• Expand signature programming, education, and community-rooted initiatives that reflect the Howard’s role in Black artistic and civic life.
• Launch an independent institutional marketing platform, including a Howard-branded website, audience data ownership, and a stronger public narrative.
• Build the fundamental components of a development operation, including donor systems, sponsorship packaging, major gift cultivation, and Board-supported fundraising.
• Strengthen Board engagement, accountability, and recruitment as the organization grows.
Key Responsibilities
1. Provide institutional leadership and execute the strategic plan
Serve as the chief executive of the Foundation and translate Board strategy into a practical, sequenced, measurable operating agenda. Build alignment around priorities, pace, decision-making, and accountability. Help the organization move from aspiration to implementation.
2. Build the Howard’s fundraising engine from the ground up
Partner actively with the Board to raise ambitious levels of philanthropic support from individuals, corporations, foundations, and public sources. Develop donor strategy, prospect pipelines, sponsorship opportunities, cultivation activity, and stewardship practices. Support the Board in becoming a stronger fundraising body and serve as a visible ambassador in major gift and institutional conversations.
This is a frontline fundraising role. The Executive Director must be ready to carry a portfolio, make asks, host cultivation activities, and help build a culture of philanthropy from day one. The strategic plan is explicit that core development building blocks are not yet in place and must be established quickly.
3. Shape the first phase of Foundation-led programming
Lead the early development of Howard-produced and Howard-sponsored programming that communicates institutional identity, artistic intent, and public momentum. Work with the Board and partners to clarify which activities are mission-led, which are partnership-based, and which are primarily commercial. Over time, hire and supervise programming leadership to expand this portfolio.
4. Build the institutional brand and audience relationship
Lead the launch of an independent Howard marketing platform, including website, audience data strategy, email and CRM systems, public narrative, and institutional communications. Ensure that the Howard is known not only for individual events, but as a cultural institution with a distinct purpose, point of view, and role in Washington.
5. Strengthen governance and Board performance
Support the Board as it continues evolving into a more disciplined, high-functioning governing and fundraising body. Clarify committee roles, prospect expectations, policy priorities, Board recruitment needs, and performance standards. Help shape a Board culture that is ambitious, accountable, and aligned with the scale of the institution’s aspirations.
6. Lead through partnership and complexity
Work effectively within a hybrid operating structure that includes key external partners, most notably Union Stage. Build strong working relationships, define responsibilities clearly, and protect the Foundation’s strategic and institutional interests while advancing collaboration where it serves mission and growth.
7. Build the first phase of staff capacity
Recruit, supervise, and develop the Foundation’s early team and outside consultants. Establish strong management practices, realistic workplans, and clear performance expectations. The Executive Director will begin with broad scope and should be comfortable leading before a full staff infrastructure is in place.
8. Represent the Howard publicly
Serve as a persuasive and credible ambassador for the institution with donors, artists, civic leaders, elected officials, media, education partners, neighborhood stakeholders, and the broader cultural community.
Priority Outcomes for the First 12 to 18 Months
The Board expects the Executive Director to deliver early progress in five areas:
1. Foundation-led programming and public momentum
Develop and begin executing the first coherent slate of Foundation-led programs that signals artistic direction, mission, and relevance.
2. Fundraising infrastructure and early gifts
Build a practical donor pipeline, launch cultivation activity with the Board, package sponsorship opportunities, and close early major gifts and institutional support.
3. Independent audience and marketing systems
Launch the Howard-branded website, establish core CRM and email systems, and begin building direct audience relationships.
4. Board-staff-partner alignment
Establish disciplined working norms across the Board, Foundation leadership, and operating partners, including clearer responsibility for execution and decision-making.
5. Early institutional team build-out
Recruit initial staff and/or consultants in ways that expand the Foundation’s capacity without overbuilding too quickly.
Candidate Profile
The Board understands that few candidates will bring equal depth in every dimension of this role. The strongest candidates will show a compelling mix of the following:
Required strengths
• Senior leadership experience in a nonprofit cultural, performing arts, civic, or mission-driven institution of comparable complexity
• A strong track record in frontline fundraising, especially major gifts, sponsorships, and Board-partnered development
• Demonstrated ability to build systems, teams, and discipline in a growing or transitional organization
• Excellent public communication skills and the presence to serve as an institutional ambassador from day one
• Sound strategic judgment and the ability to translate broad plans into clear priorities and measurable action
• Experience working effectively with Boards, high-level volunteers, and external stakeholders
• Strong financial literacy, including budget oversight, planning, and resource allocation
• Deep alignment with the Howard’s mission and a credible understanding of the role Black cultural institutions play in artistic life, public memory, and civic identity
Especially valuable
• Experience in presenting, producing, or curating multidisciplinary performing arts programming
• Experience building institutional brand, audience engagement, and public profile
• Experience leading in a founder-like, turnaround, or scale-building environment
• Strong relationships in Washington, DC, or the ability to build local fluency quickly
• Experience navigating complex partnership structures where authority is shared across organizations
• Experience working with artists, cultural leaders, and communities historically rooted in Black artistic traditions and institutions
Search Priorities
This is a national search. The Board is open to candidates whose public profile is still emerging, provided they can demonstrate the fundraising instinct, institutional presence, and ambassadorial skill required to represent the Howard immediately and grow that presence over time.
Candidates do not need to come from venue operations. The more important question is whether they can build a strong cultural institution, raise money with confidence, shape mission-led public activity, and work effectively with the Board and the operating partner in a complex environment.
Compensation
Salary range: $150,000 to $180,000, commensurate with experience. A benefits package will be provided.
All applications and/or inquiries should be sent via email only to:
Dmitry Samogray, DeVos Institute of Arts and Nonprofit Management
dasamogray@devosinstitute.net
MS Word or PDF (preferred) attachments only.
Subject Line: HOWARD THEATRE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR application
No phone calls please.
File names of all resumes and attachments should include applicant’s last name.