Job Opportunities

Join the CATA team and help us create opportunities for artists with disabilities.

 

Click the links below for full details on CATA’s available staff and faculty positions.

Development Director

Our Culture: Why work with us?

CATA is about creating the community we believe in: one that recognizes the value of all of its members. We are a cohesive team, with an organizational culture rooted in curiosity, generosity, gratitude, and accountability. We are bold, creative, and innovative, inspired and led by our shared mission and strategic goals. Our leadership style is marked by a blend of transparency, accessibility, authenticity, and a deep dedication to fostering the growth and development of our team.

 

Who We Are :

Community Access to the Arts (CATA) is an innovative nonprofit that nurtures and celebrates the creativity of people with disabilities. Poised to continue our exciting growth, CATA boasts a beautiful new building, robust community partnerships, dynamic programs, strong equity initiatives, exceptional financial planning, and loyal donor retention.  For 30 years, CATA has been a trailblazer in artistic inclusion. In CATA’s powerful arts programs, children, teens, and adults with disabilities explore new interests and express themselves creatively, developing personally and artistically through dance, theater, singing, drumming, juggling, painting, yoga, creative writing, and more. Their vibrant work is showcased in CATA’s public events – dynamic performances, readings, and art exhibits – presented in collaboration with premier cultural institutions in the Berkshires including The Clark Art Institute, Shakespeare & Company, and The Mount. Located in Great Barrington MA, CATA has an annual budget of $2.4M. CATA is led by a dedicated team of 15 full-time staff with 25 part-time teaching faculty and a 17-member board of directors.

 

Who You Are:

As a collaborative and visionary fundraiser, you are prepared to lead with enthusiasm and passion, bringing people together to achieve shared goals. Your leadership will not only shape our fundraising landscape but expand opportunities for our artists with disabilities. You are eager to leverage your fundraising prowess for a mission that transforms lives. Your relationship-building skills will inspire others to support our work and fuel our journey towards a more inclusive, artistically vibrant future.

 

A day in the life of this role:

This role represents a unique opportunity to lead fundraising at a trailblazing arts organization that has achieved significant growth in its programs, public presence, and philanthropic support. As a pivotal partner to the Executive Director, you’ll craft and spearhead our philanthropic strategy and lead a growing development team, nurturing our expanding donor base. Reporting directly to the Executive Director, you will be a key decision-maker and influencer. You will supervise a talented team, including the Development Project Manager, Development Coordinator, and Grantwriter.

 

Your Mission: Make a lasting impact as an experienced fundraiser, building on CATA’s strong relationships with donors. With a stunning new facility, powerful community partnerships, groundbreaking programs, and a robust commitment to equity, CATA is geared up for phenomenal growth.

 

Fundraising Leadership: You will drive our development program, raising more than $2 million in annual contributions, and growing relationships with major donors. Your strategic acumen will not only support our operational needs but also lay the groundwork for CATA’s future capital campaigns.

 

Donor Relationship Mastery: Under your guidance, the Development team will deepen connections with our generous donors, ensuring sustained support and fostering major gifts.

 

Responsibilities:

  • Develop and execute comprehensive, multi-year fundraising strategies to increase gifts year over year and nurture donors’ generosity in alignment with the strategic plan
  • Lead CATA’s Major Gifts and Planned Giving Programs, developing strategies for high-capacity donors and funders in partnership with the ED
  • Cultivate, solicit, and steward donors with capacity for six and seven figure gifts, managing a portfolio of 100+ donors and prospects while also supporting the ED’s prospect list and pipeline; prepare compelling, personalized proposals for high-capacity donors; ensure that relationships with prospective and current donors are nurtured through face-to-face meetings, phone calls, special events, and other modes of contact
  • Oversee grant writer and review and edit priority proposals and reports for institutional funders; steward and cultivate high-capacity institutional funders
  • Lead the development team to reach financial targets and achieve goals, inspiring creativity, collaboration, and problem-solving through effective management strategies 
  • Provide support for board members’ efforts to nurture donor relationships and generate significant gifts, and guide the work of the board development committee 
  • Partner with the ED and board to plan and strategize CATA’s next capital campaign, working with outside consultant to conduct feasibility study
  • Serve on staff senior leadership team and work collaboratively with directors in program, communications, finance and administration on high-level projects
  • Support CATA’s equity work through fundraising initiatives and actively participate in DEIA trainings and planning to uphold equity commitments
  • Represent the organization at events and meetings

 

What we need from you:

  • Significant experience in nonprofit fundraising with demonstrated success building donor relationships and closing major gifts of $10,000+
  • Comprehensive management experience including short and long-term planning, directing a team, and managing budgets
  • Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively in a team setting
  • Superb written, verbal, and interpersonal skills
  • Knowledge of fundraising best practices including ethics, research and cultivation, face-to-face solicitation, proposal writing, special events, phone solicitation, direct mail, gift processing, and fundraising reporting
  • Proficiency in Google Suite, MS Office, CRM software, donor databases and other fundraising technology 
  • Ability to relate to a diverse range of people, exercise cultural competence, and further diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace
  • Must have reliable transportation to Great Barrington, MA. Local travel is required to meet with donors and attend CATA events, with mileage reimbursement available. 
  • COVID vaccination required of all CATA employees

 

Benefits and Compensation: 

The Development Director is a full-time exempt position. Salary is commensurate with relevant experience, within the framework of the organization’s operating budget, and in the range of $85,000 – $105,000 annually. An excellent benefits package includes:

 

  • 100% employer-paid health & dental insurance premiums for employees (retroactively effective to hire date)
  • Family health and dental packages 
  • Retirement savings program of 401k plan with 4% employer match 
  • Generous paid vacation (80 hours in first year increasing to 120 hours after second year) plus separate sick time 
  • Paid holidays including all federal holidays plus days before and after Thanksgiving; three extra December days, two floating religious holidays, birthday holiday, and extra “restorative week”

 

How to Apply:

Candidates should send a resume and a cover letter that describes how their qualifications and experience match the need. Apply here: https://www.applicantpro.com/openings/cataarts/jobs
All inquiries and materials will be confidential.

 

CATA is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer and actively seeks a diverse pool of candidates. CATA welcomes people from all racial and ethnic backgrounds, abilities, gender identities, religions, ages, and  sexual orientations to apply.

 

Apply by: Position posted until filled.

Development Project Manager

Our Culture: Why work with us?

CATA is about creating the community we believe in: one that recognizes the value of all of its members. We are a cohesive team, with an organizational culture rooted in curiosity, generosity, gratitude, and accountability. We are bold, creative, and innovative, inspired and led by our shared mission and strategic goals. Our leadership style is marked by a blend of transparency, accessibility, authenticity, and a deep dedication to fostering the growth and development of our team.

 

Who We Are :

Community Access to the Arts (CATA) is an innovative nonprofit that nurtures and celebrates the creativity of people with disabilities. For 30 years, CATA has been a trailblazer in artistic inclusion. In powerful arts programs, children, teens, and adults with disabilities explore new interests and express themselves creatively, developing personally and artistically through dance, theater, singing, drumming, juggling, painting, yoga, creative writing, and more. Their vibrant work is showcased in CATA’s public events– dynamic performances, readings, and art exhibits, presented in collaboration with premier cultural institutions in the Berkshires including The Clark Art Institute, Shakespeare & Company, and The Mount. Located in Great Barrington MA, CATA has an annual budget of $2.4M. CATA is led by a dedicated team of 15 full-time staff with 25 part-time teaching faculty and a 17-member board of directors.

 

Who You Are:

You are the kind of person who thrives on juggling multiple tasks with precision and ease. Imagine bringing your laser-sharp focus to a role where every detail counts. You can easily toggle between long-term planning and short-term strategies. Your ability to creatively and effectively solve problems is your superpower. Your friendly and cooperative spirit shines through in all your interactions.

 

A day in the life of this role:

You’ll be joining an organization at the forefront of innovative programs with deep-rooted community ties, a new state-of-the-art facility, and a steadfast commitment to equity. As a team leader, reporting to the Development Director, you will oversee the Development Associate and collaborate extensively with dedicated colleagues in development and communications.  You’ll use your strong organizational skills to plan, implement, and oversee fundraising activities including annual campaigns, special events, institutional giving initiatives and donor cultivation and stewardship.

 

Responsibilities:

  • Department and Project Management: With the Development Director, work with and supervise the development team to set and meet fundraising goals by overseeing operations, project management, and calendars across major department initiatives, ensuring the department runs like a well-oiled machine
  • Annual giving: Oversee the organization’s annual fund campaign, managing schedules and planning and working with staff to supervise segmentation, production, and mailing of appeals and fundraising communications, including print, web, email, and social media messages
  • Institutional giving: Oversee and coordinate grants process, including calendars, schedules, research, proposals, and reporting; work with senior leadership and grantwriter to write and edit grant applications and reports to increase grant funding and corporate sponsorships
  • Budgets: Manage financial reconciliations, monitor expenses, and track fundraising progress to goal with regular reports for leadership; 
  • Tracking and Reporting: Oversee database and manage donor systems and software; supervise Development Associate to ensure accurate, timely gift processing, acknowledgement letters, database records, and reports
  • Event Coordination: Work closely with leadership and Development Coordinator to plan and execute fundraising events, including annual gala; supervise gala and event vendors
  • Donor cultivation: Manage stewardship systems for mid-level and annual fund donors and Loyalty Society; manage the donor pipeline, identifying prospects for deeper cultivation in partnership with DD; support senior leadership in cultivating, stewarding, and soliciting major donors

 

What we need from you:

  • Solid experience in nonprofit fundraising, with demonstrated success in project management and setting and achieving goals
  • Strong time management, organizational planning, and administrative skills
  • Comprehensive management experience including short and long-term planning, managing people, and managing budgets
  • Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively in a team setting
  • Superb written, verbal, and interpersonal skills
  • Proven ability to prioritize and execute multiple tasks and projects concurrently in a fast-paced environment
  • Knowledge of fundraising best practices including ethics, research and cultivation, proposal writing, special events, solicitation, direct mail, gift processing, and fundraising reporting
  • Proficiency in Google Suite, MS Office, CRM software, donor databases, project management tools, and other fundraising technology; Bloomerang experience a plus 
  • Ability to relate to a diverse range of people and stakeholders with ease, discretion, and diplomacy and to exercise cultural competence and inclusion
  • Must have reliable transportation to Great Barrington, MA. Local travel is required to  attend CATA events, with mileage reimbursement available
  • COVID vaccination required of all CATA employees

 

Benefits and Compensation: 

The Development Project Manager is a full-time exempt position.  Salary is commensurate with relevant experience, within the framework of the organization’s operating budget, and in the range of $60,000 – $70,000 annually. An excellent benefits package includes:

 

  • 100% employer-paid health & dental insurance premiums for employees (retroactively effective to hire date)
  • Family health and dental packages 
  • Retirement savings program of 401k plan with 4% employer match 
  • Generous paid vacation (80 hours in first year increasing to 120 hours after second year) plus separate sick time 
  • Paid holidays including all federal holidays plus days before and after Thanksgiving; three extra December days, two floating religious holidays, birthday holiday, and extra “restorative week”

 

How to Apply:

Candidates should send a resume and a cover letter that describes how their qualifications and experience match the need. Apply here: https://www.applicantpro.com/openings/cataarts/jobs
All inquiries and materials will be confidential.

 

CATA is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer and actively seeks a diverse pool of candidates. CATA  welcomes people from all racial and ethnic backgrounds, abilities, gender identities, religions, ages, and  sexual orientations to apply.

 

Apply by: Position posted until filled.

Faculty Artist

CATA employs highly skilled visual and performing artists who can use their artistic passion, talents, and skills as teachers to nurture the creativity of our artists with disabilities. 

 

CATA Faculty Artists lead arts workshops for artists with disabilities throughout Berkshire County, MA and Columbia County, NY. Workshops take place in residential settings, day programs, schools, and community centers throughout our region, as well as in CATA’s Great Barrington home, featuring two professionally-designed studios for visual and performing arts. Current workshops encompass a wide array of art forms and disciplines including painting, drawing, singing, songwriting, drumming, modern dance, tap dance, hip hop, creative writing and poetry, and acting. CATA artists participating in these workshops include people of disabilities across a wide span of ability and ages, including children, teens, adults, and elders. Most CATA workshops are designed for a specific age group (for example, a painting workshop for adults with disabilities, or a dance class for high school students in special education programs). 

 

CATA invites qualified local Teaching Artists to apply to join our faculty roster. Applications will be reviewed periodically by CATA staff, with new faculty being chosen based on the applicant’s qualifications and our areas of need.

 

We believe every human being has a deep well of creativity inside them, along with an innate desire to express who they are and what they feel, think, and believe. We see our faculty as fundamental to our mission and programs, and we strive to create a vibrant, active, creative community with and through our faculty. We invite you to learn more about CATA and to consider joining our team.

 

CATA offers

 

  • A generous rate for compensation: $85 for each individual workshop including one hour of instruction, plus setup, break down, and curricular development. Note that workshops are provided in series typically made up of 8 – 30 weekly workshops per series, making compensation for each full series much higher ($85 x # workshops).
  • Dedicated trainings for our faculty to further develop teaching skills across different areas, including trauma-informed teaching, diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility, with compensation provided for your time.
  • Stipends for reimbursement for round trip travel exceeding 42 miles
  • Benefits for part-time staff include: sick leave, birthday bonus, bereavement leave, Massachusetts Paid Family & Medical Leave, opportunity to participate in Simple IRA retirement plan with 3% employer match from CATA for employees making more than $5,000 annually.
  • CATA supplies all non-durable materials for programs and workshops, including general art supplies, props for music, dance, and theater. CATA will also consider the purchase of durable supplies and equipment for specified purposes in conversation with faculty artists.
  • The opportunity to apply for additional funds to support your individual professional development
  • Invitations to special events and programs

 

Faculty Artist Responsibilities

 

  • Working closely with CATA staff: Develop, plan, and teach compelling workshop series in  particular art forms or disciplines to nurture the creativity of CATA artists with disabilities. Workshops are typically provided in weekly, one hour classes, with at least 8 workshops per series, with date and time coordinated by CATA staff in conversation with our program partners and artists.
  • Identify and articulate learning objectives and goals for each series you teach and where possible, connect curriculum with CATA’s annual theme.
  • Work with staff to evaluate and assess your classes and the outcomes for CATA artists, and refine and adjust classes as needed to meet the need of CATA artists with disabilities 
  • Communicate consistently, reliably, and effectively with CATA staff about scheduling, your availability, supply needs, challenges, and insights related to the classes you are teaching.
  • Attend quarterly meetings, trainings, and annual faculty retreat. We welcome and encourage  collaborations between faculty artists, and we intend these trainings and meetings to not only help you further develop as a Teaching Artist but also to help you meaningfully engage in the CATA community of creative professionals.  You will be compensated for your time.
  • Determine materials needed for your classes in advance and communicate these needs to CATA staff.
  • Set-up and clean up for each workshop.
  • Fill out bi-weekly time cards in our Paychex system so that you can be paid.

 

Qualifications

 

  • Working artist in your specified field with a minimum of 3 years of teaching experience
  • Excellent time management and communication skills
  • Ability to adapt and modify learning experiences for people of all abilities
  • Ability to successfully engage with people who are diverse by race, class, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, neurodivergence, and ability; exercise cultural competence and inclusion; and commit to deeper learning and professional development in areas including racial and social justice and disability rights.
  • An empathetic and intuitive personality
  • Reliable transportation and willingness to travel throughout Berkshire County, MA and Columbia County, NY

 

 

Acceptance to the CATA Roster does not guarantee employment. When CATA has opportunities for growth, the roster will serve as our primary source for new faculty.

 

 

To apply: Email a cover letter, CV/resume, work samples (photos, videos), and lesson plan examples to Jeff Gagnon, Program Manager ([email protected])