Passim Executive Director
Organization, Position & Person Profile
2015
The Organization
Passim is a nonprofit arts organization located in the heart of Harvard Square in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
The core of our mission is to create exceptional musical experiences, nurture artists at all stages of their
career, and build a vibrant music community. As a nonprofit since 1994, Passim carries on the heritage of
our predecessors—the historic Club 47 (1958-1968) and for-profit Passim (1969-1994). We cultivate a
diverse mix of musical traditions, where the emphasis is on the relationship between performers and
audience and between teachers and students. Passim has a budget of approximately $1,500,000, which will
grow to about $2,000,000 in FY16 with the full development of our new restaurant that serves our Club. We
employ 9 staff in our office and about a dozen part-time staff in our Club and restaurant, as well as a
number of consultants and independent contractors.
Passim has been an important contributor to the arts community in New England, fostering both
performers and audiences alike. Joan Baez and Bob Dylan received their start here, along with a host of
others, including Tom Rush, Taj Mahal, Shawn Colvin, Al Kooper, Peter Wolf, Patty Larkin, Bill Staines,
Ellis Paul, and Suzanne Vega, to name but a few. Our Club has received numerous awards and recognition,
including Top 100 Music Venues in the U.S. (Rukkus, 2014 – Passim listed as #18), Best Micro Music
Venue in Boston (dig Boston, 2014), Top 40 Live Music Venues in the U.S. (Paste Magazine, 2007), Best
Small Folk Venue in the U.S. (International Folk Alliance, 2007) and Best Live Music Bar in Boston (Boston
Globe, 2011).
Passim operates in four program areas:
Club Passim. For more than 50 years, Club Passim has been known as a premier listening room, presenting
both new and established performers in a wide variety of genres including folk, bluegrass, blues, country,
Celtic and jazz. The historic music venue presents more than 400 shows each year to an audience of over
30,000.
School of Music. Established in 2000, the School offers a variety of classes and workshops for adults, and
allows students the opportunity to take classes with Club artists and perform on the Club stage. The School
serves over 700 students from the community every year.
Iguana Music Fund. Created in 2008, the Iguana Music Fund provides grants to New England based
musicians for career development and community service projects. In 2014, the Fund gave out over $45,000
in grants ranging from $500 - $2,000 to 25 select artists to aid their specific projects.
Passim Presents. Passim strives to present artists to the greater Cambridge community. Each summer, in
partnership with the Berklee College of Music, Passim presents free outdoor weekly concerts in Harvard
Square, and an additional weekly concert series in Kendall Square. In partnership with the City of
Cambridge, Passim also runs a family oriented concert series at Danehy Park. For many years, Passim has
also provided a stage for the Harvard Square Business Association's Mayfair and Oktoberfest, which are
each attended by more than 100,000 visitors. Passim also puts on a number of music festivals. Through an
annual weekend-long festival in January, Boston’s Celtic Music Festival showcases Greater Boston’s best
performers of music, song and dance from the Irish, Scottish, Cape Breton, and other Celtic and Celticinspired traditions. We also put on a variety of other festivals, including an annual Americana Festival and
Bluegrass Festival. A core piece of Passim Presents is our very special “campfire.” festivals over Memorial
Day and Labor Day weekends in which over 100 artists participate.
The Position
Passim is looking for a seasoned executive with a passion for music to lead our legendary and iconic
performance arts nonprofit. Reporting to the Board of Directors, that person will be working with a
talented and closely-knit staff to bring an institution in excellent fiscal and organizational shape to new
heights. The Executive Director will work in partnership with the Board of Directors to provide strategic
direction to the organization and will be responsible for overall management, organizational development,
human resources, and program development for Passim. The Executive Director will take the lead in all
fundraising activities.
Organizational Vision, Leadership, and Strategic Planning
• Provides leadership in initiating and coordinating both long-range strategic planning and annual
planning processes.
• Based on the strategic plan, develops with staff and board, one year implementation plans.
• Ensures, manages, and evaluates implementation and execution of the strategic plan.
• Develops and nurtures Club Passim, the community programs (Passim Presents), Iguana Music Fund,
and School of Music to further the mission of Passim.
Fundraising
• Provides leadership in all fundraising activities.
• Supervises and works closely with the Board Fundraising Committee and Membership and
Communications Coordinator on the staff to create an effective annual fundraising plan and strategy.
• Develops and guides all fundraising strategies with the Board of Directors and Staff, including activities
of the fundraising and special events committees.
• Oversees the Membership and Communications Coordinator in the design and implementation of
appeals and strategies for cultivating long-term donor relationships.
• With the Membership and Communications Coordinator and Board of Directors, identifies new major
donors and cultivates relationships with an expanded donor base, including individuals, foundations, and
corporate sponsors. Works with the Fundraising Committee on long-range and/or capital campaigns.
Community and Public Relations
• Serves as the chief spokesperson and representative for the organization to the public, other
organizations, the media, corporations, foundations, members, and volunteers.
• Actively works to increase Passim’s visibility in the community.
• Develops and expands collaborations and strategic alliances with other community organizations and
stakeholders to build awareness and support for the organization’s mission and programs.
• Develops processes for engaging target populations, as well as for reaching a broader audience for
performances and educational programs.
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Financial Management Oversight
• Ensures effective oversight of finances and financial tracking systems.
• Prepares annual budgets with the assistance of the Board Finance Committee, Treasurer and Chief
Financial Officer.
• Sets wages of all personnel, including independent contractors.
• Maintains official records and documents, and ensures compliance with federal, state and local
regulations.
• Approves all financial disbursements and monitors financial and accounting practices.
• Oversees Passim’s facilities - the maintenance, safety and functionality of our Club, offices and School
of Music.
Organizational and Human Resource Management
• Oversees all programs, services and activities to ensure that program objectives are met.
• Maintains a climate that attracts, keeps, and motivates a diverse staff of top quality people.
• Ensures on-going staff development and training.
• Supervises and evaluates direct reports, including the Executive Chef of the restaurant and ensures that
appropriate supervision and evaluation of all staff is conducted.
• Develops and periodically revises, as appropriate, organizational structure.
• Develops and revises staff job descriptions and responsibilities, as needed.
• Develops, updates and ensures adherence to personnel policies.
• Ensures legal requirements necessary to maintain the effective operation of the organization.
• Promotes active and broad participation by volunteers in all areas of the organization's work.
• Oversees any and all disciplinary actions.
• Hires and releases staff.
Board Relations
• Works in partnership with the Board Chair in implementing board decisions, coordinating the work of
board committees, developing board goals, designing board meeting agendas, and planning board
development initiatives.
• Serves as Ex-Officio member of the Board and participates actively in its committees.
• Reports regularly to the Board to ensure it is informed about any developments that may affect the
organization’s well being.
• Assists the Board Governance Committee in identifying and cultivating potential board and committee
members.
• Supports all board development initiatives and retreats.
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The Person
Passim’s Executive Director should possess the following key competencies and experience:
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Transparent and high integrity and ethics
Robust and seasoned leadership skills
Knowledge of fundraising strategies and donor relations unique to nonprofit sector
Demonstrated ability to raise funds for an organization
Ability to convey a vision of Passim’s strategic future to staff, board, volunteers and donors
Five or more years of senior nonprofit management experience
Strong passion for music with a deep appreciation of live music
Demonstrated ability to oversee and collaborate with staff
Proven public speaking ability
Positive, outgoing personality
Solid, hands-on, budget management skills, including budget preparation, analysis, decision-making and
reporting
Tested organizational abilities including planning, delegating, program development and task facilitation
Seasoned skills in collaborating with and motivating board members and other volunteers
Strong written and oral communication skills
Hard working and dedicated
Ability to interface and engage diverse volunteer and donor groups
A bachelor’s degree
How to Apply
Please send an electronic copy of your resume, cover letter and how you heard of the opening to Charlie
McDermott, Search Committee Chair, at [email protected]. No phone calls.
Salary and Benefits
Competitive and commensurate with experience, including health insurance, vacation, sick leave, personal
days, holidays and free admittance for two to all Passim shows.
Application Deadline
June 15, 2015.
Job Start Date
Flexible, but ideally, summer, 2015.
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