The Eli and Edythe Broad Stage (BroadStage) has selected Deirdre Shipstead as Director of Development, following an executive search process led by Arts Consulting Group (ACG). She began her tenure on February 6, 2023.
Shipstead is a multifaceted nonprofit program leader, development director, and attorney who holds 20 years of experience in fund development, grant creation and management, donor acquisition and retention, and capital campaigns. She was most recently Director of Grants & Compliance at Peace Over Violence, a social service agency dedicated to eliminating all forms of sexual, domestic, and interpersonal violence. Critical to ensuring the nonpr ofit’s financial health, Shipstead oversaw all aspects of the agency’s grant programs, securing over $5 million in grants and government contracts annually. Shipstead is an expert in diversifying revenue portfolios through strategic planning as evident in her work history as a Director of Development at both Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership and Bridges Academy, Senior Advancement Officer at Pepperdine University, and as an independent consultant for Arts for LA, Los Angeles County High School for the Arts, The Aurelia Foundation, East West Players, and Mending Matters.
Shipstead holds a bachelor of arts in psychology from the University of California, Los Angeles and a juris doctor in law from the University of California College of Law, San Francisco.
In making the announcement, BroadStage Artistic and Executive Director Rob Ballis said, “We are thrilled to have Deirdre Shipstead join our team. She brings extraordinary skill and experience across the full spectrum of institutional and individual giving, major gifts acquisition, and campaign strategy. Because she is a long time arts lover and is also new to fundraising for the performing arts specifically, she brings a fresh perspective and new insight just as arts organizations like ours are seeking new alignments and new pathways to heretofore untapped resources. We are already seeing success. She is a delight to work with and an instant fit with our staff - in particular the younger members of our development team who, under Deirdre's mentorship, are noticeably growing in their professional skills and accomplishments.”
“It was a pleasure to work with the board and staff at BroadStage in welcoming Deirdre as Director of Development,” said ACG Vice President Shawn D. Ingram. “Deirdre is a committed, tenacious team leader who will inspire philanthropic and artistic connection with peers, donors, and stakeholders to the BroadStage. Her collaborative and decisive leadership will enrich the health of BroadStage and its offerings to the Los Angeles community.”
May 2023