Call for Mass Poetry Development Director
Mass Poetry, an arts nonprofit headquartered in Boston’s Seaport, seeks an experienced fundraiser with a passion for poetry to serve as its full-time Development Director. This full-time, salaried position will begin in Fall 2025.
Mass Poetry envisions a world where poetry catalyzes understanding and connection. We harness the power of words to engage diverse communities across our commonwealth. We envision a vibrant, inclusive community that lifts all voice
Now celebrating its 15th anniversary, Mass Poetry serves as an arts-partner-in-residence at GrubStreet’s new Center for Creative Writing in Boston’s Seaport District. This pioneering initiative features a bookstore, literary stage, workshop space, podcasting studio, cafe, and is now set to become a literary hub for all voices. Our signature programs include the biennial Massachusetts Poetry Festival and our teen spoken word program and festival. Mass Poetry is also a founding member organization of the Poetry Coalition-–a national network of more than three dozen poetry organizations, spearheaded by the American Academy of Poets.
About the Development Director Position:
Mass Poetry’s first full-time Development Director will spearhead the final, public phase of our fundraising campaign as we seek to meet or surpass our $1.25M goal. To date, we have raised nearly $850,000 in gifts and pledges to support the next phase of our growth. The Development Director’s primary responsibilities will include:
- Partnering with the Executive Director (ED) to establish appropriate goals, timetables, benchmarks, plans and budgets for all fundraising activities;
- Along with the ED, engage and support the Mass Poetry Board of Directors in fundraising endeavors;
- Develop an annual fundraising plan and progress monitoring tool to drive decisions and actions by staff and the Board;
- Host fundraising events such as Evening of Inspired Leaders and donor house parties;
- Manage a development intern, a marketing and communications co-op, and a contract grant writer;
- Support marketing and publicity via social media, local and national media outlets, co-sponsored events, and Mass Poetry’s website;
- Cultivate new individual, corporate and foundation prospects and seek new funding opportunities;
- Coordinate and participate in meetings with high level prospects and donors in conjunction with the Executive Director;
- Plan and implement grant applications and reports as well as sponsorship requests;
- Lead fundraising content creation including writing proposals, supporting documents, and other correspondence;
- Oversee solicitation and acknowledgement processes, including managing our Little Green Light donor database
- Serve as a liaison to Mass Poetry’s board advancement committee, planning all related meeting agendas and generating materials as needed;
- Lead the creation of future-oriented multi-year fundraising planning including outlining key milestones such as funds raised, donor diversification, etc.
- Provides other services as reasonably requested by the ED.
Qualified candidates should be able to demonstrate experience with:
- 5+ years of experience raising funds for arts or education-related non-profits;
- Increasing responsibilities over a minimum of five years of full time work;
- Directing large-scale projects while managing the work of others;
- Collaborating and communicating well with others;
- Solving problems quickly and creatively;
- Engaging and motivating key stakeholders;
- Multitasking with ease and precision;
- Working independently and efficiently to meet deadlines;
- Developing easy-to-use methods for tracking key financial data; and
- Presenting user-friendly financial information to both internal and external stakeholders.
SALARY & BENEFITS:
The salary range for this position is $80,000 – $90,000. Benefits include 15 days vacation, 5 days of paid sick leave, health insurance, and the option of contributing to a matching retirement plan.
TO APPLY: The deadline for applications is October 1, 2025. Please submit a cover letter, resume, professional writing sample, and 2-3 references to the Development Director Application Form. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, so please plan to apply early.
Call For Mass Poetry Marketing & Communications Intern
Mass Poetry, a nonprofit poetry organization headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, seeks an individual with experience in outreach, event promotion, website maintenance & strong communication skills to serve in the role of Marketing & Communications Intern.
Mass Poetry envisions a world where poetry catalyzes understanding & connection. We harness the power of words to engage and empower diverse communities across our commonwealth. Our innovative programs spark dialogue, connection, and self-expression. We envision a vibrant, inclusive community that lifts all voices.
Mass Poetry serves an arts-partner-in-residence at GrubStreet’s new Center for Creative Writing at 50 Liberty in Boston’s Seaport District. This pioneering initiative has transformed 13,000-square feet of retail space into a bookstore, literary stage, workshop space, podcasting studio, and a literary hub for all voices. Mass Poetry is also a founding member organization of the Poetry Coalition–a national network of more than three dozen poetry organizations–spearheaded by the American Academy of Poets. Learn more at www.masspoetry.org.
As a Marketing & Communications Intern, you will provide invaluable support to the Executive Director and the Events and Communications Coordinator in their efforts to promote Mass Poetry’s events and programs. The hybrid position involves occasional travel to Mass Poetry’s headquarters in downtown Boston and requires 10 hours per week, though the majority of the work will be remote in nature. A stipend of $450/month is provided.
The Marketing & Communication Intern is responsible for these primary responsibilities:
- Updates Mass Poetry’s statewide events calendar on Sched;
- Creates content for “Getting To Know” feature in newsletter;
- Drafts and shares out press releases for events, programs, and festivals;
- Supports the creation of compelling and engaging social media content;
- Helps promote Mass Poetry events and programs;
- Updates Mass Poetry’s “New Books by MA Poets” web page;
- Supports social media through regular posting to all channels;
- Supports bi-weekly newsletters & updates website content accordingly;
- Updates content on Mass Poetry’s website using WordPress, as needed;
- Runs a quarterly newsletter report to inform and support changes to enhance communication and raise visibility and awareness of our work
The ideal Marketing & Communications Intern candidate has experience with:
- Crafting compelling and engaging content for diverse audiences
- Using WordPress for web content management
- Promoting events and programs effectively to drive engagement
- Managing and curating digital calendars and platforms
- Updating and optimizing website content for maximum impact
- Conducting informative and engaging interviews for feature articles
- Solving problems quickly and creatively;
- Multi-tasking with ease;
- Working independently to meet tight deadlines;
- Working well as a member of a team.
**Please apply by September 1, 2025. To do so, please upload your materials here. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.
Call for Mass Poetry Development Intern
Mass Poetry, a nonprofit poetry organization headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, seeks an individual with an interest in fundraising & strong communication skills to serve in the role of Development Intern.
Mass Poetry envisions a world where poetry catalyzes understanding & connection. We harness the power of words to engage and empower diverse communities across our commonwealth. Our innovative programs spark dialogue, connection, and self-expression. We envision a vibrant, inclusive community that lifts all voices.
Mass Poetry serves an arts-partner-in-residence at GrubStreet’s new Center for Creative Writing at 50 Liberty in Boston’s Seaport District. This pioneering initiative has transformed 13,000-square feet of retail space into a bookstore, literary stage, workshop space, podcasting studio, and a literary hub for all voices. Mass Poetry is also a founding member organization of the Poetry Coalition–a national network of more than three dozen poetry organizations–spearheaded by the American Academy of Poets. Learn more at www.masspoetry.org.
This position supports the Executive Director with Mass Poetry’s fundraising efforts. The hybrid position involves occasional travel to Mass Poetry’s headquarters in downtown Boston and requires approximately 15 hours per week, though the majority of the work will be remote in nature. A stipend of $700/month is provided.
The Development Assistant Intern is responsible for these primary responsibilities:
- Assists the Executive Director (ED) in all fundraising activities;
- Processes gifts received from individuals and foundations and manages the acknowledgement process from data entry to mailing out thank you letters;
- Helps to prepare marketing and event materials;
- Prepares donor appeals and coordinates year-end appeal campaign;
- Attends Mass Poetry fundraising events such as Evening of Inspired Leaders, Boston Book Festival, and the Massachusetts Poetry Festival;
- Assists in proofreading and logging grant applications and managing sponsorship requests for festivals and events;
- Assists in writing of donation appeals, marketing documents, and other correspondence;
- Completes other administrative tasks for Mass Poetry as needed.
The ideal Development Assistant Intern candidate has experience:
- Drafting clear, concise communications to present to donors, prospective funders, and stakeholders;
- Using Little Green Light or a comparable database;
- Working with Microsoft Office, MailChimp, Google Suite, and mail merge;
- Solving problems quickly and creatively;
- Multi-tasking with ease;
- Working independently to meet tight deadlines;
- Working well as a member of a team.
**Please apply by September 1, 2025. To do so, please upload your materials here. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, so applicants are encouraged to apply early.
Call for Mass Poetry Teen Spoken Word Coordinator
Mass Poetry harnesses the power of words to engage diverse communities across our commonwealth. Our innovative programs spark dialogue, connection, and self expression. We envision a vibrant, inclusive community that lifts all voices. Please visit the organization’s website to learn more about their programs: Mass Poetry Home Page. Teen Festival Page. Teen Programming Page.
POSITION OVERVIEW:
Mass Poetry’s Teen Spoken Word Coordinator offers program and organizational support on the 2026 Write Here | Write Now | Speak Loud Teen Spoken Word Festival, a yearly festival held in Boston, Massachusetts. The Coordinator will work closely with the Programming Director to organize programming, coordination with the festival venues and partners, and the regional preliminary bouts leading up to the festival. The Coordinator will also be responsible for curriculum development and implementation of the SW@MP Program (Spoken Word at Mass Poetry) held weekly on Wednesdays during the school year. In addition, our Coordinator will support Mass Poetry’s community programming and events at GrubStreet’s Center for Creative Writing in Boston’s Seaport, where Mass Poetry serves as an arts-partner-in-residence.
COORDINATOR RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Commit to 20 hours per week for the full 11-month contract period.
- Plan and coordinate Teen Spoken Word programming (SW@MP), including:
- Lead in-person SW@MP sessions once a week (currently held on Wednesdays)
- Plan one SW@MP field trip per term (three total)
- Assist with student recruitment for SW@MP sessions
- Offer one-on-one meetings with each SW@MP student during Terms 2 and 3
- Assist in the planning and execution of Mass Poetry’s Write Here | Write Now | Speak Loud! Teen Spoken Word Festival.
- Attend and actively participate in meetings, including weekly staff meetings, weekly supervisory meetings with the Director of Programs, and community-building meetings with other poetry leaders.
- Coach the SW@MP Brave New Voices poetry slam team and attend the Brave New Voices Festival in July.
- Support other Mass Poetry programming as needed, such as U35 readings, the Boston Book Festival, and the Massachusetts Poetry Festival.
- Assist with any of the following areas as needed:
- Community outreach to teens, schools, and youth-serving organizations
- Marketing and promotion, including development of outreach materials
- Content creation for websites and social media
- Programming and curating live events such as youth poetry readings, workshops, or retreats
- Adhere to the rules and policies of Mass Poetry.
COORDINATOR QUALIFICATIONS:
- Passion for poetry and familiarity with and/or knowledge of contemporary poets and spoken word poetry
- Interest in literary arts programming, administration, and management
- Experience in Youth Work/working with youth ages 13-19
- Comfortable facilitating youth workshops
- Comfortable hosting slams, open mics, and events
- Comfortable with writing and responding to emails in a timely manner
- Excellent organizational skills
- Experience in performing spoken word and slam
STIPEND:
- This is a contract position and the 11-month stipend for this role is $22,000.
TO APPLY:
- Please submit a cover letter, resume, and 2-3 references via the Teen Spoken Word Coordinator Application Form. No calls please.
- Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and we encourage all applicants to apply early and no later than June 2, 2025.
- Mass Poetry is an equal opportunity employer committed to being an inclusive, multicultural organization. We encourage those who belong to communities that are underrepresented in arts administration such as BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and people of color), LGBTQIA+ people, people with disabilities, and more to apply.
CURRENT POSTINGS (updated 8.14.24)
As we prepare to launch our 2024 – ’25 programming, we’re seeking volunteers to support our events and programs at GrubStreet’s Center for Creative Writing – to the Massachusetts Poetry Festival. We’re looking for people with a passion for poetry to step in and fill roles such as registration, ushering, ticketing, providing information and more. If you are interested in volunteering in any capacity, please fill out this volunteer inquiry form.
Bring Mass Poetry Into Your Classroom
Apply to bring a poet educator into your classroom for a student day of poetry or longer residency.
Become A Poet Educator
Mass Poetry is seeking experienced Poet-Educators to share their love of poetry. From serving as a poet-in-residence to visiting a classroom through a student day of poetry, share your love of poetry firsthand with students across Massachusetts. Contact us if you would like to join us in this work.
Partner with Us
If you your organization would like to partner with Mass Poetry please email us at marketing@masspoetry.org