Brenna Thomas

Brenna Thomas is a nonprofit leader with 20+ years of experience in arts management and development. Having worked at various sized institutions around New York City, she has built a broad knowledge of board development and governance; major gift cultivation and individual giving campaigns; institutional giving and high-level funding partnerships; Government relations and advocacy work; and event planning.

Over her 10+ years as both the Development Director and then Director of External Affairs at HERE, a celebrated downtown institution devoted to nurturing the careers and projects of innovative multidisciplinary artists, she played a leading role in the organization as its budget, staff and programming expanded and reached new heights. She built and managed a development department that met a variety of needs, including fundraising for specific projects and coaching artists on how to foster their own funding relationships.

Career history

• Development Director and Director of External Affairs, HERE Arts Center (10+ years)
• Associate Director of Development and Manager of Institutional and Government Relations, New York Theatre Workshop (3 years)
• Executive Assistant to Cora Cahan, President of The New 42nd Street (4 years)
• Independent theatre company founder and producer (several years)

Brenna received her undergraduate degree in Performing Arts from Emerson College and earned an M.A. from NYU's Gallatin School of Individualized Study, where she studied Theatre Management. She is the recipient of a TCG LeadershipU Cont Ed Award. Deeply committed to equity and justice work, particularly in relationship to philanthropy, arts & culture, and the nonprofit sector, Brenna has completed facilitative leadership training with the Interaction Institute for Social Change, management training with The Management Center, and is an advocate for the principles of Community Centric Fundraising.

What Brenna Thomas could bring to consulting at TOC Arts Partners: With her deep expertise in nonprofit development, board governance, and institutional strategy spanning multiple New York cultural organizations, Thomas brings practical experience identifying, cultivating, and retaining development leadership. Her track record of expanding budgets and building teams positions her to advise search clients on leadership transitions and development infrastructure needs, particularly for mid-size and larger arts institutions navigating organizational transformation.