About Dory Vanderhoof
As a development professional and consultant, Dory Vanderhoof has been associated with more than $2.5 billion of contributions to performing arts organizations. A Senior Partner for Genovese, Vanderhoof & Associates since 1989, Dory Vanderhoof has assisted more than 200 arts, culture and heritage institutions throughout North America.
One of North America’s leading executive recruiters for Opera, Ballet, and Performing Arts Centers, Mr Vanderhoof has assisted in the search process for more Opera General Directors and Ballet Artistic and Executive Directors, than all other executive search firms combined. His expertise in performing arts marketing and development has led to a successful record of recruiting Chief Development and Marketing Officers, in a challenging area where more searches fail than succeed.
In order to increase individual philanthropy in Canada, Mr. Vanderhoof introduced reforms to the Government of Canada for the tax treatment of gifts of appreciable property. This tax reform legislation has stimulated hundreds of millions of dollars for Canadian charities and become a permanent part of the Canadian Tax code.
With Margaret Genovese, Mr. Vanderhoof has introduced the concept that multi-year strategic and operational planning is the most important ingredient for institutional success, development and growth. To this end, he has assisted numerous clients to fulfil their mission, stabilize and grow their institutions through the introduction of a planning process that combines dynamic income maximization programs with considered artistic vision and achievement.
As a management consultant to San Francisco Opera, working for General Director Lotfi Mansouri
from 1988 to 2001, Dory Vanderhoof, in partnership with Margaret Genovese, introduced
a multi-year strategic and operational planning process, recruited members of the senior management team, served as interim development director, developed operating strategies for the integration of the income functions and developed the organization and growth plan for the development program, that facilitated the growth of the opera company’s contributed revenue from $11 million to $28 million and the organization’s growth from a $24 million to a $58 million operation. Over the 14 year association with the San Francisco Opera, the organization and related associations raised more than $600 million dollars for capital, endowment, opera house renovations and operations.
Prior to forming Genovese Vanderhoof & Associates, Dory Vanderhoof served as Director of Development for the Canadian Opera Company (1978-1989) where he was instrumental in the growth of the company from $2.4 to $15 million. During that period, the COC’s Development Department was considered the model for the Canadian Cultural Sector, introducing new techniques and programs to Canada, which lead to the development of the largest corporate sponsorship program, individual patron and major gifts programs in the country.
Dory is proud to be part of the senior management team that introduced “Surtitles” to opera, a process that is currently embraced by every major opera company throughout the world and is credited for opera’s ever expanding audience reach.
After receiving his BA in Music from Bucknell University and his MBA from the special arts management institute of the State University of New York, Dory worked as a Music Program Analyst Intern for the New York State Council on the Arts.
Dory has served as the Director of the Professional Opera Companies of Canada (now Opera.ca), and as a board member of the League of Historic Theatres, Opera Atelier, the Danny Grossman Dance Company, the National Society of Fund-Raising Executives (Association of Fund Raising Professionals), the Association of Cultural Executives and as a member of Canada Council’s National Tax Task Force. He has been a panelist for the Ohio State Arts Council and the Canada Council and a faculty member of Confederation College and the University of Waterloo. He is proud of having trained more than 200 arts professionals through the University of Waterloo and Cultural Careers Council Ontario “Income Managers Program” which he founded with partner Margaret Genovese. He is currently a board member of the Glenn Gould Foundation, where he is able to pursue his interest in promoting life improvement through the arts.
Trained as a saxophonist, music director and arranger, Dory has played back-up for many artists including, Bobby Rydell, the Coasters, the Drifters, the Platters and Little Anthony and the Imperials. He fondly recalls his time spent as music director of BJRE (Bucknell Jazz and Rock Ensemble) on the bus touring Europe and North America.