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Ryan Crane Joins Des Moines Playhouse Staff as Director of Philanthropy

Crane is a fundraising professional with experience in major donor solicitations, event management, and more.

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Now in its 102nd year of bringing excellence in entertainment and education to Central Iowa, The Des Moines Playhouse announces the addition of Ryan Crane as director of philanthropy.

Crane is a fundraising professional with experience in major donor solicitations, event management, membership drives, grantwriting, capital campaigns, and facilitating noncash charitable gifts such as farmland. He joins The Playhouse team by way of the Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines, where he served as director of charitable giving. During his more than five years there, he advised and engaged with nonprofits to pursue noncash gifts and planned gifts. He earned his Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy (CAP) designation in 2016 and has worked in philanthropy for nearly 12 years.

Crane was recognized as a Des Moines Business Record Forty Under 40 in 2017 and was a member of the 2014 class of the Greater Des Moines Leadership Institute. He was also a 2011 Fellow of the New Leaders Council program. He completed his undergraduate and masters degrees at the University of Northern Iowa, and currently serves as a volunteer and board member for the Polk County Conservation Board and the West Des Moines Public Art Advisory Commission. In his spare time, he hits the trails of Greater Des Moines as an avid cyclist and runner.

The Playhouse is one of the oldest and largest community theatres in the US. Located at the 42nd Street exit of I-235, the theatre has presented a full season of shows since 1919 and also offers a wide variety of educational experiences including classes for ages 4 to adult, theatre trips to New York, and volunteer opportunities onstage and backstage.

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