Development Director

Department: Development

Status: Full-time, Exempt

 

moCa and it's workforce

As Northeast Ohio's premier site for contemporary art, the Museum of Contemporary Art (moCa) advances the critical role that art and artists play in our world. Grounded in the Cleveland community and engaged with global cultural dialogues, our work culture is passion-driven, inclusive, relevant, collaborative, and fun. We value and support an enterprising staff who anticipate and react nimbly to change, embrace new opportunities, and face challenges responsibly and thoughtfully. moCa is the people who help to realize its mission, and each employee has agency and accountability for the museum's success and value.

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Job objective

The Development Director (DD) is responsible for designing, leading, and implementing moCa’s comprehensive fundraising program. The DD oversees the Development staff, budget, and systems, identifying funding priorities and opportunities for institutional support, and crafting and stewarding a comprehensive, strategic contributed income plan with the team.  In collaboration with the Executive Director (ED), the Development team, and other senior leaders, the DD directly cultivates, solicits, and stewards private support from individual donors as well as supervises stewardship and confirmation of gifts through memberships, annual fund, corporations, foundations, government entities, endowment and major gifts, and planned giving. The DD works alongside the Finance department to track fiscal year giving and analyze revenue in order to make strategic projections for future budgets and campaigns. In collaboration with other Senior Managers, the DD helps to manage moCa’s annual benefit and event-based fundraising. The DD serves as the primary liaison to the Board’s Development Committee, and assists with stewarding existing board Director relationships as well as identifying new board members.

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Duties and responsibilities

To perform this position successfully, an individual must be able to perform each job duty satisfactorily. Non-essential duties may be assigned. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skills, and/or abilities required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential duties. ​

• Develops, leads, and implements a comprehensive contributed income fiscal year plan of approximately $3M. This includes setting and monitoring annual individual goals and progress, as well as ensuring the Development team and additional fundraising staff such as the ED secure anticipated or additional gifts from current and prospective donors in support of general operating, benefit/gala, endowment, planned giving, and capital campaigns (as needed).

• Is a key advocate for and communicator of moCa’s mission, vision, and program, applying strategy and skill to creating keen funding connections with exhibitions or projects, energizing donors towards special initiatives, and stewarding donors in relation to the museum’s program 

• Manages a personal portfolio of high level prospects, such as current individual donors, moCa’s board of directors, corporate donors, and special project donors.

• Manages the Development team, operations, and budget, including (with HR support) attracting/recruiting, hiring, motivating, professionalizing, mentoring, and retaining talented Development staff; delegating and empowering while creating a positive and effective departmental work environment.

• Works with the ED and curatorial or engagement teams to develop non-local and project specific fundraising strategies that advance contemporary art and the museum’s core work with artists.

• Cooperates with program staff to build and execute collaborative solicitation and event-based cultivation strategies tied to ongoing and special projects.

• Oversees Development operations which include ensuring the Development team provides accurate and timely database management, gift processing, and donor correspondence for all contributed income campaigns.

• Works to develop content strategies and systems for fundraising and acknowledgment in appropriate communications, in collaboration with the Grants Stewardship Director (GSD and Development Associate, and the Marketing and Communications team. This includes acting as reader/editor to ensure donor recognition within print, electronic, and digital materials.  

• With the ED and Controller, regularly monitors revenue and expenses related to contributed income and supports updated and future projections.

• Acts as lead staff for the Board’s Development Committee and assists ED with Governance Committee to identify and steward potential board members.

• Builds partnerships and mutually respectful, trusting, and effective relationships with individuals, cultural and academic institutions, community organizations, patrons, board members, and arts professionals to help garner support and resources for programs and advance moCa’s mission. 

• Works collaboratively with the senior management team on institutional initiatives including program development, branding, audience development, earned income generation, budget balancing, exhibition planning, and visitor and member experiences and evaluation.

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Minimum qualifications

To perform this position successfully, an individual must be able to perform each job duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skills, and/or abilities required. moCa may make reasonable accommodations to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential duties. 

 

Education

Four-year degree from an accredited institution preferred; non-degreed candidates must demonstrate additional direct experience beyond the minimum articulated below.

 

Experience

• 8-10 years direct development/fundraising experience in a non-profit role with a record of increasing levels of responsibility and funding securement.

• Proven track record of cultivating, securing, and stewarding gifts at the 5, 6, and 7-figure levels.

• 5+ years with demonstrated senior-level leadership and management responsibilities.

• Proven success and results in cultural fundraising, specifically in individual giving and major gifts, with experience as a board or community liaison preferred.  

• Direct experience working with or in the contemporary art ecology preferred.

 

Knowledge, skills & abilities

• Exceptional written, oral/public communication, and interpersonal skills; attentive listener, and engaging storyteller able to plan and execute strategic communications to advance and achieve philanthropic goals.

• Excellent organization and analytic skills.

• Experience with capital campaigns, endowment campaigns, and planned giving efforts preferred.

• Fluency in English: speaking, reading and writing, with superior written and verbal communication skills.

• Proficiency with Google applications, Microsoft Office Suite, video conferencing, project management software, and familiarity with donor management software (moCa uses DonorPerfect, and QuickBooks for accounting and gift processing).

• Ability to understand, extract, and analyze data for effective prospect strategy and programmatic reporting and tracking.

• Ability to engage diplomatically and confidentially with and engender the trust of donors, colleagues, board members, and stakeholders at all times.

• Enthusiastic and skilled networker who enjoys connecting with the community, attending events, and participating in activities to position moCa for success.

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Physical requirements

The characteristics listed below are representative of the physical demands required by an individual to successfully perform the essential duties of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential duties.

• Employee may be required to be stationary for extended periods of time.

• Employee will be required to move through the office and museum.

• Employee will be required to meet in close proximity with donors and audience members, at the museum and at other venues such as homes, restaurants, and public spaces.

• Employee frequently will be required to actively listen and exchange information in-person, by phone, and computer.

• Employee will be required to work weekends and occasional evenings.

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Working environment

The characteristics listed below are representative of the work environment typically encountered by an individual while performing the essential duties of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential duties.

• Must have reliable, appropriate transportation and a current Driver’s license.

• Must have a current and valid passport, and willingness and ability to travel by plane, car, and train.​

 

All moCa staff are expected to be:

• Lifelong learners who enjoy new challenges.

• Inspired by and curious about contemporary art and culture.

• Committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility.

• Responsive and adaptive to regularly changing content and needs.

• Self-starters who are enterprising in their time and resource management.

• Respectful, collaborative, caring team players.

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Benefits

• 401(k)

• Dental insurance

• Flexible schedule

• Health insurance

• Paid time off

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Reporting relationship

Reports to the Kohl Executive Director

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Salary range

$85-105K

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To apply:

Send a resume and cover letter to:

To apply, email a one-page cover letter and a resume to Susan Chermonte at schermonte@yourerc.com

Subject Line: Development Director

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COVID-19 considerations:
All employees are required to be vaccinated as of 2022​​