Director of Museum Development

Director of Museum Development

• Colby College
• July 25, 2024
• Waterville, ME

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About Colby College

Founded in 1813, Colby College is one of America’s most selective colleges. A distinctive part of Colby is its arts ecosystem, central to which is the Colby College Museum of Art. Founded in 1959, the museum is a teaching museum, a destination for American art, and a place for education and engagement with local, national, and global communities. The museum is located on Colby’s campus in Waterville, Maine, and actively contributes to Colby’s curricular and co-curricular programs and to the region’s quality of life. The Colby Museum actively seeks to increase diversity, equity, inclusion, and access across all of its work and to advocate for the community value of art, artists, and museums in engaging with today’s most vital questions.

Dare Northward Campaign and Museum Strategic Plan

Colby’s Dare Northward campaign is one of the single largest campaigns at a liberal arts college in history. After surpassing the original goal of $750 million in November 2023, the Board of Trustees voted to extend the campaign to $1 billion to support the people, programs, and facilities that will position the College as one the preeminent liberal arts colleges in the world.

The Colby College Museum of Art continues to be one of the College’s greatest assets. As one of the best college art museums in the country, the Colby Museum is renowned in the field of American Art. It remains at the forefront of its peers through an incredible collection, ground-breaking exhibitions, unique partnerships, and a deep commitment to its communities. With the development of a new strategic plan by the Carolyn Muzzy Director of the Museum Jackie Terrassa and its full endorsement by the Museum Board of Governors, the museum is well positioned to further lead the field of academic art museums. Multiple factors uniquely position the Colby Museum to become an influential forum that brings people together around art to explore and embrace the American experience in all its complexity and, in doing so, to heighten the value of art in their lives. These include the museum’s Lunder Institute of American Art as well as the Joan Dignam Schmaltz Gallery of Art located within the Paul J. Schupf Art Center in downtown Waterville. The Greene Block + Studios, which houses the Lunder Institute and multidisciplinary arts spaces, the Gordon Center for Creative and Performing Arts on campus, and Allen and Benner Islands on the coast of Maine expand and enhance the arts ecosystem of Colby College.

The Opportunity

The College is seeking a highly motivated Director of Museum Development at an exciting and defining moment in Colby’s history. This key position offers a unique opportunity to lead all fundraising for the Colby College Museum of Art. Reporting to the Assistant Vice President for Major and Planned Giving, the Director of Museum Development will also work closely with the Carolyn Muzzy Director of the Colby College Museum of Art and the Museum Board of Governors. The Director of Museum Development brings an entrepreneurial spirit to the Colby Museum’s efforts to solicit, cultivate, secure, and steward philanthropic support for the museum. The successful candidate will foster a culture of philanthropy to ensure that the museum can deliver on its mission, goals, and ambitions for years to come.

Essential Functions and Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary leader for all museum fundraising and gift acquisitions, including from individuals, corporations, and foundations.
• Manage a targeted prospect portfolio of approximately 75 of the museum’s top supporters capable of making principal, planned, and major gifts, and work with other prospect managers on cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies for the museum’s most highly rated prospects.
• Develop and execute annual and multi-year fundraising plans to ensure a robust and sustainable pipeline of support from individuals, foundations, corporations, and government entities, as appropriate, collaborating with communications and donor engagement colleagues to increase the museum’s visibility among donor communities.
• Provide strategic leadership, effective management, and inspiration to volunteers.
• Supervise a team dedicated to increasing philanthropy and engagement for the Colby Museum through leadership, major, and annual giving.
• Oversee revenue generating and engagement programs, including Friends of Art and the Museum Summer Luncheon.
• Co-lead exhibition and project fundraising with partner institutions through oversight of prospect lists and strategies, and as a solicitor.
• Work with the museum’s Director and curators in the cultivation, documentation and stewardship of gifts of art.
• Perform additional duties as assigned; duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

Candidate Profile

The ideal candidate will have the following professional and personal qualities, skills, and characteristics:

A Passion for the Mission

Successful candidates for this role will demonstrate a passion for and curiosity about the visual arts and museums, as well as a commitment to advancing culture as crucial to the health and vibrancy of civic life. This Director of Museum Development will enthusiastically and compellingly communicate the story of the Museum.

Expertise in Cultivation and Relationship Building

As a strategic leader, the Director of Museum Development will grow and enhance the organization’s visibility and its pipeline to support donor prospecting, cultivation, solicitation, stewardship and relationship management. The Director of Museum Development will partner with the Carolyn Muzzy Director to build and sustain philanthropic relationships that lead to short and long-term support. It is paramount for this candidate to have a broad and deep knowledge of development with a proven track record of securing significant gifts and evidence of exceptional cultivation and stewardship. Through strong written and presentation skills, this leader will be a natural partner to the Museum’s internal and external communities and constituencies. The Director of Museum Development will exhibit intellectual curiosity and creativity, including the ability to listen to and learn from multiple voices, particularly when it applies to the Museum’s development goals.

A Strategic and Influential Leader

With a proven record of converting strategy into effective execution, the Director of Museum Development will possess the ability to set priorities decisively, delegate responsibilities, assure accountability, and allocate resources to ensure results. This leader will be a detail-oriented, analytical individual who functions well and follows through in a complex environment. This individual will partner with the Colby College Institutional Advancement Office and act as a professional advisor to the College, the Museum, and the Museum’s Board of Governors on all aspects of museum development, special events, and in meeting their annual fundraising obligations. They will be driven by a mission of strengthening the capacity and success of the development team through effective delegation and shared responsibility.

An Action-Oriented Partner to the Carolyn Muzzy Director

The Director of Museum Development will work closely with the Director of the Museum to advance strategic partnerships. This individual will support the Director in creating and executing the organization’s strategy, including ensuring initiatives are in line with the College’s standards and objectives. This leader will develop a synergy with the Director, helping them to think through decisions. The leader will also prepare the Director to be an effective fundraiser and steward of the museum’s resources.

In addition, strong candidates will offer:

• Bachelor’s degree or the equivalent in education and experience
• Minimum of five years of experience envisioning, shaping, and implementing a successful philanthropic program, preferably with some experience or familiarity in a museum environment, including demonstrated ability to initiate, pursue, and close major gifts
• Demonstrated ability to think strategically and long-term while successfully attending to more immediate goals and tasks; strong critical thinking and problem-solving skills
• Excellent oral, written, and interpersonal communication skills, including strong relationship skills and ability to work with people across a wide range of levels of power and influence
• Excellent organizational skills, ability to consistently meet deadlines and follow-through on assignments, and attention to detail
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office software, Google applications, and with donor database systems
• Strong, self-motivated work ethic; flexibility; and proven ability to work both independently and collaboratively and constructively as a member of a diverse community
• Deep appreciation for the value of art museums and of a liberal arts education
• Unwavering commitment to fostering an anti-racist, equitable work environment supportive of people from different cultures, backgrounds, and life paths

Compensation

The salary range for this position is $125,000 to $150,000.

Contact

Tenley Bank and Naree Viner of Koya Partners have been exclusively retained for this search. To express interest in this role please submit your materials , or email Tenley directly at . All inquiries and discussions will be considered strictly confidential.

Koya Partners l Diversified Search Group is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals living with disabilities. If you are a qualified individual living with a disability and need assistance expressing interest online, please email . If you are selected for an interview, you will receive additional information regarding how to request an accommodation for the interview process.

Colby is a private, coeducational liberal arts college that admits students and makes employment decisions on the basis of the individual’s qualifications to contribute to Colby’s educational objectives and institutional needs. Colby College does not discriminate in its educational programs or employment on the basis of race, color, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, religion, national origin, age, marital status, genetic information, or military or veteran’s status. Colby is an equal opportunity employer and operates in accordance with federal and state laws regarding non-discrimination. Colby complies with Title IX, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in an institution’s education programs and activities. Questions regarding Title IX may be referred to Colby’s Title IX coordinator or to the federal Office of Civil Rights. We encourage inquiries from candidates who will contribute to the diversity of our College, including its cultural and ethnic diversity.