Vice President of Development

Organization

The Museum of Latin American
Art (MOLAA) is the only museum in the United States dedicated
to modern and contemporary Latin American and Latino art. MOLAA
expands knowledge and appreciation of modern and contemporary Latin
American art through its collection, groundbreaking exhibitions,
stimulating educational programs, and engaging cultural events.
MOLAA’s vision is to be the leading museum for Latin American and
Latino art in the United States and a movement builder
internationally. This vision transcends specific goals to ensure
renowned curatorial experiences and world class exhibitions, robust
touring and travel programs, and a dynamic national and
international board of directors.

 

Founded by Dr. Robert Gumbiner in 1996 and accredited by the
American Alliance of Museums in 2016, MOLAA celebrated its 25th
anniversary in 2021. Since its inception, MOLAA has doubled its
size and added a 15,000-sq. ft. sculpture garden which also serves
as a community gathering space. In recognition of its outstanding
educational programming and artistic quality, MOLAA was designated
as one of only 140 Smithsonian Affiliate museums nationwide. In
2017, MOLAA successfully recruited Lourdes I. Ramos-Rivas, PhD as
its President & CEO to lead the museum’s expanded vision and
future.

 

The museum’s founder established a vision for the organization:
to educate the American public about modern and contemporary Latin
American fine art through the establishment of a significant
permanent collection and the presentation of dynamic exhibitions
and related programs. In 2014, MOLAA’s board of directors approved
an expanded scope of the museum’s mission to also include Latino
art. Pre-pandemic, MOLAA attracted approximately 65,000 visitors
annually to its exhibitions, festivals, educational programs, and
showcases highlights from the permanent collection consisting of
more than 1,300 works of art, as well as emergent collections of
new media and art of the Latino diaspora. In that time, MOLAA also
presented a diverse array of artists including: Judithe Hernández,
Tania Candiani, Nuna Mangiante, Yolanda González, Robert Graham,
and Osmeivy Ortega. During the pandemic, MOLAA seamlessly engaged
its global community through MOLAA en Casa, presenting artists and
digital exhibitions, including Oaxacalifornia, murals created by
Dario Canul y Cosijoesa Cernas which are now part of MOLAA’s
permanent collection, Gabrielle Sanches, and Judy Baca. Baca’s
exhibition is now a central part of MOLAA’s traveling exhibition.
MOLAA continues to present both established and ground-breaking new
artists including Narsiso Martinez, Pablo Rasgado, Patricia
Encarnación, Belkis Ayon, and Eliazar Ortiz.

 

MOLAA’s commitment to its community and to its educational
partners is evidenced by its robust roster of opportunities to
welcome and engage educators, students, and art lovers of all ages.
Through its Dia de los Muertos celebration, plein air and family
art workshops, All Rhythms Latinx Music programming, Evenings for
Educator trainings, festivals, and bilingual summer art and culture
camp, MOLAA touches the lives of thousands of people every year.
Expanding its commitment to visual media, MOLAA established
Cine con Sentido, designed to raise awareness issues of
accessibility and inclusion for those with sensory disabilities.
Partnerships with Help Me Help You food pantry, LA Library
Foundation, Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions (LACE), and many
others, MOLAA expands its scope and reach while serving and
enhancing its community.

 

MOLAA’s location is in its second iteration as a cultural
institution. Between 1913 and 1918, the site was the home of Balboa
Amusement Producing Company, a silent film studio. MOLAA’s
exhibition galleries, administrative offices, and store are housed
in a former roller-skating rink known as the Hippodrome. Built in
the late 1920s after the film studio departed, the high vaulted
ceilings and beautiful wooden floors were perfectly suited to
showcase many of its 1,600-piece permanent collection comprised of
works by Rodolfo Morales, Lucía Maya, and Wifredo Lam, among many
others.

 

MOLAA is governed by a 13-member board of directors and operates
with a staff of 50 employees. MOLAA is in strong financial shape
with substantial reserves. It’s $4.2 million budget includes $1.4
million derived from its $24 million endowment, and a contributed
revenue goal of $1.7 million raised from a variety of sources. It
receives annual financial operating support and in-kind services
from the Robert Gumbiner Foundation and strives to maintain
cultural authenticity and public accessibility throughout the
organization.

 

 

 

Community

MOLAA is located in the eclectic and rapidly growing East
Village Arts District of Long Beach, California – one of six
business improvement districts in Long Beach. The City of Long
Beach is the seventh most populous city in California and the third
largest in Southern California, behind Los Angeles and San Diego.
Long Beach boasts a thriving arts community with its own opera
company, symphony, and numerous theater companies and museums. In
addition to MOLAA, Long Beach hosts cultural institutions such as
The Queen Mary, Long Beach Museum of Art, and Aquarium of the
Pacific. Shops, galleries, festivals, and street fairs in the East
Village Arts District hold monthly art openings. On the second
Saturday of every month, East Village spills into the street during
Art Walk which invites artists, performers, and musicians to share
their diverse, eclectic talent on the streets of Long Beach. The
City of Long Beach and Arts Council of Long Beach continue to
partner in support of the local cultural economy providing
community project, artist, and recovery grant funding to ensure
Long Beach’s commitment to the arts and culture sector.

 

Sources: visitlongbeach.org; artslb.org

 

Position Summary

The Vice President of Development (VP) will join a passionate
and energized team and have an authentic dedication to the
advancement of MOLAA’s mission. Reporting to the President &
CEO and in partnership with the Chief Officer of Government and
External Affairs, the VP will collaborate with and support the
board of directors in building engagement that supports the
identification, cultivation, and solicitation of major donors
annually and will direct fundraising initiatives to support the
future expansion of MOLAA and its recently announced $60 million
campaign. As an integral member of the seven-person senior
management team, the VP will be a thought-partner in
conceptualizing and implementing MOLAA’s overall expansion plan
with a focus on philanthropic support from individuals,
corporations, foundations, and government agencies as well as
through MOLAA’s annual Gala event. In addition to building and
mentoring the development team, the VP will be responsible for
developing and establishing strong relationships with a diverse
array of donors, stakeholders, and professional peers in Long
Beach, Southern California, nationally, and internationally through
MOLAA’s international advisory board.

 

Roles and Responsibilities

Fundraising and Relationship Management

• Serve as one of MOLAA’s primary ambassadors and solicitors,
  stewarding and nurturing existing relationships and establishing
  and building new relationships with an eye toward broadening
  MOLAA’s sphere of influence and donor base.

 

• Ensure that MOLAA’s stewardship program exceeds expectations,
  inspires investment, and builds strong retention and high
  satisfaction via donor recognition and engagement
  opportunities.

 

• Engage, inspire, motivate, and train the board of directors,
  MOLAA colleagues, and President & CEO, creating a culture of
  philanthropy that drives fundraising activity and expands both
  internal and external investment in MOLAA’s mission.

 

• Establish strong relationship management protocols and donor
  portfolios for the President & CEO, board members, and other
  relationship managers, with the goal of cultivating and soliciting
  increased major gifts, especially for the museum’s capital
  campaign, as well as support for the annual fund, special events,
  exhibitions, and special programs.

 

• Support earned revenue strategies across the museum and ensure
  excellent management of MOLAA members with the goal of converting
  members to high-level donors. annual fund, special events,
  exhibitions, expansion projects, and special programs.

 

• Embrace other fundraising and relationship management
  responsibilities, as needed.

 

Department Planning and Operations

• Create, implement, and manage a comprehensive development plan
  strategically designed to significantly increase contributed
  revenue.
• Develop and manage fundraising associated with the museum’s
  capital expansion project.

 

• Build a strategic vision for grant writing including writing a
  compelling case for support that articulates MOLAA’s mission,
  commitment to Latin American and Latin contemporary art, education,
  and community investment.

 

• Mentor, motivate, and manage the two-person development team,
  and contract grant writer, building capacity and ensuring strong
  professional development and high workplace satisfaction.

 

• Utilize technology and systems to build a strong donor research
  platform, ensuring that MOLAA clearly understands the motivation,
  relationships, and philanthropic priorities of its donors and donor
  prospects.

                             

• Engage with the CEO, Chief Curator, and curatorial staff to
  participate in planning for future exhibitions and build strategic
  revenue models to actualize curatorial plans.

 

• Embrace other department planning and operations
  responsibilities, as needed.

 

Administration and Oversight

• Oversee all aspects of membership and patron benefits program,
  including stewardship, special events, cultivation, benefits
  fulfillment, daily donor interaction, and volunteer
  management.

 

• Collaborate with the development committee to explore new
  contributed revenue sources, create and monitor revenue and expense
  budgets, and provide accurate reporting and analysis for
  contributed revenue.

 

• Establish data entry protocols that ensure the accurate
  integration of data; and oversee the maintenance and integrity of
  membership, donor, and prospect records.

 

• Assess current technology needs and refine development
  practices to ensure maximum operational efficiency and
  results.

 

• Embrace other administrative oversight, as needed.

 

Traits and Characteristics

The successful candidate will be goal-oriented and highly
self-motivated, balancing autonomy and collaboration with finesse.
This person will be both highly accountable with strong attention
to detail and exceptional follow through. In partnership with the
CEO, the VP will be a passionate visionary, focused on outcomes and
confidently addressing and overcoming adversity driven by the
desire and ambition to support MOLAA’s growth. Serving as a skilled
and articulate ambassador, the VP will entrench themselves in the
community, building connection to MOLAA’s mission and skillfully
navigating changing community dynamics as the City of Long Beach
continues to grow. An experienced leader, the VP will invest in the
development team, colleagues, and MOLAA culture overall,
demonstrating collaboration, mentoring, and coaching as part of
building a culture of philanthropy within the organization, and
participating in the creation of high-functioning, results-oriented
teams.

 

Other key competencies include:

 

• Diplomacy and Influencing Others – The
  dexterity to utilize tact to address sensitive issues while also
  affecting the way in which others form opinions and make
  decisions.

 

• Problem Solving and Resiliency – The
  capability to identify and analyze challenges and define solutions
  coupled with the ability to quickly recover from adverse
  circumstances.

 

• Goal Orientation and Teamwork – The acuity to
  identify and pursuing goals while collaborating with others to
  achieve them.

 

• Futuristic Thinking – The ability to envision
  ideas, concepts, and plans and bring them to life.

 

Qualifications

The ideal candidate for this role will have a strong track
record of high-level fundraising and experience with capital
campaign management. Experience in a museum setting or other arts
and culture organization and bilingual fluency (English/Spanish)
are strongly preferred, however MOLAA encourages all candidates
meeting the majority of the criteria to explore this role. A strong
track record of significant accomplishments in the identification,
qualification, cultivation, and solicitation of donors and
potential donors at all levels, particularly major gifts donors,
are necessary. This individual must exhibit a passion for
understanding and communicating the vibrant nature and diversity of
Latin American art and be able to inspire stakeholders to invest in
the mission of the organization. Strong computer skills, including
Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), donor database
software, electronic and social media, and advanced tools for donor
prospecting and research, are necessary.

 

Compensation and Benefits

MOLAA offers an annual salary between $175,000 and $200,000,
commensurate with experience. MOLAA offers medical and vision as
well as dental, which is fully sponsored; Simple IRA with 3%
matching which is 100% fully vested from time of enrollment. MOLAA
also fully sponsors life insurance and long-term disability for its
employees.

 

Applications and Inquiries

To submit a letter and resume with a summary of demonstrable
accomplishments in arts and culture leadership and management
(electronic submissions preferred), please click
here or visit artsconsulting.com/opensearches.
For questions or general inquiries regarding this job opportunity,
please contact:

 

Geoff Chang, Vice President

8581 Santa Monica Blvd., Suite 406

Los Angeles, CA 90069-4120

Tel       (888) 234.4236

Email    [email protected]

 

The Museum of Latin American Art (MOLAA) is committed to
embedding the principles of diversity, equity, accessibility, and
inclusion (DEAI) in all aspects of its work and organizational
culture. Since its founding in 1996, the Museum has been grounded
in the belief that art and learning are for everyone. Today, as
communities across the nation focus on addressing systemic racism
and inequality, MOLAA reaffirms its dedication to cultivating a
welcoming space for all visitors across race, age, ethnicity,
abilities, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression,
political affiliation, religion, geography, and
culture.