Chief Advancement Officer

Chief Advancement Officer

Whitney Museum of American Art

New York, New York

 

The Search

 

The Whitney Museum of American Art (the Whitney, the Museum)
seeks a strategic, innovative, entrepreneurial, and
results-oriented Chief Advancement Officer (CAO). The CAO will join
the Whitney at a time of unique opportunity and impact following
the Museum’s successful and transformative expansion in 2015, and
the recent appointment, in 2023, of Scott Rothkopf as the Alice
Pratt Brown Director – a dynamic new leader with a focus on
aligning the Whitney’s founding mission with ambitious
programmatic, audience, and community goals. With values-led
initiatives defining the trajectory of the Whitney and its
engagement with its various audiences and stakeholders, the CAO
will lead all aspects of institutional advancement, translating
this vision into new modes of donor engagement and compelling
fundraising opportunities, while building a culture of philanthropy
that is inclusive of the Whitney’s diverse audiences and
constituencies.

 

Reporting to the director, the CAO will lead the Museum’s
comprehensive institutional advancement initiatives and fundraising
strategy. This will include stewarding and growing the Whitney’s
significant individual giving programs, expanding corporate
partnerships and sponsorships via strategic relationships,
developing support from foundations, and managing a related program
of special events to support brand building, benefit fulfillment,
and donor cultivation. With the Whitney’s commitment to expanding
audience access, increasing impact, and prioritizing inclusion, the
next CAO will bring creativity and innovation to these advancement
functions by establishing a structured, proactive, best-practice
organization to support the Museum’s ambitious and progressive
goals. The CAO role is suited to candidates from a variety of
professional backgrounds and experiences including outside of the
museum and not-for-profit sectors. Most importantly, the successful
candidate will have a proven track record of strategic thinking,
data-driven decision making, responsibility for revenue growth, and
the ability to lead teams to successful return-driven outcomes.

 

As a member of the Museum’s senior leadership team, the
Management Council, the CAO will be a key partner contributing to
the strategies and direction of museum decisions and priorities.
The CAO will work closely with, and help shape the development of,
the Museum’s Board of Trustees and other key patrons and
constituents to advance strategic, long-term relationships for the
financial health and sustainability of the institution in the
context of a recently revised vision statement and upcoming
strategic plan. The CAO will serve as a change agent and holistic
architect, leading and setting the policy, strategy, and execution
of the work in the advancement department, including individual and
institutional philanthropy, special events, and stewardship
programs. The CAO will inspire and lead by example, demonstrating
the highest standards of cultivation, stewardship, and staff
management. In addition to collaboration with the Management
Council, the CAO will be a close, collaborative partner with
colleagues in the curatorial, education, conservation,
publications, and exhibitions management departments, as well as
with the finance, legal, human resources, trustee affairs, and
other administrative offices. Additionally, the CAO will work
closely with the membership, annual fund, business systems,
communications, and marketing teams to ensure a seamless and
strategic focus on the Museum’s most critical constituencies.

 

The Whitney seeks a CAO who can capably build on the strengths
of the Museum and who is excited and inspired by the singular
opportunities in front of the Whitney today. The CAO must have an
appreciation for the key opportunities and challenges relevant to
cultural art institutions, from changing demographics to matters of
audience access, technology, sustainability, and allocation of
resources. This individual will possess a minimum of 10 years of
experience in positions of increasing responsibility within
advancement and demonstrated experience leading complex fundraising
programs and campaigns. The CAO should possess strong strategic
planning, managerial, and motivational skills; a keen understanding
of fundraising best practices; business and marketing savvy; and a
track record of personal success in donor cultivation,
solicitation, and stewardship at major and principal gift
levels.

 

This role is an exceptional opportunity for a high-performing
individual to partner with a visionary director early in his tenure
to further develop an advancement program in support of the Whitney
through the implementation of proven methodologies as well as the
application of innovative and enterprising strategies.

 

The Whitney Museum of American Art has retained Jack Gorman of
the national executive search firm, Isaacson, Miller, to assist in
this important recruitment. Confidential inquiries, nominations,
and applications should be directed to the search firm at
https://www.imsearch.com/open-searches/whitney-museum-american-art/chief-advancement-officer

 

The Whitney collects, preserves, interprets, and exhibits
American art in the broadest context. It values diversity in every
aspect of its mission: starting with the art collection it builds
and preserves, and extending to the histories it writes through
exhibitions and programs, the audiences who engage with the Museum
and provide context and meaning for everything it does, and the
staff whose voices and experiences shape its work.

 

The Whitney is committed to creating a work environment
where staff, interns, and volunteers of different races,
ethnicities, ages, gender identities, sexual orientation,
socioeconomic backgrounds, immigration status, and abilities feel
not just welcome, but fully included and able to bring their own
experiences and aspirations to their work.