Chief Advancement Officer

North Carolina Museum of
Art
Position: Chief Advancement Officer
Hiring range is $175,000-$190,000 plus benefits.
Applications will be accepted until
February 9 or until the position is filled.

Executive Summary

The North Carolina Museum of Art
Foundation, Inc. (NCMA Foundation) seeks a dynamic Chief
Advancement Officer (CAO) to serve as lead fundraiser of the North
Carolina Museum of Art’s (NCMA) advancement team and a trusted
member of Director and CEO Valerie Hillings, Ph.D’s executive team,
which includes the Museum’s Deputy Director and the Foundation’s
Chief Financial Officer. The NCMA is a nationally renowned
arts institution with a collection spanning over 5,000 years and
two locations that offer exhibitions, performing arts and
educational programs, and inviting, multi-acre parks. As steward of
the People’s Collection, the Museum proudly serves as a vital
cultural resource for the entire state, educating, fostering
creativity, and inspiring belonging and joy.

The new CAO will be a highly
accomplished fundraiser who is an active and thoughtful listener,
an experienced and persuasive communicator, and a
relationship-builder with a passion for the arts. The new CAO will
guide a major capital campaign, Reimagining the Possible,
into its public phase, engaging donors of all levels and the
broader community to realize the Museum’s strategic plan and vision
and secure support for its future.

The ideal candidate will be a proven
leader capable of the following:

• Strategic planning and management of the public phase of a
  significant comprehensive capital campaign
• Cultivating and closing 5-, 6-, and 7- figure gifts
• Building and maintaining strong relationships with existing
  stakeholders
• Identifying and engaging new stakeholders to grow the donor
  base
• Actively managing a talented team of fundraising professionals
  with a collaborative, team-building approach
• Monitoring, evaluating, and reporting on fundraising metrics to
  inform annual and long-range planning
• Bringing innovation and creativity to the Museum’s fundraising
  efforts

The Opportunity
In 2019, the NCMA created a five-year
strategic plan (2020-2025), pledging to serve the state of North
Carolina as a vital cultural resource that reflects the changing
world we live in and the diverse communities the Museum serves. The
following four goals were identified:
 

• Goal 1: Forge a distinctive artistic path that honors diverse
  narratives, innovation, and excellence.
• Goal 2: Create authentic, inclusive, and welcoming experiences
  that engage a broader audience with art, nature, and people.
• Goal 3: Advance ambitious campus plans to create cohesive,
  accessible, and interconnected experiences.
• Goal 4: Create inclusive systems, processes, and capacity for
  operational excellence.

Under the direction of Hillings and
working with the executive and advancement teams, the next CAO will
define fundraising strategies and targets to realize these
strategic goals, in addition to supporting the Museum’s mission,
vision, culture, and values. This position will oversee the effort
to raise money for existing priorities and future opportunities and
actively contribute to donor conversations and solicitations. This
individual will coach and partner with the institution’s talented
staff across the Museum, members of the boards and campaign
committee, and other advocates of the NCMA to support prospect
development, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship. The CAO
will monitor, analyze, and report on performance metrics for annual
fundraising and the campaign to Hillings, the executive team, and
the boards, ensuring progress to goals.
The ideal candidate will have a proven
track record of securing 5-, 6-, and 7-figure gifts and will
understand the fundamental building blocks of successful and
sustainable relationship-based fundraising.  This position
will use knowledge of the local and statewide donor, foundation,
and corporate communities to accelerate and expand the Museum’s
base of support. The CAO will leverage existing relationships with
donors, members, and partners, and actively seek to develop new
relationships within and outside the state to generate a pipeline
of future benefactors for the NCMA at all giving levels.  This
person will have strong written and verbal communication skills,
with a demonstrated ability to persuade and inspire others while
remaining attentive to donors’ specific interests and unforeseen
opportunities. To this end, the ideal candidate will draw on past
experiences and best practices while actively seeking to pilot and
advance innovative practices and new ideas.
The CAO will lead an experienced,
fifteen-member team that raised nearly $13M last year and includes
two direct reports: Director of Development and Director of the
NCMA Campaign. The new CAO will have a presence on the NCMA campus
and promote a collaborative approach that values diverse
perspectives and open dialogue and prioritizes a keen understanding
of Museum colleagues’ work and programs to be funded. The ideal
leader will create a culture of accountability and inspiration,
guiding the advancement team to attain and exceed fundraising
goals.  Emotional intelligence, intellectual curiosity, and
adeptness in steering through transitions underscore the desired
candidate’s leadership qualities.
The Organization
 
The NCMA is one of the premier
cultural institutions in the Southeast with an internationally
renowned art collection with core strengths in European and
American painting and sculpture, modern and contemporary art,
African art, and Judaic ceremonial art, as well as smaller
collections of ancient Egyptian, classical Mediterranean, and
ancient American art. The Museum has two campuses, one in Raleigh,
NC, and the other in Winston-Salem, NC. The Raleigh campus welcomes
more than one million visitors annually. It offers free access to
the People’s Collection and the 164-acre Ann and Jim Goodnight
Museum Park, connected to the Raleigh Greenway system. The NCMA
presents educational and performing arts programming and special
exhibitions at both campuses and organizes outreach projects to
engage North Carolinians across the state. The Museum’s
Winston-Salem program focuses on contemporary art, and its campus
includes the historic Hanes House, exhibition galleries, an
auditorium, and 22 acres of natural grounds.
The NCMA is a division within the
state of North Carolina’s Department of Natural and Cultural
Resources (DNCR). The Museum’s director serves as a division
director of the DNCR. The NCMA’s statutory mission is “to acquire,
preserve, and exhibit works of art for the education and enjoyment
of the people of the State, and to conduct programs of education,
research, and publication designed to encourage an interest in and
an appreciation of art on the part of the people of the State.” The
Museum is governed by a 26-member Board of Trustees, with
approximately 150 employees.
Valerie Hillings, Ph.D., serves as the
Director of the NCMA as well as the CEO of the NCMA Foundation, a
separate 501(c)3 nonprofit organization whose purpose is to support
the mission and goals of the NCMA. With a 27-member Board of
Directors, the Foundation serves as a close, collaborative partner
with the NCMA’s Board of Trustees and DNCR in carrying out its
strategic vision and plans. The Foundation employees (currently
approximately 35 in total) include staff in the following areas:
finance, advancement, and information technology. The CAO and the
other fifteen members of the advancement team are employed by the
Foundation.
The NCMA is in a strong financial
position. The Museum’s approximately $28 million FY24 operating
budget is supported by the State of North Carolina and the NCMA
Foundation. Of the projected revenues and funds to be raised by the
Foundation in FY24, 59 percent will be through individual and
corporate contributions, foundation, and corporate grants; 6
percent through memberships; and 35 percent from other
income. 
 
The Location
 
The Triangle area of North Carolina is
home to more than two million people and ten colleges and
universities. In 2021, the Triangle area was ranked the No. 2 place
in the country to live on an annual list from U.S. News &
World Report, praised for a “strong sense of community” with
residents who are “young, friendly, diverse and
educated.” 
Research Triangle Park is home to
hundreds of companies and is the largest research park in the
United States. The City of Raleigh is the capital of North Carolina
and home to abundant arts, culture, educational, and recreational
opportunities. Raleigh is centrally located between the Atlantic
Coast and Appalachian Mountains in North Carolina and less than an
hour from world-renowned golfing communities in Pinehurst.
While our region continues to grow and
offer a superior quality of life, our cost of living remains below
the national average. 
Essential Responsibilities
Fundraising and
Stewardship

• In collaboration with Hillings, lead the identification,
  cultivation, and successful solicitation of major gifts from
  individuals, corporations, and foundations under the current
  comprehensive campaign and into the future
• Manage a portfolio of top donors and prospects and assist and
  support Hillings with her portfolio of top donors and
  prospects
• Assign, monitor, and evaluate the portfolios of other
  advancement team members and provide support and guidance as
  needed
• Train, support, and empower the executive team, campaign
  committee, board members, Museum staff, and external advocates in
  prospect development, cultivation, solicitation, and
  stewardship
• Work with Hillings to support the work of the Foundation’s
  lobbyist
• Develop and implement innovative strategies for acquiring new
  donors from across the state and beyond, considering opportunities
  to engage with a generation of donors that is younger and more
  geographically, racially, and culturally diverse
• Maintain current knowledge of philanthropy best practices,
  trends, and innovations and ensure advancement team members receive
  the professional training and resources needed to stay current in
  their field and productive at work

Strategic Vision and
Leadership

• Provide visionary, strategic, and effective leadership as the
  Museum’s chief fundraiser
• Serve as an active and collaborative member of Hillings’
  executive team, working closely with her, the Deputy Director, and
  the CFO to set and achieve strategic and financial goals and ensure
  accountability to the boards and the DNCR
• Lead, motivate, guide, and mentor advancement staff members,
  ensuring open and transparent communication among team members and
  between advancement and other Museum departments
• Be a passionate, visible, and informed advocate for the NCMA,
  drawing on a thorough knowledge of the NCMA’s history, programs,
  and major milestones; key leaders, volunteers, and donors who have
  contributed to its success; current goals and needs, and future
  aspirations
• Actively seek opportunities to participate in events that
  position the organization for improved fundraising or
  visibility

Planning and
Management

• Monitor, analyze, and report on campaign and annual fundraising
  performance metrics, ensuring progress toward goals
• Provide day-to-day leadership of the public phase of a
  significant comprehensive campaign
• Support the Director of the NCMA Campaign to ensure campaign
  activities are guided by a robust and comprehensive plan and
  calendar with clearly defined goals, objectives, timelines, and
  assignment of responsibilities
• Support the Director of Development in overseeing and
  evaluating all processes and procedures related to annual
  fundraising, including membership and stewardship activities,
  prospect identification, and contributions management
• Actively manage a talented team of fundraising professionals
  with a collaborative, team-building approach, and create a
  supportive, productive, and healthy work environment based on
  respect, teamwork, and clear expectations and responsibilities
• Collaborate with the Director of Development, Director of the
  NCMA Campaign, Director of Marketing and Communications, and CFO to
  provide input and oversight to key advancement business functions
  in the areas of marketing and budgeting
• Meet with the NCMA department leads to inform assessment of
  fundraising needs and priorities and to support staff in their
  advocacy of the Museum and their projects

Minimum Requirements
 

• At least eight years successfully leading a fundraising program
  preferably in a nonprofit organization, cultural or educational
  institution, or equivalent, with a working knowledge of all areas
  within development, including major gifts, annual giving,
  membership, corporate and foundation giving, planned giving,
  campaigns and research; experience with arts-related organizations
  a plus
• A proven record of success achieving or exceeding ambitious
  revenue targets, including the successful solicitation of 5-, 6-,
  and 7- figure gifts
• Demonstrated ability to lead and develop a motivated and
  talented team of fundraisers.
• Experience with motivating and supporting efforts of board
  members and institutional advocates in the areas of prospect
  development, cultivation, and solicitation
• Excellent written and oral communication skills; active and
  thoughtful listener; and engaging storyteller
• Skilled at developing relationships with a wide range of
  individuals
• Experience with and commitment to using donor database and
  other tools to track performance metrics, report progress on a
  regular basis, and use results to inform strategy and actions
• Ability to plan and execute strategic communications to advance
  philanthropic initiatives and achieve goals
• Demonstrated commitment to the NCMA’s mission and a passion for
  art and its importance to the people of North Carolina; specific
  knowledge of North Carolina’s philanthropic landscape is a
  plus
• Based in Raleigh, NC with expectation of working some evenings
  and weekends; some travel expected
• A bachelor’s degree required, advanced degree a plus

Compensation 
The NCMA is committed to attracting
and retaining an outstanding CAO through a comprehensive package
that includes a salary range of $175,000-$190,000 and an employee
benefits package that includes health and dental insurance, life
insurance, disability insurance, retirement plan with a match, and
paid leave.
Diversity Policy
The North Carolina Museum of Art is an
equal-opportunity employer. We strive to create a working
environment that includes and respects cultural, racial, ethnic,
sexual orientation, and gender identity diversity. Women, racial
and ethnic minorities, persons with disabilities, persons over 40
years of age, disabled and Vietnam-era veterans, and people of all
sexual orientations and gender identities are encouraged to apply.
Persons needing accommodation in the application process or in need
of this announcement in an alternative format may contact Human
Resources or call 919-664-6835.
 
The firm of moss+ross has
been retained to help with the search.
Please
click here to apply.
Applications will be accepted until
February 9 or until the position is filled.