Executive Director

CHRIST CHURCH PRESERVATION TRUST

Job Description

Executive Director

January 2024

The Christ Church Preservation Trust (“CCPT”) seeks an
experienced and passionate Executive Director (ED) to work closely
with a dedicated Board of Trustees to manage overall strategic
planning, staff, budget and operational responsibilities across a
historic campus (dating to 1695) that includes Christ Church, The
Christ Church Burial Ground, and the Neighborhood House community
center in all aspects related to annual and capital fundraising,
education of online, tourist and student audiences, management and
growth of source document history archives, and direction and
community engagement of the Neighborhood House Arts Program.

Reporting to the Board of Trustees and working cooperatively
with the Christ Church Rector, the ED will be responsible for
implementing objectives outlined in the Trust’s 2021-2026 strategic
plan with an emphasis on revenue and fundraising growth, capital
campaign readiness, database breadth and user volume, and dynamic
programming relevant to both our existing audiences and ongoing
commitment to growing our educational impact and reach, with a
dedicated focus on presenting Christ Church’s history with
professional accuracy, factual integrity, and truth-telling
inspiration, including bringing to the fore themes concerning
diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion.

Christ Church is an active and dynamic parish with 400 members,
founded in 1695 through a provision contained in the original land
grant Charter bestowed on William Penn.  A witness to and
stage of American history, Christ Church’s congregation included
members of the Continental Congress during the American Revolution
and Presidents George Washington and John Adams in the first decade
of the newly established Republic.  Among early church members
were Benjamin and Deborah Franklin, Betsy Ross, John Penn (William
Penn’s grandson), and (along with Franklin) a host of signers of
the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, including
prominent leaders Robert Morris, Benjamin Rush, and Francis
Hopkinson.

Dating to 1744, the current church building has been cited as
“our finest Early American church” and one of the finest Georgian
structures in America.  Its steeple (completed in 1754),
financed by an innovative lottery organized by Benjamin Franklin,
is the work of Robert Smith, one of America’s earliest lead
architects.  For 56 years, the Christ Church steeple remained
the tallest structure in all of North America, and the tallest in
Philadelphia for 119 years until 1873.

Christ Church is a privately managed historic site that is an
official featured component of Independence National Historical
Park.  Christ Church Burial Ground is located at 5th and Arch
Streets in Philadelphia and is one of America’s seminal Colonial
and Revolution-era graveyards, with 1,400 markers on two beautiful
acres right in the heart of historic Philadelphia.  The Burial
Ground is the final resting place of some of our most prominent
leaders, including Benjamin Franklin and four other signers of the
Declaration of Independence. 

The Christ Church Preservation Trust, a 501(c)3 nonprofit
organization, was founded in 1963 to preserve and protect Christ
Church’s historic properties and have responsibility for the
programs that welcome the general public both on-site and online
for education, research and inspiration. With an independent Board
of Trustees and Executive Director, the Trust works closely with
the Christ Church Vestry and Clergy.

Primary Responsibilities: 

The Executive Director will report to the Christ Church
Preservation Trust Board of Trustees and oversee a full-time staff
of three, a part-time archivist, education coordinator, bookkeeper,
and a dedicated team of part-time educators and welcome desk
attendants.  The Executive Director must have strong and
proven fundraising skills, high integrity, love of history, and be
able to effectively network and communicate with various
constituent groups and potential patrons, and have strong
organizational, interpersonal, and operational skills.

Responsibilities include:

• Serve as the public representative of the organization with
  partners, funders, peers, artists, and constituent
  communities.

• Ensure ongoing programmatic and educational excellence and
  rigorous program evaluation.

• Build sustainability through fundraising, partnerships, and
  board development.

• Identify and cultivate major donors in the research and
  application of grants designed to support the Trust’s vision for
  capital improvements, operations, outreach and programmatic
  projects, student engagement and reach.

• Lead strategy, oversee and understand finances, and operations,
  including planning, monitoring, evaluating, reporting on progress,
  and adapting strategy as necessary to achieve organizational
  goals.

• Manage finance and administration, including designing and
  overseeing the annual budget, audit, compliance, and risk
  management.

• Connect and build relationships across diverse communities and
  passionate supporters of our mission, historical role and
  work.

• Oversee all aspects of marketing and communications to achieve
  expanded visibility and reach, including website and social
  media.

• Ensure adequate staffing by recruiting, supervising,
  supporting, coaching, and evaluating full-time and part-time
  staff.

• Oversee management of Christ Church archival program and
  Neighborhood House Arts Program.

• Network out to Philadelphia area organizations to invigorate
  and expand community partnerships and joint presentations.

• Analyze and coordinate all Church, Burial Ground and
  Neighborhood House programming efforts.

• Identify areas to outsource and oversee consultants, contracted
  employees, and interns.

Qualifications and Skills

• Degree in Nonprofit Management, Arts Management, Public
  History, or Museum Education preferred. Minimum of 10 years of
  progressively responsible nonprofit leadership experience,
  including demonstrated record of leading successful fundraising
  campaigns and programs, securing foundation grant awards and
  raising visitor revenue.

• Demonstrated management and administrative leadership
  abilities, leadership by knowledge and example, dedication and
  vision.

• Commitment to best practices and verification of sources in
  public history education.

• Excellent interpersonal skills, trustworthy leadership ability,
  record of enlisting committed donor support, and proven ability to
  work with a range of colleagues.

• Excellent writing and public speaking abilities.

This is a full time regular, non-exempt position.

Contact Information

Samuel Wheeler, Board member

[email protected]

215/280-7326