Executive Vice President of Institutional Advancement

ABOUT DUPAGE CHILDREN’S MUSEUM

DuPage Children’s Museum, located in Naperville, Illinois, is a
treasured community, cultural, and educational institution serving
children and their important adults throughout Chicagoland and the
Midwest region. In a typical year, nearly 500,000 guests connect
with DCM at our museum, in their schools and communities, and
across social media. Founded in 1987 by two early childhood
educators, DCM is now one of the largest and most influential
children’s museums in the country.

THE POSITION

Reporting directly to the President & CEO, the Executive
Vice President of Institutional Advancement is responsible for the
comprehensive planning, implementation, and operational execution
of DCM’s philanthropic mission. This person will participate in
setting the strategy for DCM and will direct all fundraising
activities, including but not limited to individual giving,
institutional giving, volunteer programs, donor events, campaign
planning and execution, and development resources. The Executive
Vice President will be the senior member of the CEO’s six-member
leadership team. They will initially manage a team of two full-time
and two part-time employees, and will manage incremental growth of
the team going forward to support a major capital campaign and
sustained philanthropy of $5 million annually.

MAJOR OBJECTIVES

Within the first 6-9 months, the Executive Vice President of
Institutional Advancement will achieve the following major
objectives:

• Develop a strategic plan for Advancement that aligns with the
  Museum’s overall strategic initiatives and leads to increased
  contributed revenue to the organization year-over-year.
• Implement a formal system for Board recruitment and increased
  member engagement.
• Establish clear, structured processes around all contributed
  revenue streams (individual, institutional, and government), with a
  particular focus on creating a moves management system to support
  major gift identification and cultivation.
• Build strong philanthropic relationships with DCM’s donor
  community and achieve significant solicitations of major
  gifts.

RESPONSIBILITIES

The Executive Vice President of Institutional Advancement
will have the following primary responsibilities:

• Serve as the chief philanthropic strategist for DCM, working
  closely with the President & CEO, Board of Directors, and
  senior leadership team in the creation, articulation, and
  implementation of organizational goals and objectives related to
  fundraising.
• Cultivate a culture of philanthropy and cast a vision for
  transformational fundraising growth that motivates and inspires
  staff and prospective donors.
• Oversee all aspects of the Advancement program, including
  annual giving, major giving, corporate giving and sponsorships,
  government and foundation giving, direct mail, and fundraising
  events.
• Actively solicit five- and six-figure major gifts while
  building and nurturing authentic donor relationships through all
  stages of the relationship management cycle.
• Develop and manage a strategy for donor prospecting and
  research as well as leveraging donor data to build a long-term
  sustainable donor pipeline.
• Support and advise the President & CEO to fully engage and
  leverage their involvement in fundraising, including identifying
  their cultivation goals, prospecting donors, and participating in
  asks as appropriate.
• Plan, manage, and coordinate upcoming comprehensive campaign
  strategy that provides staffing and support to the President &
  CEO, Board of Directors, and other key volunteers in their donor
  engagement activities.
• Recruit, develop, and retain a high-performing team of
  Advancement staff.
• Guide and mentor Advancement team members; regularly providing
  professional development and training opportunities to improve
  staff skills.
• Report progress to the Board of Directors, support members in
  making peer solicitations, and work with select committees to
  increase fundraising.
• Supervise and support DCM’s signature annual fundraising
  events.
• Prepare and administer the annual budget for the operation of
  the Advancement department as approved by the President & CEO
  and Board of Directors.
• Work closely with Finance staff to monitor cash-flow
  forecasting, financial reporting, grants management, and deferred
  income.
• Maintain open and ongoing communication with DCM’s senior
  leadership team, providing complete and accurate activity reports
  on a regular basis.
• Represent the Museum at public functions and member events to
  raise the visibility of the organization as a strong, viable,
  philanthropic entity.

QUALIFICATIONS

The ideal candidate will bring most of the following
qualifications:

• A genuine, passionate commitment to DCM’s mission, vision, and
  values, and a drive to ensure a welcoming, vibrant, and inclusive
  environment for all children and their families who engage with the
  Museum.
• A minimum of ten years of leadership level development
  experience and a comprehensive understanding of all major
  advancement functions, including capital campaigns.
• Proven experience in raising leadership and major gifts at the
  six-figure level or higher.
• A creative, visionary spirit with the capacity for large-scale
  thinking and a growth mindset.
• Experience hiring, supervising, motivating, and retaining a
  fundraising team that strives to achieve and exceed goals; ability
  to serve as a coach and mentor to staff.
• Experience effectively managing a multi-functional department,
  including budget administration; developing, writing, and executing
  development plans; planning/overseeing major projects; and leading
  strategic planning.
• Results-oriented, flexible, ethical, and collaborative; a
  strong listener and consensus-builder who thrives in a collegial,
  team-oriented environment; the ability to promote a positive work
  culture.
• Strong interpersonal skills that establish trust and rapport,
  including ease and skill in conveying DCM’s mission to a variety of
  diverse constituencies.
• Excellent organizational skills with the ability to manage
  multiple tasks and projects under tight time constraints and adjust
  easily to shifting/evolving priorities.
• Knowledge of local, regional, and national philanthropic
  communities with an understanding of both suburban and urban donor
  bases.
• Proven experience significantly growing an institution’s
  fundraising revenue over time.
• Ability to balance a fresh perspective with respect for how
  things have functioned previously.
• Excellent and effective written and verbal communication
  skills.
• Comfort with public speaking and serving as a representative of
  the Museum at events throughout the community, both internally,
  across Naperville, and beyond.
• Messaging and marketing experience.
• Strong computer and software skills, including familiarity with
  donor management databases such as Blackbaud/Altru, Google
  Workplace, PowerPoint, Word, and Excel.
• Ability to work outside typical business hours, including some
  evenings and weekends.
• A bachelor’s degree in a related field, or equivalent relevant
  experience, is preferred.

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

The annual salary range for this position is $180,000 –
$205,000. DCM offers Medical, Dental, Vision, Short Term
Disability, Life Insurance, Paid Time Off, 403b, Employee
Assistance Program, Employee Referral Program, and DCM Membership
for all fulltime staff.

The Executive Vice President of Institutional Advancement will
be expected to be present where and when needed at the museum, in
meetings and events across the region and nationally, and will have
the flexibility to work from home when appropriate and as discussed
with the CEO.