Director of Development

June 2023 | Gloucester, MA
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The Cape Ann Museum seeks a Director of Development who is eager to design, plan and execute a vibrant and creative strategy to increase and broaden the Museum’s base of support, and build upon a fully integrated development program.

About the Cape Ann Museum

The Cape Ann Museum (CAM) is a leading regional museum, a treasure and force unto itself on Cape Ann, and situated at the epicenter of artistic and marine history in the Northeast. Moreover, CAM has achieved a degree of national stature in the art world rare for a museum of its size. The Museum’s nationally significant collections include fine and decorative arts and artifacts relating to Cape Ann’s earliest days as a major fishing and shipping port, its mid-19^th century role in the granite industry, and the numerous artists who were attracted to its singular charms of light and sea, including such well known painters and sculptors as Fitz Henry Lane, Winslow Homer, Cecilia Beaux, John Sloan, Edward Hopper, Milton Avery, Anna Hyatt Huntington and Walker Hancock.

In April 2019, CAM welcomed a new Director, Oliver Barker, who came to the Museum from Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts. Oliver, with the full support of the Board of Trustees, and a team of 30 staff and consultants, has galvanized the Museum in new and exciting ways over the past four years, leading up to the Museum’s upcoming 150^th Anniversary in 2025 and the City of Gloucester’s 400+ Anniversary in 2023.

In August 2019, CAM unveiled a Winslow Homer exhibition entitled Homer at the Beach, which was unprecedented in scale and included loans from over 50 institutions and individuals from across the United States. This nationally recognized exhibition brought over 24,000 visitors during its four-month run and was part of a transformative year in which the Museum welcomed a record high of almost 40,000 visitors.

From July 22, 2023 to October 16, 2023, the Cape Ann Museum will present Edward Hopper & Cape Ann: Illuminating an American Landscape, an exhibition of 60+ works by American artist Edward Hopper (1882-1967), curated by Dr. Elliot Bostwick Davis. The exhibition is being presented in partnership with the Whitney Museum of American Art, a lender of 28 works by Edward and Josephine “Jo” Nivison Hopper, as well as the support of 27 institutional and private lenders, including the Museum of Fine Arts (Boston), the Smithsonian, and Brooklyn Museum. Edward Hopper & Cape Ann marks the centennial of the summer of 1923 when Hopper and his future wife, Jo, visited Gloucester. There Hopper created watercolors that earned his first critical acclaim and laid the foundation for future success as one of the greatest 20th century American landscape painters.

About Philanthropy at the Cape Ann Museum

In fiscal year 2022, CAM reported $2.69M in revenue, which has increased from $1.71M in 2018, and represents a 50% increase over the last five years. With the much-anticipated Hopper exhibits, and exciting new opportunities in fiscal year 2023, CAM estimates revenues of $3.86M.

Key among CAM’s priorities is to elevate philanthropy and external relations as both a critical and integral facet of the Museum’s future operations. The leadership phase of CAM’s capital campaign is underway, and the Museum has proudly raised 60% of its goal to date. The new Director of Development will be able to build on a strong existing membership base and education and community programs to engage new and increased philanthropic support.

Cape Ann Museum’s DEIA Commitment

As a steward of the art, history, and culture of Cape Ann, the Cape Ann Museum is committed to accurately and fully representing the lived experiences of all those who have been part of the region’s history and are part of its story today. Through ongoing scholarship and community engagement, the Museum has developed an understanding and appreciation of Cape Ann’s continuously unfolding narrative, both past and present, and commits to representing it in the permanent collection, archives, exhibitions, and programs as well as in the Museum’s communications and workplace.

The effort to become an equitable and inclusive organization will always be in process and the Museum will maintain this Commitment as a living document that is core to ongoing growth and relevance. CAM recognizes that historically museums have not felt welcoming and relevant to all communities. CAM has shifted that paradigm through its commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility by exploring deeply what those terms mean to the Museum’s community and putting them into practice across all aspects of the Museum.

Since 2021 the Museum has made significant progress towards establishing and expanding a signature calendar of community events that intentionally reach out to broad cross sections of the Cape Ann community and are developed in partnership with community stakeholders. Examples include the Gloucester Juneteenth Celebration, the Gloucester’s So Salty ice sculpture festival, the Brazilian Independence Day Celebration, Indigenous Heritage Day, First Fridays: Art After Hours, and the Courtyard Concert Series. Through these events and other initiatives, CAM aims to become a truly equitable and inclusive organization where visitors of all backgrounds not only feel welcomed but are also able to relate to CAM’s programs, people, and collections.

About the Position

Reporting to the Museum Director, the Director of Development (DOD) will align fundraising and membership strategy with CAM’s vision for its future. The DOD will serve as chief strategist for fundraising and is charged with all activities related to the cultivation, solicitation and stewardship that are integral to increasing the Museum’s philanthropic and membership revenues.

The DOD will oversee a current team of three and this team will plan to grow as the capital campaign and related programming evolve. The DOD will manage all facets of a fully integrated program including major gifts, leadership gifts, annual and planned giving, member events and donor relations, as well as fostering corporate and foundation support. The DOD will have a personal portfolio of top donors and prospects and will solicit and close major gifts. Further, the DOD will serve as liaison to the Board of Directors and will staff the Museum’s Development and Campaign Committees.

Key Responsibilities

• Work closely with the Museum Director to design, plan and execute a vibrant and creative strategy to increase support from the Board of Directors, key contributors, and other critical benefactors in the community to broaden the Museum’s base of support.
• Collaborate with CAM staff, volunteers, and the Board of Directors to proactively enhance, expand, and execute the development effort, building on current and establishing new relationships.
• Develop new engagement opportunities, particularly for leadership gift donors and for a younger patronage.
• Manage and build upon a portfolio of major donors.
• Manage and expand the capacity of the current development team and develop a plan for growth in staffing as ROI and new initiatives require.
• Create and oversee development department budgets, including Museum membership, ensuring that both income and expense goals are met.
• Supervise the appropriate use of donor software and reporting, ensuring donor privacy, data accuracy and timeliness of acknowledgements and reporting.
• Establish development policies, systems, and procedures, with a special emphasis on professionalism and ethical standards for soliciting, acknowledging, tracking, and reporting gifts.
• Devise solicitations/support materials with the intent to attract new gifts and upgrade gifts from existing donors.
• Foster a culture of continuous improvement utilizing fundraising best practices in internal and external customer service.

Key Qualifications

• Appreciation of the Museum’s mission and ability to be an effective spokesperson.
• Ability to serve as a trusted partner to visionary leadership, senior management, and Board of Directors.
• 10+ years of development leadership experience in relevant nonprofit organization.
• Experience leading a team focused on the support necessary for successful fundraising.
• Major gift solicitation experience, and track record of securing major donations at the 6 – 7 figure level.
• Proven success in fundraising from individuals including prospect identification, cultivation, and stewardship.
• Knowledge of CRM software capabilities is desirable; must be comfortable with data, reporting and related tools.
• Capital campaign experience highly preferred.
• Ability to work some nights, early mornings and weekends as events and meetings require.
• Excellent communication skills, both written and interpersonal.
• Strong analytical skills and ability to think strategically and creatively with exceptional attention to detail, and to manage and meet deadlines.
• Poise, maturity, flexibility, and the ability to work as a collaborative team player are essential.

For more information about the Cape Ann Museum, please visit https://www.capeannmuseum.org/

Compensation: The annual salary for this position begins at $120,000 and is commensurate with experience.

The Cape Ann Museum is committed to diversity among its employees and encourages qualified candidates from all backgrounds to apply. All qualified candidates will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

If you are interested in being considered for this upcoming search, please email your cover letter and resume in confidence to: CAM@developmentguild.com 

Tracy Marshall

Senior Vice President, Principal

Development Guild DDI