CHILDREN’S MUSEUM OF SONOMA COUNTY
DIRECTOR OF ADVANCEMENT

 

 ABOUT CHILDREN’S MUSEUM OF SONOMA COUNTY (CMOSC)

Since opening its doors in 2014, the Children’s Museum of Sonoma County (CMOSC) has been a critical educational resource and cultural destination for Sonoma County children and their caregivers. Rooted in current early childhood research, CMOSC’s award-winning programs and exhibits engage children in joyful discovery experiences that develop foundational skills, create lasting memories, and spark a lifelong love of learning.

Designed for children and their caregivers, the Museum’s experiential exhibits emphasize hands-on engagement and learning through play with a focus on art, nature, and science.

The Children’s Museum proudly supports the work of parents, caregivers, and educators in raising happy, healthy, and strong children. The CMOSC is in its fourth year of implementation of its strategic plan, a summary of which can be found here.

For more information, please visit https://www.cmosc.org/.

POSITION OVERVIEW

The Children’s Museum of Sonoma County (CMOSC) seeks a Director of Advancement (DOA) who is an organized, results-driven, confident team player to plan and coordinate all aspects of development and marketing/communications in partnership with the CEO, Board of Directors and CMOSC’s Leadership Team. The DOA will provide leadership on all fundraising and marketing initiatives including capital campaign planning, implementation, and management; cultivating and soliciting major gifts; planned giving; sponsorships; grant writing; special events; marketing and communications.

REPORTING RELATIONSHIPS

The DOA reports directly to the Founder and CEO. The DOA works in close collaboration with the CEO, Board of Directors, Leadership Team, and key volunteers to achieve CMOSC’s fundraising and marketing goals.

The DOA will supervise and inspire a team including: an Advancement Associate, Database and Development Manager, Community Outreach Ambassador, Membership Coordinator, and Marketing Contractors.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES

Advancement, Planning, and Management

·        Develop and implement a donor-centric advancement plan to include goals and objectives for annual operations, capital and endowment initiatives, including, but not limited to, a major individual gifts program, annual fund, foundation grants, corporate sponsorships and gifts, planned giving, and special events.

·        Focus on efforts to help the Museum actively prepare for and launch a major capital campaign in the immediate future.

·        Help strengthen Board relations and productivity:

o   Work with the CEO and Board of Directors to develop strategies to initiate and meet aggressive fundraising goals.

o   Develop fundraising training for Board and other leadership volunteers.

o   Attend all Board meetings and assume responsibility for all development reports to the full Board and the Development Committee.

o   Aid in the research and recruitment of new Board members.

·        Identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward public and private foundations for annual, capital and multi-year gifts, grants and sponsorships.

·        Research and write foundation grants and providing timely reporting as required by grant award documentation.

·        Grow the recently established planned giving program to cultivate a long-term giving strategy.

·        Develop and direct all aspects of the donor direct mail programs. Create and update advancement collateral materials to support these mail programs.

·        Oversee key fundraising events, including working with appropriate team members and volunteers to ensure that all aspects of a successful event are coordinated towards a common goal.

·        Oversee solicitation of sponsors for fundraising events and programs.

·        Create and implement active strategies and programs for donor cultivation and stewardship which will help provide a diverse and sustainable funding base.

·        Lead efforts to build a Culture of Philanthropy throughout the organization, engaging the full staff and Board in understanding the importance of philanthropy in carrying out the Museum’s mission.

Administration

·        Design, build and maintain the organizational infrastructure and workflows needed for an effective moves management strategy for top prospects, including sophisticated cultivation and stewardship practices and procedures.

·        Lead the membership department in building an effective plan to move visitors and members into the giving pipeline.

·        Oversee the advancement budget including monthly and quarterly contributed income reports, projections, analyses, and reconciliations with the Finance Department, writing support narratives fo budgets, and monitoring performance against budget and collection of outstanding pledges in conjunction with the development staff.

·        Oversee data, and gift tracking systems to ensure ongoing reconciliation with financial systems and integrity of data.

·        Partner with colleagues across the institution to develop institutional funding opportunities and priorities.

Communications, Public Relations, and Marketing

·        Work closely with staff and marketing contractors to develop an annual public relations and advertising marketing plan.

·        Oversee development of all marketing communications material, including press releases and media alerts, collateral materials, publications, web communications, and creative marketing concepts in support of all CMOSC programs to increase visitation, and optimize earned and contributed revenue.

·        Build and sustain working relationships and communication with community associations; city and county agencies; youth serving organizations; business leaders; grant funders; faith-based organizations; school administrators, schools, universities, and other institutions.

QUALIFICATIONS

·        7+ years of fundraising experience with progressive growth towards senior leadership

·        3+ years supervisory experience

·        Proven experience with managing a development team and success in all areas of advancement including annual fund, individual major gifts, planned giving, corporate and foundation support, and overseeing events

·        Capital campaign experience with all campaign phases including feasibility stage, strategy and implementation

·        Demonstrated experience raising six- and seven-figure gifts from individuals

·        Exceptional interpersonal and relationship-building abilities with a collaborative approach to working with co-workers, volunteers, and donors; a natural team-builder

·        Excellent problem solving, strategic thinking, and decision-making skills–balances data, experience, intuition, and judgment to make sound decisions aligned with CMOSC’s mission and culture

·        Demonstrated experience in efficient project management

·        Must be self-motivated, highly productive, solution-oriented, and have exceptional follow-through skills

·        Experience working closely with Board members and other volunteers to advance the mission of the organization

·        Proficient in Microsoft Office suite and Google suite; experience with CRMs - work with Blackbaud Altru a plus

·        Excellent oral and written communication and presentation skills, including public speaking, with the ability to communicate across all levels of staff, volunteers, and donors

·        B.A. degree preferred; fundraising certifications appreciated or equivalent experience

·        English language proficiency in both spoken and written form. Bi-lingual skills a plus

·        Passion for and dedication to the mission of CMOSC

Museum Physical Requirements

·        Willing and able to work flexible hours and travel within Sonoma County; some evenings and occasional weekends required

·        Must be able to lift at least 30 pounds

·        Must be able to stand or sit for lengthy periods of time

·        CMOSC follows Sonoma County policy on Covid-19 protocols–all staff are 100% fully vaccinated and boosted against Covid-19

Please Note: This position requires a mandatory background security check.

CMOSC EQUITY STATEMENT

As an institution primarily serving children and caregivers, the Children’s Museum of Sonoma County fosters participation, invites ownership, instills pride, and promotes transparency. We strive to understand our visitors by expanding access to the Museum for learners of all abilities, children from every background, and families from across the region.

We believe in operating equitably and using our platforms to promote understanding, peace, and compassion.

SALARY RANGE

The salary range for this position is $110,000 to $135,000 with full benefits. The Children’s Museum of Sonoma County offers Paid Time Off (PTO) to all regular, full-time employees who work at least 35 hours per week. PTO is accrued and credited at the end of each pay period according to the schedule below and is available after 90 days of employment with the Children’s Museum. PTO will max at 120 hours (15 days) and will not continue to accrue until it’s used and the total PTO falls below the maximum level. The CMOSC also offers paid time off for select national holidays, health insurance, 401(k), and membership to the museum.

TO APPLY

To apply for this position, or for additional information on the opportunity, please send a copy of your resume with a cover letter to Victoria Silverman at apply@cooksilverman.com.

All applications and inquiries will receive a response and be kept strictly confidential.

Children’s Museum of Sonoma County is an Equal Opportunity Employer.