POSITION SPECIFICATION

Director of Development
The Katonah Museum of Art
Katonah, New York

The Situation

After completing a comprehensive strategic planning process, the Katonah Museum of Art has decided to hire a full-time director of development. This resource development professional will develop and manage a coordinated program of fundraising and marketing for the Museum. A search committee, led by executive director Susan H. Edwards, Ph.D., is managing the search.

The Museum was founded in 1953 as The Katonah Gallery, a small, volunteer-run institution dedicated to encouraging the enjoyment, appreciation, and study of the visual arts by visitors of all ages. Now mounting its 50^th anniversary celebration, the Museum has a professional staff and is housed in a flexible museum facility designed by the noted architect Edward Larrabee Barnes. It provides a wide range of participatory art education programs and exhibitions.

While responding to the need for growth and expansion, the Katonah Museum of Art has remained true to its vision of being a regional, non-collecting institution that endeavors to present exhibitions of the highest quality and scholarly significance. These exhibitions, most of which are originated by the Museum, span a wide range of cultures, media, historical periods, and social issues.

The Museum serves greater Westchester County and parts of Putnam and Duchess Counties in New York. The population of the village of Katonah is around 4,000; the town of Bedford is about 18,000, and Westchester is around 980,000. The Museum's membership of 1,300 individuals attests to its popularity in the region and also provides a strong base for growth. Attendance at the Museum is about 40,000 annually.

The Museum is accredited by the American Association of Museums and held in high regard among art museums nationally. It reaches a broad audience through the publication and distribution of catalogues and through the traveling of selected exhibitions.

The Museum's annual operating budget is $1.2 million and the 2003 market value of the endowment is about $4 million. A dedicated Board of Trustees and Council of Volunteers support the Museum's growth and progress. The Museum is poised to undertake the next major steps in its development.

Attractions

This position is ideal for a self-starter who wants to shape a development department. The potential is great for success in the job with opportunities for ongoing, systematic development and an untapped field for major gifts fundraising in the community. On staff already are a grant writer and a special events officer. The director of development will be able to shape the marketing and public relations effort to support overall resource development.

As a non-collecting museum with six exhibitions per year, the educational experience at the Museum is continual. The changing schedule of exhibitions, guest curators, seminars and other public programs are of high quality. There is a lot of variety in the museum experience for visitors and staff alike. The exhibition schedule is set into 2006.

The Museum plays a crucial role in public school education. Opportunities for fundraising around the education programs are wide open. The position offers a platform for advocacy for the arts in the region.

There is an enthusiastic group of staff and volunteers who enjoy collegial and mutually respectful relationships.

The Katonah Museum of Art is in a convenient location, easily accessible from/to New York City.

The Museum is on the cusp of a new time in its history. Program expansion and outreach plans are being implemented. An enhanced resource development program will make it an even more exciting place to be.

A creative professional can make a mark here.

Critical Issues

The Board of Trustees is in transition from volunteers with a day-to-day presence to a governing and policy-setting Board. The new development director should be willing to help effect this transition and build a Board with fundraising muscle. More corporate representation is needed on the Board, as well as individuals with financial, management, marketing, and legal expertise, and greater ethnic and gender diversity.

New sources of funding need to be developed. The development effort has been heavy on special events to date. Research must be done to build the database of individual, foundation, and corporate donors. Strategies designed to increase community involvement and enhance the audiences for the museum as well as the donor pool are needed. A fresh planned giving initiative will ensure the Museum's long-term viability.

New technologies provide potential beyond communications. The Museum's web site is being redesigned and ideas for using it as a source of fundraising opportunities are welcome.

The current development staff-grant writer, special events officer, public relations professional, and clerical support are in place. These functions are up and running with a minimum of supervision needed.

The recently completed Strategic Plan is helping the Museum focus its efforts and settle down after a period of change.

The budget is tight, so the new director of development must be creative in his/her use of resources.

Reports to: As the senior development professional, the director of development reports to the executive director and is a member of the senior staff.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Develop and implement a coordinated development program including:
      Annual giving, grants, underwriting and special events for operating support.
      Grants and major gifts for capital, exhibitions, and special projects.
      Planned giving and major gifts for endowment.
• Management of full-scale grant program from foundation, corporation, and government (federal, state, and regional) sources.
• Refine the membership program to improve cultivation of new prospects, retention of members, and conversion to higher levels of support and set target goals.
• Enhance the corporate support program. Increase involvement of local corporations through volunteers and fundraising.
• Delineate higher levels of membership support and appropriate benefits.
• Direct an established travel program.
• Coach the Board and volunteers on donor cultivation and solicitation.
• Attend Museum events outside regular business hours.
• Assist the executive director and the Board in all aspects of the development program.

• a bachelor's degree at minimum with preference accorded candidates with a master's degree or higher in an arts or humanities-related field, nonprofit management, or business administration.
• experience in development (at least 7 years) with a record of accomplishment, successively increased responsibilities, and broad experience working with volunteers.
• major gifts experience and a familiarity with planned giving strategies.
• full computer literacy.
• accomplished writing and speaking ability.
• an appreciation for the arts, particularly visual culture.

The ideal candidate should be:

• a people person, an extrovert, comfortable with all sorts of people and one who likes to be out among others.
• energetic, creative, confident, and able to see the possibilities for building a fundraising plan from scratch.
• a team player, able to embrace the Museum's working culture where everyone is willing to roll up his or her sleeves and get the job done.
• able to deliver fundraising success and accomplish goals in an environment of change.

Candidates and sources, please communicate with:
Bob Sellery or Katie Wilson, Robert Sellery Associates, Ltd.
1050 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., 10th Floor
Washington, D.C. 20036.
Email: wilson@sellery.com, sellery@sellery.com
FAX 202.333.1167
Telephone: 202.331.0090
All inquiries will be kept in strict confidence.

ROBERT SELLERY ASSOCIATES, LTD.
1050 CONNECTICUT AVENUE, N.W. , 10TH FLOOR     WASHINGTON, D.C. 20036     202.331.0090
sellery@sellery.com