SC State Museum Foundation Director

Background:

For over 36 years, the South Carolina State Museum Foundation has successfully supported the South Carolina State Museum in achieving its important mission and vision to share the diverse stories of South Carolina with the nation and be a go-to-educational resource for our state. The SCSM Foundation, a 501 C3 non-profit organization, does this important work by raising funds and philanthropic support for the museum’s educational programs and exhibitions, collections stewardship and conservation initiatives, and digital projects. In this important role, the SCSM Foundation acts as the primary advancement team for the South Carolina State Museum.

The South Carolina State Museum, the largest museum in the state of South Carolina, opened its doors in 1988 and has since inspired over 5 million+ guests through innovative exhibitions, educational programs and engaging experiences. In 2014, the museum completed a successful $23 million dollar capital campaign to add an observatory, planetarium, 4D theater and expanded programmatic spaces, bringing the universe to South Carolina. The State Museum is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums (AAM) and is a Smithsonian Affiliate Museum.

The Future:

This is an exciting moment for the South Carolina State Museum as it embarks on a new $75 million dollar Capital Campaign to revolutionize the museum experience for our visitors and expand our educational impact state-wide. This collaborative project will allow the museum to share more of its extensive collection of over 1.1 million objects and specimens and renew over 150,000 square feet with updated permanent exhibitions and immersive multimedia experiences which highlight the fascinating stories and people throughout South Carolina’s history. Through these new spaces and engaging explorations of objects, the museum will offer our guests the opportunity to connect with each other and the many communities that call our state home. Featured additions will include:

• New immersive exhibitions and exciting multimedia experiences.
• Hands-on and accessible education spaces and state-of-the-art collection storage
• In-depth explorations of historical artifacts, natural history specimens and fossils, and art from the museum’s collection.
• More people and their stories represented from across South Carolina
• Expanded state-wide educational reach and impact

The Position:

The Museum is looking for an experienced non-profit professional to lead the Foundation’s ongoing donor stewardship efforts as well as its ambitious Capital Campaign fundraising goals. This role is crucial for driving the museum’s strategic fundraising initiatives and enhancing and building donor relationships in support of the museum’s future.

The Foundation Director reports to the SCSM Executive Director and holds responsibility for both the day-to-day operations of the Foundation and shaping the future of the organization through vision, values, leadership, and strategy. The Foundation Director, an expert in good philanthropic practices, is an important advocate for the organization and its signature role in supporting the State Museum. They must be able to cultivate, build, and maintain strong and authentic relationships, both internally and externally, with a wide range of funders, partners, and community leaders. Additionally, the Foundation Director, in close collaboration with the Museum’s Executive Director, will lead, inspire, and support the Foundation Board in their philanthropic work, communicating effectively so that each member is heard, valued, and understands their part in the success of the Foundation and the State Museum.

Job Responsibilities

• Develop and implement a smart, comprehensive and effective fundraising strategy to raise significant funding for the museum’s priority initiatives and Reimagine the Experience Capital Campaign. Coordinate Campaign efforts with funds being raised for ongoing museum operations, ensuring strategies to meet these two major needs work hand-in-hand.
• Represent the SCSM Foundation and Museum with key stakeholders, donors, partner organizations and diverse communities throughout South Carolina.
• Assure that the Foundation’s stewardship efforts align with the museum’s funding priorities through thoughtful planning, communication and decision-making with key stakeholders.
• Maintain a portfolio of major donors and be responsible for cultivation and stewardship of this portfolio. Identify prospects that have both capacity and demonstrated interest in advancing mission-related priorities of the Museum and Campaign.
• Communicate about the Museum and the Campaign in public arenas to spread awareness of the museum’s initiatives and garner support.
• Work closely with the SCSM Foundation Board Chair, SCSM Museum Executive Director, and SCSM Foundation Board Executive Committee to understand and advance appropriate board governance; maintain clear lines of communication and provide well-defined opportunities for board engagement; lead the Board in its strategic planning and establish objectives based on goals and budget considerations agreed upon by the Board; arrange and attend board meetings and activities including preparing facilities and agendas; oversee materials development; implement board directives; communicate with the Board between meetings.
• Lead and staff manage the SCSM Foundation team, which includes staff responsible for donor stewardship, museum membership, grant management and Foundation administration and finances. Ensure that each Foundation team member understands their responsibilities, has the resources to do their job well, and has opportunities for continued professional development and growth.
• Hold fiduciary responsibility for the Foundation’s budget and annual audit, ensuring that the Foundation’s financial and administrative practices adhere to non-profit best practices and American Alliance of Museum’s accreditation standards for public trust and accountability.
• Regularly prepare and present general fundraising and Campaign strategy, data and reports to Museum and Foundation Leadership, the SCSM Museum Commission and the SCSM Foundation Board.
• Serve as a key member of the Museum’s Executive Leadership team.

Minimum and Additional Requirements:

• A bachelor’s degree in business, arts/non-profit management or related field.
• A proven fundraising track-record with at least 7-10 years of major gift and/or capital campaign experience and demonstrated success in cultivating, soliciting and successfully closing leadership gifts ($100K+).
• Strong financial and project management skills.
• Successful experience managing a team of fundraising professionals.
• Some travel, evening and weekend work is required.

Preferred Qualifications:

• An MBA, MS in arts/or non-profit management, or related advanced degree is preferred.
• Successful leadership and 10+ years soliciting major gifts of $500K+ and/or leadership of a major non-profit capital campaign is highly preferred.
• Proven success in a complex and fast-paced environment
• Excellent oral and written communication skills and ability to expertly present the Museum and Foundation to a wide range of constituencies and audiences.
• A history of strong collaboration and actively seeking strategic partnerships.
• Experience using donor database management technology; experience utilizing CRM software is a plus.

Additional Comments:

• Demonstrate integrity, strong diplomatic skills, poise, and extraordinary emotional intelligence in interacting and building relationships with diverse constituencies and significant partners.
• A good listener and strategist with a professional and resourceful style; the ability to take initiative; comfortable receiving input from many sources and able to bring others together, build consensus, and create cohesive and well-supported plans.
• Strong work ethic coupled with an enthusiastic and optimistic approach to one’s work.
• An appreciation of and respect for the museum’s history, mission, values, programs, and brand.
• Curiosity and a commitment to lifelong learning