Museum director Jobs in Minneapolis, MN

About the Job

Pay range : $130,000-$150,000 annually

This is a full timeposition.

Work Location : Bell Museum, University of Minnesota, St Paul Campus

Application Deadline : June 9, 2024

The Director of Development will lead the full range of fundraising efforts for the Bell Museum, Minnesota’s state natural history museum and planetarium and the gateway to the sciences at the University of Minnesota. This work is both strategic and hands-on. The Development Director will oversee the Museum’s significant and growing portfolio of philanthropy, including individual giving, annual fund, membership, and corporate / foundation giving in the forms of sponsorship and philanthropic grants, in partnership with the University of Minnesota Foundation (UMF) corporate and foundation relations team. They will also serve as an architect and principal leadership gift officer for Bell Museum fundraising efforts. They will lead a current team of four and directly supervise three full-time staff (Associate Development Officer, an Annual Giving Manager, and a Membership Manager). The Director of Development will serve as a member of the Bell Museum’s Executive Leadership Team. This dynamic role has a dual reporting structure to the Chief Development Officer of the College of Food, Agricultural, and Natural Resource Sciences (CFANS), the Bell’s home college, and the Executive Director of the Bell Museum.

This individual is an entrepreneurial and seasoned fundraising professional with a passion for public education and cultural institutions. They embrace and represent the mission and vision of the Bell Museum, and inspire others with their enthusiasm, knowledge, and integrity.

We are looking for individuals to join our team who are inspired by our mission to ignite curiosity and wonder, explore our connections to nature and the universe, and create a better future for our evolving world. We believe that difference is a strength and are looking for candidates that reflect and respect diversity. We encourage you to apply for the position even if you do not believe you meet every qualification.

Duties / Responsibilities :

Front-line Fundraising and Strategy (70%)

• Identifies and qualifies[1] a personal portfolio of 100 major gift prospects and donors with primary focus on qualifying prospects and closing major gifts of $50,000 to $1,000,000+
• Performance expectations include : 15 solicitations per year at $50,000+ and total annual gift production of $2,000,000 to $4,000,000 and above
• Leverages the resources of the University of Minnesota Foundation (UMF) with the public face and reach of the Bell Museum to expand the potential of museum fundraising and pipeline development
• Serves as the primary architect and guide for Bell fundraising, including the development of case materials and collaboration with UMF on future campaign efforts
• Leads with a strong commitment to a high-touch, donor-centered approach to fundraising that embraces collegiality and procedures of UMF
• In coordination with the CFANS Chief Development Officer and Bell Executive Director, sets fundraising goals and objectives and develops and executes strategies for cultivating and soliciting major gifts, planned gifts, and corporate / foundation gifts
• Identifies and expands opportunities for collaboration with the CFANS development team centered around donor stewardship
• Manages a blended portfolio of prospects (individual, corporate and private foundation) with a focus on developing and implementing effective strategies to move donors through the pipeline (cultivation, solicitation, stewardship)
• Participates in trips to key geographic areas as assigned to qualify and cultivate donors, and collaborate with regional development officers, other university development colleagues, and CFANS leadership as appropriate to maximize results, approximately 2-3 times per year
• In collaboration with the CFANS stewardship coordinator, prepares and delivers progress reports for donors regarding the impact of their gifts / grants
• Clears and coordinates prospective donors through appropriate UMF procedures to ensure effective solicitation of the donor that maximizes the gift to the University and the donor’s satisfaction with the institution
• Updates regular reports on progress and results of the prospect solicitation process and portfolio in the donor management system (DMS). Completes and files thorough reports of all contacts in a timely manner. Review research reports and information from DMS on assigned donors and prospects
• Ensures a cohesive and nuanced annual giving strategy
• Ensures the Bell Museum membership program has a clear acquisition and retention strategy
• Partners with the University of Minnesota Foundation’s staff and services, as necessary

Collaboration, Coaching and Supervision (30%)

Qualifications

Required Qualifications :

Preferred Qualifications :

About the Department

The mission of the Museum is to ignite and sustain curiosity for nature and the Universe, to achieve our vision of a hopeful future where all are inspired by nature and empowered by science.

The Bell Museum is Minnesota’s official natural history museum, established by the legislature in 1872 and held in trust by the University of Minnesota. For over 150 years, the museum has preserved and interpreted our state’s rich natural history and served learners of all ages. Our scientific collections contain over one million specimens, representing every county in Minnesota and various locales around the globe, and the Whitney and Elizabeth MacMillan Planetarium expands the mission to the universe and points beyond. We moved to a state-of-the-art public facility on the St. Paul campus in 2018, and expanded our role to become a gateway to science and research at the University of Minnesota. While natural history remains a bedrock for the Bell, opportunities in astronomy and space science, health and medicine, the environment, the arts, and other areas afford the Bell opportunities for new partnerships and the development of new experiences for public science engagement, taking place in the public facility and increasingly across the state.

The Director of Development plays a leading role in creating broad-based support for the Museum’s mission and aligning donor interests with strategic objectives. The Bell Museum development team embraces new ideas and perspectives as it raises philanthropic support for the Bell Museum’s key priority areas including : Research & Collections, Museum without Boundaries, Curiosity Catalyst, Minnesota’s Astronomy Classroom and Creative by Nature. This role also plays a critical role in the Bell Museum’s diversity, equity and inclusion efforts as we aim to remove barriers to engagement with the museum.

A successful candidate will be a committed collaborator and strategic partner who has the vision and drive to bring the Bell Museum’s initiatives to life while building a strong pipeline for a sustainable future.

Benefits

Working at the University

At the University of Minnesota, you’ll find a flexible work environment and supportive colleagues who are interested in lifelong learning. We prioritize work-life balance, allowing you to invest in the future of your career and in your life outside of work.

The University also offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes :