Current Opportunities

Organization
The Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco (FAMSF) comprised of the de Young Museum in Golden Gate Park and the Legion of Honor in Lincoln Park is experiencing transformative growth in its mission to deepen engagement with the art and ideas of today. As the largest public art museums in San Francisco, FAMSF welcomes more than 1.5 million visitors annually and is among the most visited museums in the United States. The de Young Museum and Legion of Honor ignite a creative curiosity in visitors, reflecting their past and stimulating creative agencies in their futures. By taking an inclusive and equitable approach in presenting its extraordinary collection of over 150,000 works, FAMSF is both a cherished community hub and vibrant beacon in the global art world.

FAMSF Director and CEO Thomas P. Campbell leads a vibrant and innovative program and strategic plan in which diversity and inclusion are the guiding principles. The museums annually host a prolific and comprehensive lineup of exhibitions and educational programs. In 2022, notable exhibitions at the de Young Museum include Alice Neel: People Come First, the first and only venue for American artist Alice Neel’s paintings, drawings, watercolors, and rarely seen film; the Obama Portraits Tour; and Faith Ringgold: American People, an exhibition of her work never before seen in the Bay Area. At the Legion of Honor, Guo Pei: Couture Fantasy celebrates the extraordinary designs of Guo Pei—hailed as China’s first couturier—and presents over 80 works of exquisite craftsmanship, lavish embroidery, and remarkable fashion techniques. Alongside it, Benoit Éditeur presents 15 rarely-seen, stunning fine-art editions produced from the atelier of Pierre André Benoit of Alès, France—13 of which are illustrated books with Pablo Picasso.

The de Young Museum collections include the most comprehensive survey of American art in the American West, international textile arts and costumes, photography, and art of the Americas, Oceania, and Africa. In 2005, the museum’s expansion and new facilities by Herzog & de Meuron reframed the museum by engaging it with the surrounding park and creating a setting that explores the diversity and intersection of different cultures. The Legion of Honor, built in 1924 and approaching its Centennial year, is sited on the headlands of Lands End overlooking the Golden Gate. Its collections include The Thinker and other masterworks by August Rodin, European decorative arts and paintings, Ancient art, and one of the largest collections of prints and drawings in the country. The Penny and James Coulter Objects Conservation Center, the Sardegna Paintings Center, the George and Marie Hecksher Textiles Conservation Center and the Paper Conservation Center support and complement the museums’ collections, providing preservation and scientific study that is both culturally sensitive and authentic.

FAMSF provides an expansive variety of community-centered public programs and educational opportunities for visitors, educators, and learners of all ages. FAMSF’s efforts to engage new and diverse audiences include Free Saturdays, a free general admission day for Bay Area residents; the annual de Youngsters Day Out; and concerts featuring the 1924 Legion of Honor Spreckels Organ. FAMSF encourages meaningful artistic experiences, uplifts educators, and collaborates with community groups, schools, and city organizations through a rich array of programs. The Diversity and Innovation Fund was launched in 2021 and supports the Equity School Partnership project which serves the museum’s kindergarten through fifth grade public-school programs.

The FAMSF are governed by three boards. FAMSF is a Charitable Trust Department of the City and County of San Francisco. The Museums' endowment funds are held by The Fine Arts Museums Foundation (FAMF), a private 501(c)3 organization. The Corporation of the Fine Arts Museums (COFAM) is also a private 501(c)3 organization, which raises funds for and manages most of the day-to-day operations of the museums. COFAM has a 46-member Board of Trustees led by President Jason E. Moment, and Thomas P. Campbell serves as Director and CEO. FAMSF has a 13-member Board of Trustees, and the Fine Arts Museums Foundation has an 11-member board. For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2022, FAMSF reported a total revenue of $73.9 million with $33.5 million from contributions and grants, $9.5M from membership and $7.4 million from program services. Total expenses were $71.8 million.

Community
Situated on the ancestral lands of the Ramaytush people, San Francisco is home to 875,000 residents and one of the world’s most distinctive and innovative metropolitan cities. The San Francisco Bay Area is a popular destination for those seeking gorgeous landscapes, some of the world’s finest wines, waterfront towns, nightlife, and diverse cuisines, coupled with top-tiered educational institutions, distinguished arts and culture organizations, and innovative workforce options. The 9-County Bay Area is home to approximately 7.8 million ethnically diverse residents; approximately three-fifths of the region’s residents are Latinx/Hispanic, Asian/Pacific Islander, and African American.

The Bay Area is a global hub for cutting-edge technology, and is deeply involved in Cleantech, with over 200 firms working on environmentally friendly and sustainable products and services. The area has the largest aggregation of research universities and federal research institutions in the nation. The University of California, San Francisco and Berkeley, and Stanford University among others, are key drivers of innovation and entrepreneurship. San Francisco is home to more than 900 IT and Software, Social and Digital Media, and Life Sciences and Biotech firms, and serves as the financial service epicenter of the West Coast.

Sources: bayareaequityatlas.org; visitcalifornia.com; goldengatepark.com; census.gov; worldpopulationreview.com; sfchamber.com; culturedata.org

Position Summary
The Chief Philanthropy Officer (CPO) is responsible for planning, implementing, overseeing, and assessing the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco's philanthropy plans in support of the organization's strategic vision and growth. Reporting to the Director and CEO serving as a key member of the senior leadership team, the CPO will effectively represent the organization's philanthropy interests to all constituencies to establish and advance ambitious goals in support of the museum’s exhibitions, endowments, and other special projects. The CPO will lead the museum’s capital campaign, annual fund, major gift, membership, planned, corporate and foundation giving, events and government relations initiatives. The CPO will work closely with the Director and CEO, board, senior staff, volunteers, museum partners, and community to cultivate new donors while energizing and stewarding the donor base.

In addition to establishing and maintaining a personal portfolio of current and prospective major donors, the CPO will manage a philanthropy team of twenty-five. The CPO will direct the activities of the Director of Campaign, Senior Director of Individual and Major Giving, the Director of Foundation and Government Giving, the Director of Corporate Giving, the Director of Events, the Director of Membership, and the Director of Legacy Giving to achieve fundraising goals of more than $17 million (fundraising) and $11 million (membership) annually. The CPO will manage capital and endowment campaigns, beginning with the Legion of Honor Centenary and Gifts of Art Campaign. The CPO will succeed and lead by example in a mission-driven working environment that balances the need and relevance of programs with the efficiency of best business practices, fiscal accountability, and institutional impact in keeping with the organization's values, mission, vision, and plans.

Role and Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership

• Lead, oversee, and implement an ambitious and integrated philanthropy plan, including capital campaigns, with clearly defined goals, objectives, timelines, and assignment of responsibilities to achieve and support initiatives contained within the museum’s strategic plan.
• Develop goal-driven, short- and long-term fundraising strategies for annual operating, endowment, planned giving, and capital campaigns.
• Collaborate with curatorial staff to secure necessary funding for thoughtful and illuminating exhibits that are vital to community engagement and the national and international reputation of the museum.
• Cultivate and maintain strong partnerships with the board, major donors, foundations, public agencies, and corporate funders to grow substantial contributed revenue opportunities.
• Identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward a personal portfolio of current and new funding sources, and explore opportunities for additional individual, foundation, and corporate philanthropy.
• Guide, cultivate, and increase the membership base, creating compelling opportunities for members while actively developing a pipeline for community engagement and support.
• Expand the endowment and increase working capital reserves as part of building long-term financial stability for the organization.
• Maintain a strategic knowledge of best practices and significant trends in philanthropy and adapt fundraising strategies as necessary.
• Embrace other strategic leadership and comprehensive implementation responsibilities as needed.

Board and Donor Engagement

• Collaborate with the Director and CEO and Nominating Committee to identify, cultivate, and recruit prospective board members.
• Devise strategies with the Development Committee that create meaningful paths for the Bay Area’s diverse community to engage in supporting the museums as donors, collectors, partners, advisors, and community ambassadors.
• Speak credibly and persuasively about Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco's vision for the future with current and prospective board members.
• Advise board members, both individually and collectively, on best practices in community ambassadorship and donor cultivation.
• Embrace other board engagement and recruitment responsibilities as needed.

Team and Organizational Oversight

• Guide the day-to-day operations of the development function to ensure that all administrative and operational aspects of development are executed at a high level of quality and efficiency.
• Collaborate with the Director of Marketing and Communications and Visitor Experience team to ensure consistent messaging and outreach strategies as they affect all philanthropy efforts.
• Partner with the Chief Finance and Administrative Officer to ensure sound fiscal operation of the philanthropy function, including timely, accurate, and comprehensive budgeting, monitoring, forecasting, and reporting of charitable contributions and department expenses.
• Recruit, diversify, coach, inspire, and motivate a strong philanthropy team that represents the community that Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco serves.
• Create a supportive, collaborative, productive, and healthy work environment based on respect, teamwork, and the equity, diversity, and inclusion values of the FAMSF.
• Set performance standards and provide timely, constructive feedback while supporting opportunities for professional development.
• Support team ingenuity with appropriate human resources, structures, systems, and technological platforms that are in alignment with current and future trends in philanthropy.
• Ensure the strategic use of the database and other development communication tools, coordinating communications with existing and potential donors to ensure the highest level of donor engagement, satisfaction, and expressions of appreciation.
• Oversee department accountability and actively address questions and concerns that ensure a safe and healthy work environment for the team.
• Embrace other team and organizational effectiveness responsibilities as needed.

Traits and Characteristics
The Chief Philanthropy Officer will be a visionary and versatile team leader with an affinity for FAMSF’s mission and collections and will have a passion to positively impact the organization’s long-term success. Complemented by highly developed skills and an efficient best practices approach, the CPO will be an intentional and objective strategist, receptive to new ideas and working collaboratively to advance organizational goals. An effective communicator and authentic relationship builder, they will show sensitivity and a strong commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion in all its forms.

Other key competencies include:

• Stakeholder Focus – The sensitivity to anticipate, meet and/or exceed stakeholder needs, wants and expectations.
• Time and Priority Management – The acuity to develop initiatives and demonstrate self-control in time and priority management while identifying and overseeing resources, tasks, systems, and people to obtain results.
• Team Leadership and Diplomacy – The dexterity to anticipate, meet, and exceed a variety of stakeholder needs and expectations, inspiring others in effectively handling difficult or sensitive issues.
• Professional Accountability and Interpersonal Skills – The capability to accept responsibility for actions and results, reevaluate, and develop long-term relationships with people across the organization and throughout the community.
• Flexibility and Resiliency – The capacity to respond quickly and adapt to change with minimal resistance while overcoming setbacks and remaining optimistic regardless of circumstances.

Qualifications
A minimum of eight years of senior management experience that includes developing new revenue sources, building and strengthening relationships, and a track record of success in major gift fundraising is required. Successful experience planning and implementing significant annual operating, endowment, planned giving, membership programs, and capital campaigns is essential. Exceptional written and interpersonal skills, a genuine enthusiasm for art and art education, and a high degree of professionalism and integrity are needed. Educational credentials supporting leadership acumen, organizational growth, arts and culture experiences, and community engagement are highly desired.

Compensation and Benefits
Fine Arts Museums San Francisco provides a competitive and equitable compensation package. The range for the annual salary is estimated between $250,00 and $275,000. Employee benefits include paid vacation, sick leave, personal days, and holidays; health, long-term disability, and life insurance; and a voluntary 401(k) retirement plan.

Applications and Inquiries
To submit a cover letter and resume with a summary of demonstrable accomplishments (electronic submissions preferred), please click here or visit artsconsulting.com/employment. For questions or general inquiries about this job opportunity, please contact:

Wyona Lynch-McWhite, Senior Vice President
Nan Keeton, Senior Vice President

268 Bush Street, Suite 4100
San Francisco, CA 94104
Tel (888) 234.4236 Ext. 225 (Ms. Lynch-McWhite) or Ext. 203 (Ms. Keeton)
Email FAMSF-CPO@ArtsConsulting.com

The Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco is an equal opportunity employer. We strive to create a working environment that includes and respects cultural, racial, ethnic, sexual orientation, and gender identity diversity. Women, racial and ethnic minorities, persons with disabilities, persons over 40 years of age, disabled and Vietnam-era veterans, and people of all sexual orientations and gender identities are encouraged to apply.