About Long Island Children’s Museum
Long Island Children’s Museum (LICM) is a 501C3 not-for-profit organization that opened its doors in 1993 in a small pilot location, moving into its permanent home on Museum Row in 2002. LICM is committed to the serious work of play, our mission: Connecting all our communities’ children, and those who care for them, to one another and to a life of wonder, imagination and exploration. Here, children discover their passions and their relationship to the world we share. Recognized with several honors, including the National Medal from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), LICM is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums (AAM), the gold standard of museum excellence. It is currently the only accredited children’s museum in New York State and is one of only 16 accredited children’s museums nationwide. LICM has earned 4-stars on Charity Navigator and has Platinum Transparency on Candid.
With a budget of $6M, 35 full-time staff, and more than 100 part-time staff, LICM is at a unique juncture – with a new President and plans for growth – after navigating through the challenges of the pandemic.
For more information on the Long Island Children’s Museum, please visit our website.
The Opportunity
The Long Island Children’s Museum (LICM) is seeking a highly motivated and experienced professional to fill the crucial role of Director of Development. Reporting directly to the President, this position will be responsible for overseeing a dynamic development operation that encompasses grants, events, membership, major giving campaigns, and corporate partnerships. The Director of Development will lead and oversee the day-to-day management and operations of the development team, develop, and manage all aspects of our development strategy and help build our membership, major donor, and fundraising capacity. Contributed revenue makes up nearly 50% of LICM’s budget. The Director of Development also serves as a member of the senior management team and will work closely with the Board of Directors.
The Director of Development will hold a pivotal role in shaping the organization’s future and contributing to its mission of connecting all communities’ children to a life of wonder, imagination, and exploration. In this influential position, you will be at the forefront of positive change and instrumental in driving LICM’s next growth phase.
The Director of Development’s responsibilities include:
- Lead and manage a dynamic development operation, ensuring the success of grants, events, membership, major donor campaigns, and corporate partnerships in alignment with strategic long-range plan;
- Oversee and mentor a team of three development professionals, in addition to managing external consultants dedicated to large-scale government grants, fostering excellence within each member’s role and their effective contribution to LICM’s mission;
- Collaborate with the President to strategize and execute initiatives and ensure alignment with LICM’s goals;
- Utilize data analytics to assess the effectiveness of development initiatives, making data-driven decisions to optimize development efforts, with a focus on annual giving;
- Take the lead in major giving program design and execution, in alignment with Board priorities;
- Build and nurture relationships with current and potential donors, with a focus on cultivating major donors and corporate partnerships;
- Contribute to the creation of a well-rounded development strategy, including corporate, foundation, individual, and government grants;
- Position LICM for a capital campaign in partnership with the President, setting the stage for future growth in contributed revenue;
- Bring creativity and innovation to LICM’s fundraising strategies, exploring new, dynamic methods of donor engagement.
Candidate Profile
The Director of Development for the Long Island Children’s Museum (LICM) will be a seasoned strategic thinker with a proven track record of thoughtful and empathetic leadership. This individual will bring a careful, deliberate approach to scaling development efforts while maintaining a strong connection to LICM’s mission and core values. The successful candidate should exhibit the following attributes and competencies:
- Passion for the Mission: A genuine commitment to LICM’s mission of connecting all communities’ children to a life of wonder, imagination, and exploration.
- Development Leadership: Proven experience managing a multi-pronged development operation, with a strong focus on events, grants, membership, corporate and major giving.
- Team Management: Ability to lead and support a team of three direct reports and supervise external consultants, while fostering a culture of collaboration, mentorship, inclusion, and growth around philanthropy throughout the organization.
- Results-Driven Approach: A force-multiplier with proactive and driven mindset, capable of overseeing and executing various development streams.
- Relationship Builder: Joy at creating rapport with people across all manners of backgrounds, interests, and experiences with the capacity to represent LICM at meetings and within the community.
The ideal candidate will have most, if not all, of the following professional and personal qualities, skills, and characteristics:
- 6+ years of solid fundraising experience in the not-for-profit development field, with a proven record of success in strategizing, developing frameworks, and cultivating, and maintaining funder relations, and leading small to large fundraising events;
- 3+ years of supervisory experience with strong management skills, both strategic and operational, and a demonstrated ability to build, manage, mentor, and motivate an effective team;
- Experience leading fundraising efforts that can raise $2-5 million in annual revenue;
- Extensive experience in managing a diverse and multi-pronged development operation;
- Creative thinking and flexibility in adapting to changing circumstances;
- Exceptional relationship-building skills and a genuine interest in engaging with people;
- Strong leadership and management skills, including the ability to lead and inspire internal teams, fostering a culture of collaboration and accountability;
- Commitment to Diversity, Equity, Access and Inclusion principles and the ability to foster an inclusive environment within the organization’s operations and initiatives;
- Experience with fundraising databases and the capability to harness their full potential for tracking and cultivating donors;
- Exceptional interpersonal, communication, and relationship-building abilities to effectively engage with donors, partners, community leaders, and internal teams;
- Proven leadership experience, ideally in a senior leadership role within a nonprofit or philanthropic organization;
- Familiarity and/or experience with Long Island Philanthropic community, a plus;
- Personal transportation to attend networking and community events.
Compensation & Benefits
Compensation for this position will be between $110,000-130,000, commensurate with candidate experience and is offered alongside a competitive benefits package. As having a presence and connection to all staff and programming is important, this role will work (4) days in the LICM office each week, with flexibility to work from home (1) day a week. Additionally, there are evening/weekend commitments throughout the year – both for LICM’s Anchor Programs and also networking events in the community.
Contact
Shelby Woods has been exclusively retained for this search. To express your interest in this role please submit your materials by filling out the Talent Profile. All inquiries and discussions will be considered strictly confidential.
……………..
The Long Island Children’s Museum is an equal opportunity employer and strongly encourages applications from people of color, persons with disabilities, women, and LGBTQ+ applicants.
Koya Partners is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals living with disabilities. If you are a qualified individual living with a disability and need assistance expressing interest online, please email NonprofitSearchOps@divsearch.com. If you are selected for an interview, you will receive additional information regarding how to request an accommodation for the interview process.
About Koya Partners
Koya Partners, a part of the Diversified Search Group, is a leading executive search and strategic advising firm dedicated to connecting exceptionally talented people with mission-driven clients. Our founding philosophy—The Right Person in the Right Place Can Change the World—guides our work as we partner with nonprofits & NGOs, institutions of higher education, responsible businesses, and social enterprises in local communities and around the world. For more information about Koya Partners, visit www.koyapartners.com.
