OVERVIEW
The Webb Deane Stevens Museum is seeking an experienced fundraiser and adept storyteller to serve as its next Director of Advancement & Communications. This transition comes at a moment when grant-supported campus improvements, top-quality programming, and increased regional and national visibility have positioned the Museum to expand its membership base and increased revenue. The successful candidate will join our team with a prior record of success cultivating individual and corporate giving, as well as the related communication skills essential to steering our marketing and communications efforts.
The WDS Museum is situated on an eight-acre campus at the center of Old Wethersfield, Connecticut, the state’s oldest and largest historic district. Its street frontage comprises three houses significant to the American Revolution: the 1752 Joseph Webb House (National Historic Landmark), where Washington and Rochambeau decided on the military campaign that ended at Yorktown; the 1773 Silas Deane House (National Historic Landmark), built by America’s first foreign diplomat, who negotiated French support for the Revolution; and the 1789 Isaac Stevens House (National Register of Historic Places), which illustrates the middle-class opportunity spurred by American independence. In 2021, the state-of-the-art Holcombe Education Center opened with exhibition, program, and office space overlooking our stunning Colonial Revival garden, designed in 1921 by the pioneering woman landscape architect Amy Cogswell. Behind it, the historic Webb Barn serves as a revenue-generating event venue. WDS also operates the c.1711 Buttolph-Williams House nearby, a National Historic Landmark owned by Connecticut Landmarks and made famous as the inspiration and setting for the Newbury Medal-winning young adult novel The Witch of Blackbird Pond.
Women’s history is a recurring theme in WDS programming, as the Museum has been owned and operated since 1919 by the National Society of The Colonial Dames of America in The State of Connecticut, which was founded in 1893 by businesswoman and philanthropist Elizabeth Colt. Current exhibitions include American Girlhood: Needlework, Memory, and the Making of a Nation,a significant show of schoolgirl embroidery from institutional and private collections across the country.
The Director of Advancement & Communications reports to the Executive Director and interfaces regularly with members of the Board of Managers. The position also relies on close collaboration with a talented and highly productive core staff team. Back-end support, including donor data management and preparation of email and social media content, is provided by the Museum’s administrative assistant, and cross-functional project coordination is supported by a chief of staff. Some areas of expertise and labor may be outsourced on a case-by-case basis, such as graphic design and/or grant-writing support.
ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES
Development
- Steward and expand a portfolio of donor and sponsor relationships in concert with the Executive Director and Board of Managers, helping to identify prospects for major gifts and strategize engagement
- Ensure year-over-year growth in Museum membership
- Serve as the primary grants officer, working in collaboration with relevant team members to prepare applications
- Work with the Development Committee and Executive Director to activate and expand planned giving
- Work with curatorial staff and leadership to arrange programming for giving-circle donors and upper-tier members
- Plan annual fundraiser events with staff and board support
- Implement digital and direct-mail campaigns to meet Annual Fund giving targets
- Maintain fundraising and membership metrics, tracking progress toward annual goals and identifying areas of opportunity
- Oversee a database of donor and subscriber information maintained by the Administrative Assistant, along with processing of incoming financial gifts, preparation of acknowledgement letters, and coordination of mailings
Communications
- Steward the WDS brand story to encourage onsite and digital engagement, increase visibility and reputation, and enhance giving
- Generate multi-channel marketing efforts for Museum programs, tours, and exhibitions, with implementation support from the Administrative Assistant
- Maintain an intentional and effective social media presence with content support from the Director of Preservation & Collections and implementation support from the Administrative Assistant
- Cultivate and facilitate earned media exposure, issuing press releases and serving as the point of contact for media inquiries
- Maintain regular membership communications such as e-newsletters and event calendars, soliciting content from relevant members of the staff
- Work closely with the Chief of Staff & Director of Events to market the Webb Barn, Holcombe Education Center, and other rental spaces to individual and corporate renters
POSITION QUALIFICATIONS
- Bachelor’s degree
- Minimum of four years’ experience in nonprofit development roles, preferably within the arts and culture sector, with demonstrated success securing major gifts, sponsorships, grants, and/or membership growth
- Ability to authentically engage and inspire others, including an outstanding record of managing and strategizing relationships with institutional members, board members, and external stakeholders
- Demonstrated ability to ideate strategies for organizational growth
- Superior oral and written communication skills, and specifically an ability to craft concise and compelling messaging about the organization
- Commitment to the current principles and best practices of nonprofit development
- Proficiency in basic graphic design as befits day-to-day graphics needs
- A successful record of project management
- Exemplary organizational skills, attentiveness to detail, and sense of self-initiative
Desired Personal Attributes
- Entrepreneurial spirit with an ability to think strategically and develop short-and long-range goals
- Motivation to build a network of external relationships with supporters, peers, and media contacts
- Ability to thrive in a collaborative work setting, as well as to work efficiently and prioritize projects and tasks in a fast-paced environment
- Positive outlook and demeanor, as manifested in constructive relationships with colleagues and a donor-first approach
- Sensitivity to cultural differences and the ability to work effectively across diverse backgrounds and perspectives
- High degree of personal drive to succeed in this role and to improve the position of the organization
Workplace Requirements
- Ability to navigate stairs in historic structures without elevators
- Ability to stand for extended periods and move frequently between spaces
- Ability to work occasionally during evenings, weekends, and holidays where required for cultivation activities
- The standard WDS work week is 40 hours
- This is a full-time, exempt position
Compensation:
- $68,000–$74,000/year with potential to advance with successful performance
- Group medical plan with employer contribution
- Generous holiday, sick, and vacation pay
- Retirement savings plan with employer match
TO APPLY
Please send a current résumé and letter of interest briefly outlining your aptitude and past achievements to [email protected].
Pay: $68,000.00 - $74,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- 401(k)
- 401(k) matching
- Employee discount
- Flexible schedule
- Health insurance
- Paid time off
- Parental leave
- Retirement plan
People with a criminal record are encouraged to apply
Ability to Commute:
- Wethersfield, CT 06109 (Required)
Work Location: In person
