VICE PRESIDENT OF Development
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is dedicated to the living and breathing global impact of rock & roll. We tell the story of the most powerful art form ever created and honor the artists who shaped modern culture, connecting icons like, Tina Turner, Beatles, David Bowie, U2, Tupac and Prince with today’s artists, from Queen Latifah and Taylor Swift to The Struts and Harry Styles. Each year we reach millions of fans around the globe through our Cleveland Museum, our digital platforms, and the Induction Ceremony. From our iconic I.M. Pei building on the shores of Lake Erie in Cleveland, OH we create unique blockbuster exhibitions like Saturday Night Live: 50 Years of Music, Revolutionary Women in Music and Paul McCartney: Man on the Run, host concerts and events year-round, and deliver a very strong educational, cultural and economic impact for Northeast Ohio. Our digital classroom Rockhall.edu reaches 1.5 million students globally each year, and our onsite education programs engage 20,000+ students annually. As a nonprofit educational institution, the Rock Hall depends on individuals, families, foundations, corporations, and public partners who believe in the power of music to engage, teach, and inspire. Our Development team recently closed a historic $175 million capital campaign that provided support for a major museum transformation including a 50,000-square-foot expansion, a dedicated student center, a new live music and event venue, and increased our main exhibition hall by 40%. The team is now leading an Encore Campaign to restore and preserve the historic I.M. Pei glass pyramid, transform the Main Exhibit Hall, and expand our museum campus for future growth opportunities.
The Vice President of Development will lead our next chapter to fully activate these new spaces and grow our long-term reserves. As a member of the senior leadership team and the Museum’s chief fundraiser, the VP sets the vision and oversees major gifts, the annual fund, membership, and stewardship. Reporting to the CEO, the VP of Development is supported by a team of four directors and works closely with the Museum Board. A passion for connecting others with the power of music and its cultural impact on our world is a must.
JOB RESPONSIBILITIES & DUTIES
Major Gift Fundraising
- Complete focused $30 million Encore Campaign to augment the recent successful Capital Campaign.
- Plan and execute an Endowment Campaign to bolster the Museum’s future.
- Work with the CEO to identify prospects at the $1 million to $10 million level, build a cultivation and solicitation plan for each, and personally solicit and close gifts.
- Expand planned giving by growing the pipeline, building outreach to professional advisors for client referrals, and including deferred gifts in campaign commitments where they fit a donor’s needs.
- Create naming and recognition opportunities and keep them current.
- Steward major campaign donors so they stay engaged after their gift.
Annual Fundraising
- Plan, carry out, and evaluate the annual fundraising program for individual, foundation, and corporate giving.
- Recommend annual goals, ensure income targets are met and expenses stay on budget.
- Grow giving at every level, from membership to major gifts, by cultivating and soliciting individuals, foundations, and corporations.
- Work with division directors on fundraising strategies and donor benefit packages, and with other departments to match funding opportunities to their program goals.
- Oversee staff that manage fundraising systems, donor records, and gift acknowledgment, and work with Finance to keep financial data aligned and policies followed.
Membership
- Work with the Director of Membership to set yearly goals for new members, renewals, and revenue, and help them grow the program from our current 13,000 member base.
- Bring in new members through campaigns with Marketing, onsite sales to visitors, and events tied to exhibits and Induction.
- Raise renewal rates and move members to higher levels, with an eye toward making the strongest prospects into future major donors.
- Make sure benefits, communications, and events keep members feeling valued, and review the benefits regularly so they stay worth the cost.
Fundraising Events and Induction Ceremony
- Lead fundraising for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony every three years, including sponsorship, table and ticket packages, and VIP hospitality.
- Work with other departments so that Induction fundraising, guest experience, and budgets align.
- Lead fundraising for non-Induction VIP and donor events throughout the year.
- Use these events to cultivate current and prospective major donors, sponsors, and Trustees, with follow-up plans after each one.
Government Relations
- Work with the Director of Foundations & Government Relations to set yearly federal, state, and local government priorities that support the museum’s strategic plan and annual fundraising goals.
- Actively engage with elected officials and agency leaders as needed.
- Sign off on grant compliance and reporting.
Board Relations and Support
- Oversee major gift cultivation and solicitation from Museum trustees, our most significant donor group.
- Involve Trustees in fundraising as fully as possible.
- Serve as staff lead to the Development Committee, Committee on Trustees, and other Board committees as needed.
- Oversee Board meeting logistics and committee participation, working with the Director of Board & Campaign Giving.
- Keep Trustees engaged throughout the year, including through the Annual Board Retreat.
- Help identify prospective Board members, with a focus on candidates with philanthropic capacity.
- Prepare and join the CEO, Board Chair, Trustees, and other volunteers on solicitation calls, and make major gift solicitations independently.
QUALIFICATIONS
Leadership & Emotional Intelligence
- Strategic thinker who considers the impact of decisions across the organization.
- Understands implicitly how to manage and work with different people and various working styles.
- Involves others in decision-making but comfortable leading; avoid impulsive decisions.
- Encourages teamwork; anticipates and removes obstacles to effective teamwork; seeks to resolve conflicts as they arise.
- Approaches others in a positive manner and build solid long-term relationships with key stakeholders inside and outside the organization.
- Inspires, motivates, and empowers team members through clear communication, direction, and leadership.
Education
- Bachelor’s degree. A master’s degree or law degree in related field or business is preferred.
Experience
- A minimum of ten years of work experience leading development and external relations teams at a nonprofit organization. Capital campaign experience and proven success with major gift fundraising.
Aptitude Requirements
- Cognitive:
- Analytical: Ability to apply principles of logical thinking to define problems, collect data, establish facts and draw valid conclusions.
- Communication: Ability to be conversant in Rock Hall rules and procedures. Ability to understand and carry out written or verbal instructions. Ability to answer inquiries from visitors, employees, and clients.
- Administrative: Ability to complete forms. Ability to pay attention to detail and accurately distinguish data. Ability to organize and prioritize various schedules, data and documents.
- Manual:
- Motor Coordination: Ability to make necessary movements in selecting, picking and depositing items.
- Finger Dexterity: Ability to pick, pinch or otherwise work with fingers to operate above equipment. Ability to pick up a variety of items and place them on shelves; to move knobs, buttons or switches.
- Manual Dexterity: Ability to seize, hold, grasp, turn or otherwise work with hands. Ability to shake, sort, fold or stack items; to place and retrieve items.
Working Conditions
- Environmental Parameters: Ability to work in a window-less office. Ability to work indoors and outdoors, in all types of weather conditions. Ability to work in crowds of people. Ability to work with loud house music.
- Physical Demands:
- Strength: Ability to lift/move items weighing up to 10 lbs. (approximately)
- Type: Express or exchange ideas by means of spoken word and to perceive nature of sounds. Ability to hear accurately to interact with the public and co-workers. Demonstrate clarity of vision; judge distance and space relationships; identify and distinguish colors. Ability to perform tasks concurrently. Work involves sitting most of the time but will involve walking or standing for brief periods of time.
Safety Hazards
- Minimal hazards. General office working conditions.
Employer’s Rights
This job description does not list all the duties of the position. You may be asked by supervisors or managers to perform other duties. You will be evaluated in part based upon your performance of the tasks listed in this job description. The employer has the right to revise this job description at any time. The job description is not a contract for employment, and either you or the employer may terminate employment at any time, for any reason.
Reports to: CEO
FLSA Status: Full Time-Exempt
Supervises: All Development and Membership Team Members
Skills Required
- Bachelor’s degree
- Master’s degree or law degree in a related field or business
- At least 10 years of experience leading development and external relations teams at a nonprofit organization
- Capital campaign experience
- Proven success with major gift fundraising
- Strategic leadership, collaboration, communication, relationship-building, and emotional intelligence
What We Do
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is a nonprofit museum and cultural institution dedicated to celebrating rock and roll and honoring the artists who shaped it. It preserves and interprets the genre’s history through a collection of more than 30,000 artifacts, immersive exhibitions, and a library and archives. The organization also provides arts and music education, supports emerging musicians, and hosts events and community programs.
