Director of Advancement

About Delaware Art Museum

For over 100 years, the Delaware Art Museum has served as a primary arts and cultural institution in Delaware. It is alive with experiences, discoveries, and activities to connect people with art and with each other.

Created in 1912 to honor the renowned illustrator and Wilmington native, Howard Pyle, the Museum’s collection has grown to over 13,000 works of art in our building and sculpture garden. Also recognized for British Pre-Raphaelite art, the Museum is home to the most comprehensive Pre-Raphaelite collection on display outside the United Kingdom, and a growing collection of significant contemporary art.

Drawing on its national leadership among mid-sized regional art museums and leadership position in the statewide arts community, the Delaware Art Museum will dramatically expand its impact to serve more people through a dual lens of art and experience over the next 3 – 5 years. As the Museum works to continually strengthen its organizational capacity and sustainability for the long term, its strategic activity will be built around a commitment to learning, engagement, and its visitors’ experience with art.

Position Summary

The Director of Advancement provides vision and strategic leadership for the Museum’s fundraising initiatives in support of advancing DelArt’s mission. The Director will also be responsible for overseeing the launch of a future comprehensive campaign. Working closely with the Executive Director, Board of Trustees, and staff, the Advancement team executes strategies to increase support from individuals, corporations, foundations, and government entities and plays a key role in identifying, cultivating, and soliciting major donors for current and planned gifts.

The Advancement team includes the following positions: Advancement Officer, Grants Manager, Membership Coordinator, Database Manager, and Database Assistant.

The Museum’s Marketing team, under separate supervision, will work closely with the Advancement team to expand, diversify, and deepen constituent engagement and to help convert visitors and event/studio class attendees to members and donors.

In addition, the Director will serve on DelArt’s Leadership team and advise on key institutional decisions across the Museum.

Key Responsibilities

Development

  • Responsible for meeting the goals of the Fund Development Plan, setting high-level strategy and metrics to achieve fundraising success across the institution, through close collaboration with the Executive Director and Trustees. The Plan, now in year three, exceeded its goals in the first two years. Working closely with the Advancement Officer, continue to grow Annual Fund to reach five-year Fund Development target.
  • In addition to maintaining their own portfolio of donors and prospects, the Director will work with the Executive Director to define and support their portfolio of top donors and prospects. Oversee Advancement Officer, who also maintains a portfolio.
  • Lead planning for a comprehensive campaign with an early 2026 launch. Collaborate with staff and Trustees to assess and address fundraising needs, including unrestricted Annual Fund gifts, project-specific restricted gifts, legacy gifts, and strategies to move donors into higher giving categories.
  • Work with the Leadership team on a variety of Museum-wide projects. With the Executive Director, identify and recruit members to serve on the Board of Trustees and volunteer committees to help advance the Fund Development Plan.
  • With support from the Advancement Officer, manage various functions including three fundraisers per year, Director’s Circle receptions, and cultivation and stewardship events.
  • Supervise the Grants Manager, assisting with grant strategy, prioritization, guidance for meetings with donors, and feedback on grant narratives. Assess opportunities and needs for further growth in grant income. Support Grants Manger in soliciting corporate sponsorships for a variety of Museum programs and exhibitions.
  • Collaborate with the Membership Coordinator on membership acquisition and retention strategies, including an annual membership campaign, to cultivate members into donors.

Communications & Marketing

  • Collaborate with the Marketing Manager on the creation and execution of communication strategies, materials, and programs to expand, diversify, and deepen constituent engagement and to help convert visitors and event/studio class attendees to members and donors. This includes:
  • Institutional messaging across all communications using marketing plans and strategies.
  • Design and execution of online and printed communications for fundraising and membership appeals, events, and the comprehensive campaign.
  • Craft development communications to cultivate prospects and steward current donors.
  • Ensure marketing strategy supports the Advancement team’s efforts to grow the membership and donor bases.

Special Skills and Qualifications

  • 6 years or more relevant experience.
  • Bachelor’s degree; advanced degree or relevant certifications preferred.
  • Proven track record of success in reaching and exceeding fundraising goals.
  • Demonstrated excellence in project management, organization, delegation, and prioritization skills.
  • Experience recruiting, mentoring, and retaining staff.
  • Excellent written and verbal skills.
  • Personal authenticity and the ability to develop relationships of trust and respect with staff and members of the DelArt community.
  • An interest in the visual and creative arts.
  • Embraces DelArt’s vision and mission.
  • Experience fundraising in Delaware, and a familiarity with the state’s institutional funders, including corporations and foundations.
  • A collegial attitude and sense of humor.

Compensation

Compensation for the Director of Advancement includes a competitive base salary commensurate with experience and an excellent package of employee benefits.

To Apply

The Delaware Art Museum has retained the services of ThinkingAhead Executive Search. Interested applicants should send a resume and statement of interest to Jonathan McIntosh at jmcintosh@thinkingahead.com.

Founded in 1912, the Delaware Art Museum has existed as an institution of both esteem and power. We acknowledge and do not shy away from our complicity in a legacy of exclusion. We are committed to changing the power structure, silence, and systems that have historically driven that exclusivity.

The Delaware Art Museum is inclusive, equitable, and welcoming. We are nimble and flexible in the face of change, endeavoring to always be of public value, and center community voices.

The Museum staff and board are committed to moving forward with a clear vision and values rooted in equal opportunity, co-creation, and respect in decision-making. Our deepest work is to be a community anchor. We lead with empathy, never forgetting our responsibility to listen, learn, and embrace all perspectives.

ThinkingAhead Executive Search is an Equal Opportunity Employer, committed to a work environment that supports, inspires, and respects all individuals. Personnel processes are merit-based and applied without discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, age, disability, national or ethnic ancestry, military service status, citizenship, or other protected characteristic. This applies to every aspect of employment including hiring, training, advancement, and termination. The firm is committed to creating a just culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion by practicing, within the company and the marketplace we serve, intentional strategies that serve marginalized individuals and groups.

Contact Information:

Jonathan McIntosh
Partner, ThinkingAhead Executive Search
T: 615-391-2650
E: jmcintosh@thinkingahead.com