Job Description

SUMMARY

Reporting to the Chief Philanthropy Officer, the Deputy Chief Philanthropy Officer (Deputy CPO) is a key strategic leader and the second most senior position in the Exploratorium’s Institutional Advancement (IA) Department. The Deputy CPO is responsible for the overall strategy, planning, and execution of contributed revenue efforts, including annual giving, major gifts, planned giving, and special fundraising initiatives in IA.

As a highly skilled and experienced fundraising strategist, the Deputy CPO works closely with the Chief Philanthropy Officer, Executive Director, Board of Trustees, and staff leadership to strengthen and expand philanthropic support for the museum. The Deputy CPO leads a skilled team and ensures that the Exploratorium’s fundraising efforts are integrated, innovative, follow industry best practices, and are aligned with institutional priorities. 

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

The Deputy CPO collaborates with the Chief Philanthropy Officer to shape and implement the Exploratorium’s fundraising strategy, increasing overall philanthropic productivity and IA’s successful achievement of its goals. With specific emphasis on building a robust pipeline of qualified prospects following a relationship-based approach, the Deputy establishes and maintains the highest standards of portfolio management and Advancement practices, performance metrics, and mentorship to achieve a best-in-class fundraising program.  

Strategy & Planning

• Develop and implement comprehensive fundraising strategies to achieve annual, major and planned giving goals in accordance with organizational objectives and annual department plans.
• Establish measurable goals for identification, qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship activities.
• Analyze giving trends and donor data to refine approaches and forecast outcomes.

Collaboration & Leadership

• Build, grow, and lead a team of high performing development professionals, with responsibility for effectively managing portfolios of prospects and donors, to achieve aggressive fundraising goals.
• Train and mentor staff and volunteers on best practices for major and planned giving fundraising.
• Collaborates with programmatic, curatorial, and education staff to ensure fundraising strategies align with institutional priorities.

Donor Engagement

• Identify, qualify, cultivate, solicit, and steward a small portfolio of principal and major gift prospects.
• Partner with the CPO, Executive Director and Campaign Director on high-level donor engagement, including strategy for solicitations and gift negotiations.
• Serves as a visible ambassador for the Exploratorium at donor, community, and cultural events to broaden visibility and deepen relationships.

Planned Giving Oversight

• Oversee staff responsible for the development of a comprehensive planned giving program including marketing of planned giving opportunities (bequests, charitable trusts, life income gifts, etc.), prospecting, effective engagement of professional advisors, goal attainment, and stewardship.
• Provide guidance to staff and board members on planned giving strategies and donor conversations.
• Ensure legal, financial, and ethical standards are met in all planned giving activities.
• Ensures planned giving strategies are integrated into campaign fundraising efforts.

Reporting & Analysis

• Monitor and evaluate annual, major and planned giving performance against individual and team goals.
• Oversee accurate tracking of donor interactions, proposals, and gifts in the CRM system.
• Provide regular reports and insights to the CPO, Cabinet leadership, and the Board of Trustees.
• Partners with trustees to deepen philanthropic engagement and mobilize them as ambassadors and fundraisers.
• Advise on the construction of effective fundraising dashboards and reports.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Undergraduate degree required and at least seven to ten years of progressive fundraising experience, including three to five years managing development teams in a complex nonprofit, cultural, or educational institutions    
• Proven success in annual, major, and planned giving, with experience in multi-million-dollar comprehensive campaigns and/or special fundraising initiatives    
• Hands-on experience cultivating, soliciting and stewarding major donors, trustees, and prospects, including individuals, corporations, foundations, and government sources; skilled in proposal development and donor research    
• Ability to design and implement comprehensive fundraising strategies that align with institutional goals and engage senior leadership, board members, and volunteers    
• Experience presenting development programs to boards and mobilizing trustees and volunteers as active fundraisers; comfortable engaging high-net-worth individuals and philanthropic advisors    
• Strong leadership and team management skills, with ability to mentor, motivate, and supervise staff while managing multiple priorities
• Exceptional interpersonal, communication, and professional presence; able to build trust, and maintain strong relationships across diverse constituencies    
• Familiarity with legal and tax implications of charitable giving and nonprofit public/community environments. Proficiency in Microsoft Office and CRM/donor database systems (Salesforce experience strongly preferred).  Skilled at using data analytics to drive fundraising strategy and decision-making    
• Personal qualities include strategic thinking, initiative, flexibility, resilience, and      commitment to advancing the Exploratorium’s mission through philanthropy    

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENT

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Ability to work at a computer workstation for extended periods of time
• Ability to communicate effectively in person, by phone, and in writing
• Must be able to travel locally and occasionally regionally to attend donor meetings, events, and other business functions
• May occasionally be required to lift or move materials weighing up to 20 pounds (e.g., event supplies or presentation materials)
• Ability to work occasional evenings and weekends to support donor or institutional events

APPLICATION DEADLINE

This position is open until filled

HOW TO APPLY

This is a regular, full-time (37.5 hours per week), exempt non-union position that includes benefits. The salary range for this role is $190,000 to $197,000 DOE. Please, no phone calls in regards to this job. To apply, please visit the Exploratorium job page.

The Exploratorium is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and values diversity, inclusion and respect.  We welcome and strongly encourage applicants from all backgrounds. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment.

Exploratorium

Piers 15/17, San Francisco, CA 94111

Website: . No phone calls, please

The Exploratorium is committed to an inclusive workforce.

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