Selected Current Searches
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A partial list of in-process searches follows, along with a brief position description. If you wish to be considered, please contact the consultant listed via e-mail with a resume attached.

General inquiries should be sent via regular mail. If your background and experience are appropriate for our practice, we will include your information in our database, and will contact you in the future.

 
Responsibility
  CEO/Executive Directors
  Development & Advancement
  Program Professionals
  Operations and Finance

 

Clients
  Advocacy & Justice
  Arts, Media & Culture
  Education 
  Environment
  Foundations / Philanthropy
  Health & Medical
  Human Services
  International
  Think Tanks, Research & Associations

Please click on a particular search for a brief position description:

ALZHEIMER'S DRUG DISCOVERY FOUNDATION
Executive Vice President

COOPER-HEWITT, NATIONAL DESIGN MUSEUM
Director

CRYSTAL BRIDGES MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ART
Director

ELTON JOHN AIDS FOUNDATION
Grants and Development Manager

THE LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL & TRANSGENDER COMMUNITY CENTER

Executive Director

MUSEUM OF AMERICAN FINANCE

President and CEO

THE NATIONAL PARK FOUNDATION

President and Chief Executive Officer

NEW ENGLAND-BASED FOUNDATION

Senior Vice President, Grants

PENNSYLVANIA HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY
President and Chief Executive Officer

PHILADELPHIA ORCHESTRA ASSOCIATION
President

SEVENTH REGIMENT ARMORY CONSERVANCY
Chief Financial Officer and Vice President for Operations

SHALOM HARTMAN INSTITUTE
President, Shalom Harman Institute, North America

TAUBMAN MUSEUM OF ART
Director

 

 
Position Descriptions in Brief

 

ALZHEIMER'S DRUG DISCOVERY FOUNDATION (ADDF), New York, NY

Executive Vice President

The Executive Vice President will provide the leadership, management and coordination for all of ADDF’s fundraising, marketing, communications and public relations strategies.  Serving as a catalyst and doer, the EVP will lead a vigorous, coherent and well-planned development strategy that identifies major individual donors, enhances annual, planned and major gifts, and generates a broad level of foundation and corporate giving. 

Reporting to and working in close partnership with the Founder and Executive Director and with the Board Chair, the EVP will lead a highly committed development staff to achieve and implement ADDF’s ambitious fundraising goals.  Externally, the EVP will identify, cultivate and manage a portfolio of major donor relationships, marshalling the forces of the Executive Director, Chair and key Board members.  Internally, the individual will develop cogent fundraising plans and proactively manage prospect identification and research, ensure donor stewardship and create special events, working with appropriate staff. 

The EVP must have the contacts and credibility to identify and engage business leaders, corporate sponsors, individual donors and key stakeholders to support ADDF and raise its profile as the leader in Alzheimer’s drug research and education.

The ideal candidate will be entrepreneurial, ambitious and creative, and should have a connection to and substantive interest in Alzheimer’s disease.  The individual also will have:

  • Significant management experience developing and implementing successful fundraising, marketing and communications efforts in a sophisticated institution or organization that has a reputation for quality and excellence; proven experience partnering with management and Board members to achieve goals;
  • A successful track record of personally identifying, cultivating and soliciting donors; strong, direct experience with high net worth individuals with giving potential and the contacts and a record of success in developing corporate sponsors;
  • The self-confidence to work in partnership with a strong and highly respected Executive Director, Board Chair and Board members;
  • Demonstrated ability to work skillfully and quickly to gain the respect and support of various constituencies, including donors, important stakeholders, scientists, researchers and staff;
  • The skills to revise the organization’s systems and procedures so they are efficient and state-of-the-art, and the experience to ensure the staff is trained to use their capabilities to the fullest extent.

Please send nominations or applications, including all contact information, to the attention of Debra Oppenheim and Susan Meade at ADDF@PhillipsOppenheim.com     

 

For additional information about ADDF, visit their website at www.aging-institute.org.

 

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COOPER-HEWITT, NATIONAL DESIGN MUSEUM, New York, NY

Director

The Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum, Smithsonian Institution (www.cooperhewitt.org) is the nation’s museum devoted exclusively to historic and contemporary design.  Cooper-Hewitt programs and exhibitions demonstrate how design shapes culture and history – past, present and future.  The collection, which contains more than 200,000 historic and contemporary objects, is organized by four curatorial departments:  Drawings, Prints and Graphic Design; Product Design and Decorative Arts; Textiles; and Wallcoverings.  The Museum is also home to the National Design Library, containing 70,000 volumes including rare books and important archival material.  Founded in 1897 by Amy, Eleanor and Sarah Hewitt – granddaughters of industrialist Peter Cooper – the Museum has been a branch of the Smithsonian since 1967.  In its current home since 1976, the Cooper-Hewitt is housed in the historic Andrew Carnegie Mansion on Fifth Avenue’s Museum Mile at 2 East 91st Street, along with two adjacent town houses and a spectacular garden.  The Museum runs a highly respected Masters Program in the history of decorative arts and design.   

The Museum seeks a new Director who will:  establish the Cooper-Hewitt as the preeminent national design resource; enhance the Museum’s profile as one of the world’s two or three leading authorities on the role of design in everyday life; develop and present exhibitions – both real and virtual – that drive increased traffic to the Museum and its website, and make the Cooper-Hewitt a cultural “destination” for a growing number of visitors from the United States and abroad.

The successful candidate will have leadership experience in a museum or a design-related organization.  The candidate must exemplify a passion for design and demonstrate a broad knowledge coupled with expertise in his or her chosen field.  The Director must exude a sense of intellectual curiosity and be both willing and eager to share his or her knowledge and understanding with the staff, donors and other supporters of the Museum.  Ideally, the next Director will have had previous experience developing and implementing strategic initiatives within an organization and will have earned a reputation for effectiveness in partnering with a board of trustees.  The successful candidate should also demonstrate prowess in cultivating relationships with diverse constituencies and building public or private support for key initiatives.  He or she will be an articulate, dynamic and effective communicator and will embrace the opportunity to serve the Museum broadly as a local, national and international cultural ambassador.  Connections to a national and international network of design professionals who can be called upon to enhance programmatic excellence are a must. 

For a complete position description or to send nominations and applications (including a cover letter and résumé), please contact Sarah James and Becky Klein at CooperHewitt@PhillipsOppenheim.com.

 

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CRYSTAL BRIDGES MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ART, Bentonville, AR

Director

Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art (Crystal Bridges) is envisioned as a premier art institution with more than 100,000 square feet of programmable space including 37,000 square feet of galleries dedicated to American art and artists.

Working with the Founder and the Board, the Director will provide leadership of Crystal Bridges through strategic planning, organization and oversight of all Museum operations and initiatives.  In addition, the Director will possess the boundless energy, strategic sense and managerial leadership to fully realize this distinctive campus as a cultural destination of national prominence.  As chief spokesperson, he or she will represent the Museum’s interests to the public and enthusiastically embrace a leadership role in the arts and cultural community in the region, nationally and internationally.  Communicating regularly with the Founder and Trustees and working with an experienced, highly dedicated senior team, the Director will actively manage a complex building project and new museum opening before transitioning to leading the programs, outreach and exhibitions of a significant collection, vast site and multi-faceted operation.  Overseeing the management of the construction, full-time staff of currently 30 and projected staff of 75, and a projected operating budget of $10 million, the Director will be a confident individual with a proven track record of both collaboration and decisive leadership.  She or he will make certain that programming for Crystal Bridges meets standards of the highest quality, offering an exciting and accessible exhibition schedule that alternately captures the attention and support of scholars as well as untapped local audiences.  It is, therefore, understood that the Director will be a proactive communicator and collaborator, entrepreneurial in outlook, who grasps intuitively the importance of establishing and leveraging relationships with museum peers, as well as staff, volunteers and partners.  In collaboration with the Founder, the Trustees and the Chief Financial Officer, the Director is responsible for the overall financial health of Crystal Bridges, including annual and long-term plans and budgets, operating revenues, cultivating outside funding, and maximizing sources of earned income in order to finance operations in an efficient and cost-effective manner. 

The ideal candidate should have the following experience and qualifications:  master’s degree required and a degree in art history or related field preferred; an understanding of and commitment to American art and culture; knowledgeable of the art world and its key players, nationally and internationally; an ability to translate this into meaningful collaborations and exhibitions for Crystal Bridges; a track record successfully realizing a complex capital project, on time and on budget; an ability to embody rigorous standards of scholarship and curatorial excellence and to articulate and uphold the values of the institution, employing the highest ethics as they relate to all aspects of museum practice; senior-level executive experience in an art museum or related institution of size and complexity known for quality and excellence; a track record managing people, operations and budgets in a multi-faceted organization; competence and experience handling multiple revenue streams effectively; success in identifying earned income opportunities a plus; the capacity to develop and implement a strategic course for an institution that includes collections, acquisition and conservation, exhibition development, educational and public programs, and community outreach; skilled at building support for and implementing such a course while managing the change and growth that ensues; prior experience in the development of collaborative initiatives preferred; proven ability to build and nurture relationships with individuals with a broad range of perspectives regarding American art, including tourists, scholars, trustees, artists, patrons, and civic and community leaders; ease and experience successfully collaborating with patrons; demonstrated skill to serve as an effective ambassador for an institution, with outstanding public speaking and written communication skills; able to generate awareness, excitement and appreciation of an organization; a record of recruiting and mentoring exceptional professional talent.

Additional information about Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art may be found at www.crystalbridges.org.

For a complete position description or to submit an application or nominations, please contact Sarah James or Becky Klein at CrystalBridges@PhillipsOppenheim.com.

 

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ELTON JOHN AIDS FOUNDATION, New York, NY

Grants and Development Manager

The Elton John AIDS Foundation is a fundraising and grant-making organization in the HIV/AIDS field.  The Grants and Development Manager will handle a diverse set of responsibilities related to the Foundation’s development and grant-making efforts.  EJAF is a dynamic organization that accomplishes a great deal with a streamlined staff. Applicants should be energetic, tech savvy, willing to engage in a range of activities, and comfortable working in a small office setting.

Fundraising Responsibilities

  • Maintain positive relationships with EJAF donors through e-mail and phone communication.

  • Communicate with EJAF donors and prospects about fundraising events.

  • Work on all aspects of fundraising events:  strategizing, planning, management of guest lists, solicitation mailings, development of print materials.  All is done in collaboration with an event production firm.

  • Includes traveling to work on fundraising events.

  • Support all non-event fundraising efforts.

Grant-making Responsibilities

  • Coordinate all aspects of Foundation grant-making initiatives.

  • Communicate with EJAF grantees (via e-mail, phone and in-person meetings) to assess progress of funded projects.

  • Facilitate EJAF grants application process which occurs through an online process.  Design application and report materials and revise as necessary.

  • Evaluate grant applications with Executive Director and grant-making consultant to identify projects for Foundation support.

  • Synthesize and distribute application materials for EJAF Board review and voting.  Occurs three times each year.

  • Communicate EJAF’s grant-making priorities and achievement to prospective and current EJAF donors.

  • Attend conferences and meetings periodically to stay abreast of current HIV/AIDS issues.

Communications

  • Assist in the development of EJAF e-mail communications which are disseminated to Foundation’s list of supporters.

  • Work with website designer to develop content and ensure web content is current.

Board-Related Issues

  • Work with Executive Director to develop materials for EJAF’s annual Board meeting, and conference calls.  Topics reported on include: fundraising, grant making, communications and financial status.

Administrative Responsibilities

  • Assist Financial Administrator with preparation of materials for annual financial audit and filing of 990/tax return.

  • Review weekly expense/revenue reports for accuracy.  Maintain revenue and expense projections.

  • Work with Financial Administrator to maintain accuracy of donor-giving records, which are kept in an online database – DonorPerfect.

  • Review and approve invoices.

  • Provide general administrative support to Executive Director.

  • Booking travel for Foundation staff and others as necessary (air travel, hotels, itineraries, etc.).

Required Computer Skills

  • Fluency with all Microsoft Office applications.
  • Database proficiency.

To submit an application or nominations, please contact Paul Spivey at pspivey@phillipsoppenheim.com

 

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THE LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL & TRANSGENDER COMMUNITY CENTER

New York, NY

Executive Director

 

The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center (the Center) serves as the hub, some might say the heart, of the diverse lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community of New York City and surrounding areas.  Six thousand people reflecting the ethnic, geographic and socioeconomic diversity of New York City visit the Center each week.

The Executive Director will be a visionary leader and strategist who will both fully embrace the current mission of the Center and continue to strengthen it, understands the breadth and diversity of its programs, and appreciates the communities it serves.  S/he will provide the overall direction for the Center and its activities, finances and funding, and will ensure that programs and services maintain the highest level of quality, efficiency and cost-effectiveness while responding to the changing needs of the LGBT community in New York City and beyond, particularly focusing on those needs that the Center is uniquely positioned to address.  The Executive Director must be able to strategically manage the institution, delegate responsibility through a professional and highly committed senior staff, and assume ownership of the newly developed strategic plan.  Ultimately, the Executive Director will refine and shape the strategic plan, while also ensuring implementation of its programmatic, financial and marketing goals.

Spearheading the effort to continuously redefine the role and purpose of the Center in relation to the multifaceted and dynamically changing LGBT community, the Executive Director will be expected to effectively communicate that purpose to both internal and external stakeholders.   S/he will also serve as an inspiring and charismatic external presence and spokesperson who will strengthen and expand private and government funding, develop new and more diverse sources of revenue, raise the visibility of the Center, and serve as a leader and advocate for the LGBT community.  Reporting to the Board of Directors and working closely with the Board Executive Committee, the Executive Director will ensure that the Center is fiscally and administratively sound, and that its programs continue to be innovative, socially useful and meaningful enough to engage existing and new members, users and funders.  S/he will be expected to have a vision of the meaning of a community center in the 21st century that is compelling and pragmatic, visionary, and realistic.  S/he should have an understanding of the unique strengths of and challenges to the Center that distinguish it from other community organizations.  The Executive Director will ensure that the Center’s programming reflects its mission.  S/he will engender the trust and confidence of Board, staff and other stakeholders so that the organization and its programs and funding sources are enhanced and supported. 

The Executive Director should have the following experience and qualifications:  a record of success leading and shaping complex organizations, combined with a demonstrated commitment to the enhancement of a vital, inclusive LGBT community as defined in the broadest terms; proven leadership, managerial, problem solving and strategic planning capability, as well as commensurate fiscal responsibilities, preferably as an executive with a nonprofit organization or in the private or public sector, provided the individual has experience in the social service or social justice field; the ability to interact professionally with dedicated board and staff members of varied professions, backgrounds and perspectives; an understanding of setting and implementing organizational strategy, and managing through growth and change; a record of success as a dynamic fundraiser, with the ability to secure financial support from individuals, foundations, corporations and government sources, particularly in a climate of increasing constraints and fewer resources; the ability to harness financial resources by building effective relationships with potential donors; the ability to interact with ease with a wide range of community-based organizations representing the entire range of the LGBT community; a comfort level with a broad and diverse range of beliefs, experiences and personalities; the ability to listen carefully, as well as to cogently and respectfully articulate the mission of the Center in a variety of different milieus; experience in an organization that values and promotes diversity; an understanding of balancing effective programming with prudent budgeting and fiscal management; awareness of current and ongoing changes in the political landscape and the impact of change on the Center’s funding; an understanding of government grants and contracts; the ability to serve as an effective public advocate for all segments of the LGBT community, particularly with elected and other government officials; excellent communication skills, including proven public speaking ability for formal and extemporaneous presentations to a broad public.

For more information, please visit www.gaycenter.org.

For a complete position description or to submit an application or nominations, please contact Becky Klein and Susan Meade at TheCenter@PhillipsOppenheim.com.

 

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MUSEUM OF AMERICAN FINANCE, New York, NY

President and CEO 

Located in the heart of New York City’s financial district, the Museum of American Finance is the nation’s only independent public museum dedicated to celebrating the spirit of entrepreneurship and the democratic free market tradition which has shaped America and made New York City the financial capital of the world.  Founded in1988, the Museum opened a new 30,000-square-foot location at 48 Wall Street in January 2008 in the former headquarters of the Bank of New York.  For more information, please visit www.moaf.org.

The President of the Museum of American Finance will provide the leadership, vision, strategy and management necessary to enable the effective delivery of the organization’s exhibitions, programs and operations.  While managing the day-to-day internal operating responsibilities, the President will also create and implement plans to expand the Museum’s funding base, generating financial support from individuals, foundations and corporate sponsors and attracting new visitors to the Museum.  It is expected that the President will be a leader/manager who is adept at balancing internal management with external impact and visibility.  This person will:  advance the organization’s mission and creative direction while broadening exhibitions and programming to complement the new facility; organize and streamline internal operations and financial reporting; strengthen communications; and align program, exhibition, operational and educational objectives with budgetary and financial realities.  Externally, the individual will play a significant and active role in:  cultivating donors, marketing the organization and its programs, attracting new members, and generating new sources of revenue; building brand awareness; and generally increasing levels of private support and engagement.  As a proactive spokesperson for the Museum and its activities, the President will broadly reach out to the financial community and others in the field, articulating the value and benefits of Museum membership and engaging them in the organization’s activities.  In addition, the President will serve as a liaison between the Museum and the corporate sector, nonprofit organizations, and other cultural and educational institutions throughout New York City, the nation and beyond.  Reporting to the Board, the President will coalesce all stakeholders around a vision for the future and guide the Museum in accomplishing that vision.

The ideal candidate will have some basic knowledge of financial history past leaders and an understanding of the capital markets, as well as the following experience and qualifications: demonstrated senior-level management and leadership responsibility with a nonprofit organization or for-profit finance or finance-related business known for quality and excellence; experience in cultural institutions, while not required, is desirable; demonstrated skills to set strategic direction, seek and obtain buy-in from all constituencies, and the ability to implement that direction; success as a steward of responsible growth with a record of achievement in building institutions and bringing about change in exciting and creative ways; enthusiasm for fundraising and marketing with successful results in identifying, cultivating and soliciting major donors, increasing corporate sponsorship, and generating other sources of revenue; a commitment to presenting diverse, informative and thought-provoking programming that attracts and engages patrons; the skill, confidence and diplomacy to work effectively with an engaged and passionate board and dedicated staff, coupled with the experience to create and maintain constructive partnerships with a variety of constituents within the financial educational and commercial community near and far; experience working hands-on and collaboratively in an organization with limited resources.

For a complete position description or to submit an application or nominations, please contact Mark Tarnacki at MAF@PhillipsOppenheim.com.

 

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THE NATIONAL PARK FOUNDATION

President and Chief Executive Officer

 

THE POSITION AND BASIC QUALIFICATIONS

The President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) is appointed by and reports to the Board of the National Park Foundation (Foundation or NPF).  Within the Board’s direction, the CEO provides leadership, vision and strategic guidance, oversees the management of the day-to-day operations, works closely with non-Board partners, and is an active fundraiser.

The successful candidate will have had a prior appointment as a senior executive (e.g., CEO, COO, EVP) in a similarly-sized non-profit and/or in a volunteer Board leadership role, such as Chair or campaign leader, coupled with demonstrated business success.  Additionally, an ideal candidate will have a deep understanding of the charitable marketplace across individual, corporate, and institutional constituencies, a working knowledge of appropriate federal agencies, experience with grant making, and some background with multi-party relationships.  The candidate will be expected to come with existing relationships with current or high potential donors.   

 

EXPECTATIONS FOR THE FIRST YEAR

 

The CEO will be expected to engage regularly with any and all Directors.  Additionally, the CEO will need to learn quickly the programs, development strategy, and organizational design of the Foundation and to evaluate the effectiveness of each within the current environment. He/she will identify and implement several short-term tactics to replace events championed by the former honorary chair.  Further, the CEO will complete the launch of an eight- to ten-year $500 million to $1 billion comprehensive fundraising campaign.  During the first year, and in the context of a comprehensive campaign, the CEO will be expected to build on the framework in place for the First Bloom initiative as well as the programming and fundraising leading to the fall 2009 broadcast of America’s Best Idea, a Ken Burns production with the public broadcasting system.

The CEO will maintain/strengthen the relationships with primary NPF non-Board partners: philanthropic donors, cause-marketing partners, key Department of the Interior and National Park Service appointees and civil servants.  Although there is a support development staff in place, the CEO will be a chief fundraiser.

Within five months of hire, the CEO will present a comprehensive five-year business plan to the Board that addresses at least these key questions: a) appropriate degree of active grant making; b) pros, cons, and capacity for broader “accept and administer” activities; c) identification of and strategies for besting competitors/detractors; d) whether the “traditional” charitable giving breakdown by type is appropriate for the Foundation, etc.

 

OTHER KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

 

  • Understand the mission and recent business transformation:  Being the only national charitable partner for a federal agency has inherent and unique complexities and responsibilities.  The CEO will be the lead thinker and spokesperson for navigating them.
  • Understand the key stakeholders:  As both a fundraising and grant making organization, NPF works with several tiers of stakeholders and priorities. Some of these can be driven as much by the political and bureaucratic considerations for the Foundation’s DOI/NPS partners as by potential donors to the national park system.
  • Grow the real resources the Foundation provides to the national park system:  The CEO will explore new funding opportunities and needs, while working closely with the Board, senior development and marketing staff, and the NPS Partnership Office.
  • Continuously improve our internal operations:  The Foundation wants to continue its culture of entrepreneurial spirit, while simultaneously strengthening its processes and accountability.

 

EXPERIENCE, SKILLS, AND ATTRIBUTES OF THE SUCCESSFUL CANDIDATE

Experience and Skills

  • Minimum of 10 years proven P&L and executive leadership in a national or international organization(s) with at least $40 million in annual support.  Combination of private and charitable sectors preferred.
  • Prior Board leadership experience strongly preferred; required absent P&L experience as CEO, COO, or EVP.  Significant experience working with Boards is essential.
  • Proven fundraiser.
  • Demonstrated success as a relationship builder and collaborative problem solver; successful 360-degree relationships both within and external to an organization will be an advantage.
  • Ability to travel up to 25 percent and work non-traditional hours with the schedule driven by fundraising, governance and program needs.
  • Outstanding communicator.  NPF requires creative and articulate presentation skills.  Listening skills are just as important as speaking skills.

Attributes

 

  • Big Dreamer and Big Doer:  America’s national parks were and continue to be built because of someone or some group’s big dream.  The CEO will have big dreams for how NPF can continue to fund and implement its mission.  He/she will share a clear vision for the future yet know how to build from the ground up.
  • Chief Champion for the Mission:  Understand the big picture, know what is important to donors and what best serves the mission.
  • Collegial:  Share information and work cooperatively at all levels; give and earn respect; expertly navigate through challenges with a sense of fortitude, bringing out the best in others as you build trust and buy-in from both colleagues and donors alike.
  • Gravitas, persuasive and credible:  Earn colleagues respect for knowledge and the ability to communicate in a clear and defined manner.  Be sensible and sensitive to the needs and goals of others as well as known for leadership, poise, and diplomacy.
  • Flexible:  Be able to reprioritize to seize opportunities, yet remain focused resolutely on long-term priorities.

 

About the National Park Foundation

Our National Parks are living examples of the best America has to offer - our magnificent natural landscapes and a network of nearly 400 natural, cultural and recreational sites across the nation. The American system of national parks was the first of its kind in the world, and provides a model for other nations who want to establish their own protected areas. Parks provide recreational experiences, opportunities to learn and grow, and places of quiet refuge. 

For more than 100 years, private philanthropy has helped to improve, preserve, and protect America’s National Parks. For more than forty years, and without federal appropriations, the National Park Foundation (NPF) – chartered by Congress as the only national charitable partner of America’s National Parks – has sustained this legacy of private philanthropy.  The mission of the 35 dedicated employees of the National Park Foundation is to strengthen the connection between the American people and their National Parks by raising private funds, making strategic grants, creating innovative partnerships and increasing public awareness.  With an $8 million unrestricted operating budget and more than $60 million in total net assets, the Foundation supports the national park system through partnerships and direct grant making as well as a fiduciary “accept and administer” function for what approximates donor-directed activities.  Bylaws provide for total of 24 Board members, inclusive of the Secretary of the Interior and the Director of the National Park Service who serve ex officio.

For additional information on the organization, please visit www.nationalparks.org.

 

Please send nominations or applications, including all contact information, to Susan Gluck at

 NPF@PhillipsOppenheim.com

 

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NEW ENGLAND-BASED FOUNDATION

Senior Vice President, Grants

 

The Senior Vice President works closely with the President to provide vision and leadership to the grants program.  She/he leads and mentors the Foundation’s staff charged with development, management and evaluation of philanthropic investments as part of the $3 billion-plus international Foundation group.  In this role, the incumbent is responsible for overseeing all grant development strategy and budgeting/pipeline planning in specified markets and sectors.  Additionally, the incumbent will manage his/her own complex portfolio of grants.

Similar to the role of a venture capitalist, the Senior Vice President oversees and leads the development of grant opportunities for the Foundation through research, networking and collaboration with industry colleagues and through active, high-level coaching and negotiations with nonprofit executives and trustees.  The development and review of grant opportunities involves rigorous assessment and a due diligence process that requires a thorough understanding of nonprofit organizations:  their finances, structure, capabilities, and potential for success.

This position will report to the President and is expected to evolve over time.  The Senior Vice President eventually may have the opportunity to assume the presidency of the Foundation.  She/he will be responsible for helping to shape the Foundation’s strategy.  

The Senior Vice President will be a senior executive with a range of experiences and qualifications, including an advanced degree from a top-tier institution (MBA preferred).  In addition he/she should bring a combination of: 

  • Bachelor’s degree required; minimum of 15-plus years of business experience in a financial, business or consulting position with working familiarity of the nonprofit sector.  Specifically must have experience within a multi faceted business of a similar scope and size.  Global thinking and perspective essential.
  • Must have a demonstrated expertise and knowledge in one or more areas of focus for the Foundation (Arts and Culture, Community Development and Social Services, Health and Education), expertise in certain subject matters (Historical Societies, Gardens, Land Trusts, Private Libraries, etc.)
  • The ideal candidate can plan effectively, act decisively and is a results-oriented, proactive leader with strong organizational skills and team building competencies.  Excellent written and verbal communications skills and ability to work in a matrixed environment.  Ability to be flexible and to multi-task; remain cool under pressure.
  • Excellent interpersonal skills; capable of building and maintaining relationships with senior management and other key stakeholders.
  • Sound judgment, integrity, and respect for confidentiality are absolute requirements.
  • Must have proven analytical (both strategic and financial) capabilities in assessment and due diligence of grant opportunities.
  • Proven success managing large-scale, grant making projects.  Effective decision maker with attention to detail.  Hands-on as well as strategic with the ability to drive change and achieve business results.

Please send applications or nominations to Susan Meade at

SVPGrants@PhillipsOppenheim.com.

 

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PENNSYLVANIA HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY, Philadelphia, PA

President and Chief Executive Officer

Founded in 1827 by a group of gentleman farmers, botanists and other plant enthusiasts, The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS) is recognized as a national leader in the use of horticulture to improve the quality of life and create a sense of community.  Through the work of a group of dedicated and highly committed members, staff and volunteers, PHS is a unique and complex organization comprised of several distinct, yet interconnected functions:  the Philadelphia Flower Show, Philadelphia Green, Meadowbrook Farm, Education Programs and Member Services.  Critical to the organization’s ongoing success will be the continued delivery of high-quality, high-impact programs that engage its members, partners, funders, sponsors, civic officials, volunteers, Council, staff, exhibitors and the general public (“Stakeholders”) in furtherance of its mission. 

The President and CEO will be a leader who enthusiastically embraces the organization’s mission and harnesses the support of PHS Stakeholders to ensure that PHS remains the premier horticultural and greening organization serving Philadelphia and beyond.  In collaboration with a dedicated senior management team, the President will be responsible for managing a fiscally and administratively sound operation with programs that are effective, relevant, and innovative.

During a three-month transition period ending on or about March 31, 2010, the successful candidate will be expected to:

  • Thoroughly know PHS – its history, mission, Stakeholders, programs, operations, and culture; and understand the organization’s finances, sources of support, and its potential;

  • Forge a strong relationship with the current President, Jane Pepper.

The President, who reports to the Council, will be expected to preserve and further PHS’s rich history and mission and will:

  • Establish a strong working partnership with the Council and its committees; gain their trust and confidence and develop relationships that will reinforce their sense of purpose and bring forth their best ideas and efforts to support program and fundraising efforts; engage the Council more fully and encourage its active participation as advisor and stakeholder; and help set the agenda and facilitate Council meetings;

  • Champion PHS’s new branding effort to align the Flower Show, Philadelphia Green, Meadowbrook Farm, Education Programs and Member Services both internally and to the public;

  • Navigate the current economic landscape and, working closely with staff, direct PHS in a fiscally responsible manner; align program and operational objectives with budgetary and financial realities and communicate an accurate and clear fiscal picture throughout the organization; and create short-term and long-range business plans that capitalize on the organization’s untapped potential;

  • Lead, motivate and inspire a strong and committed professional staff, understand its strengths and concerns, and encourage each staff member’s professional growth; listen to staff and harness its energy; and ensure a collegial working environment that will enable the staff to function productively and effectively as a whole and engage in cross-departmental collaborations;  

  • Work with the staff and play an active role in developing a broader and sustainable funding base for PHS, generating new individual and institutional donors and other sources of revenue, including grants; and ensure that systems are in place to support all fundraising efforts, including appropriate donor stewardship;

  • Understand that the Flower Show is a critical source of revenue and public awareness, and create strategies that increase attendance and membership engagement; work with staff and volunteers to ensure a dynamic and high-quality event while running the Show in a fiscally responsible manner; and find ways to keep the Show fresh and exciting to attract and retain a wide range of exhibitors and sponsors;

  • Ensure that Philadelphia Green continues to evolve and respond to community needs, and foster regional and national expansion as resources permit.  Build and leverage PHS’s extensive education programs to reach ever-widening audiences; and tighten the link between horticulture and sustainable environmental practices;

  • Serve as a credible and compelling spokesperson for PHS; work with the marketing staff to create a plan for internal and external communications that increase PHS’s visibility and effectively convey a unified sense of the organization’s mission, activities, importance and connection to its constituents; and encourage public interest in horticulture and green space initiatives and an awareness of PHS’s programmatic offerings;

  • Get to know, and become involved in, the Greater Philadelphia Region and take on a leadership role in the horticulture and green-space communities, especially in neighborhood revitalization and economic development; and actively cultivate supportive relationships with PHS’s broad constituency.

The successful candidate should have the following experience and qualifications:

  • Proven leadership experience as an executive with a multi-faceted nonprofit cultural, educational or governmental institution, or the like; alternatively, the individual could have corporate experience, provided that he/she has served on nonprofit boards and been actively involved in fundraising;

  • Ardent gardener with some knowledge of horticulture; a commitment to PHS’s transformational work through community-based greening programs; must be willing to get his or her hands in the dirt and be able to engender quickly a level of credibility with PHS Stakeholders; and must move with ease and confidence from the corporate boardroom to city government to gardeners;

  • A proven track record in sound financial planning and vigorous fundraising, particularly in major gifts, with strong abilities in donor cultivation and solicitation, board relations, foundation and government solicitation, and other development strategies;

  • Demonstrable success as a steward of responsible growth and strategic planning with a record of achievement in building institutions and bringing about change in exciting and creative ways;

  • Ability to build and maintain productive relationships between PHS and its Stakeholders;

  • A track record of communicating effectively, in writing and orally, including excellent public speaking skills for formal and extemporaneous presentations and the ability to represent PHS to a broad public.

For additional information about the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, please visit www.pennsylvaniahorticulturalsociety.org.

Please send applications and nominations to Becky Klein and Mark Tarnacki at PHS@phillipsoppenheim.com.

 

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PHILADELPHIA ORCHESTRA ASSOCIATION, Philadelphia, PA

President

The President will report to and communicate regularly with the Chairman and the Board of Directors.  Working with the senior staff, the President will develop, articulate and implement a strategic long-term vision and business plan designed to further support the POA’s artistic excellence, while building new audiences and generating new sources of revenue critical to the organization’s future.  The President will oversee development of electronic media initiatives to expand the Orchestra’s reach and impact while driving revenue and audience development.  The President is further charged with ensuring clear and timely communication among the Board, musicians, staff and volunteers based upon accurate and transparent information.  The President will oversee the administrative staff and is responsible for the management of all departments within the POA, including the development activities of staff and volunteers.  The senior management team, which includes the Vice President of Marketing and Public Relations, Vice President of Government and Community Affairs, Vice President of Development and Board Relations, Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Vice President and Orchestra General Manager, and Vice President of Artistic Planning, reports to the President.  The President is expected to directly participate in fundraising, marketing and communications efforts and to represent the POA and its dealings with all government entities.  The President will play a significant and active role in cultivating donors, marketing the organization and its programs, building awareness, attracting new audiences and generally increasing levels of private support and engagement.  The individual will also act as an advocate and spokesperson for the POA in the region, the nation and the world.

With the finance committees of the Board and the Chief Financial Officer, the President will ensure the financial wellbeing of the organization, including formulating, implementing and monitoring annual and long-term financial plans and budgets.  In addition, the President will preserve and enhance the rich history and reputation of The Philadelphia Orchestra while maintaining the highest degree of financial stability and growth.  It is incumbent upon the President to foster a strong and collaborative relationship with the current Chief Conductor and Artistic Adviser (CCAA) and the future Music Director.  In collaboration with the Artistic Leadership, the President will also manage the organization’s relationship with its musicians.  He/she will partner with the CCAA or Music Director, musicians, Board members and administrative staff to create, articulate and implement the POA’s vision for its artistic future and to communicate the vision to the public.  The President will ensure that the requisite funds are available to support and implement a continued level of artistic, programmatic and educational excellence.

 

The ideal candidate will have senior-level management and leadership responsibility with a symphony orchestra known for artistic quality and organizational excellence (or with a similar complex performing arts entity), or as a professional or volunteer leader with a significant business portfolio; must have an informed passion for symphonic music; demonstrated skills to envision and set strategic direction, create and implement short-term and long-range business plans, and seek and obtain buy-in from all constituencies; strong financial management, business acumen and analysis skills combined with a record of success in directing people, operations and budgets for an institution of significant size and scope, including, ideally, having successfully worked with musicians, conductors, or other artists; enthusiasm for and a commitment to fundraising, with measurable and successful results in identifying, cultivating and soliciting major donors and generating other sources of revenue; demonstrated ability to motivate and build coalitions among diverse stakeholders, including Board members, volunteers, staff, patrons and supporters, and musicians; a solid understanding of new media, marketing techniques and the use of emerging technologies to communicate with and build new audiences, and bring projects to fulfillment; a track record as an effective communicator; the presence and credibility to serve as an effective and enthusiastic spokesperson for the POA with outside communities, the media, governmental authorities, supporters and donors; a strong commitment to deepening the Orchestra’s roots and enlarging its contribution to the life of Philadelphia and the surrounding region, while having global presence, credibility and respect.

For additional information on the Philadelphia Orchestra Association, please visit www.philorch.org.

Please send applications or nominations to Debra Oppenheim or Becky Klein at:

Phillips Oppenheim

521 Fifth Avenue

29th Floor

New York, NY 10175

POA@PhillipsOppenheim.com

 

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SEVENTH REGIMENT ARMORY CONSERVANCY, New York, NY

Chief Financial Officer and Vice President for Operations

The Chief Financial Officer will provide hands-on leadership and management for the organization’s underlying business and financial policies and strategies, and oversight for operations, systems and controls, and administrative practices and procedures.  The individual will translate the President’s vision and strategies into action plans, efficient procedures and sound policies that realistically support the upcoming restoration project as well as the programmatic demands of the Seventh Regiment Armory – current and future.  Taking ownership of the Armory’s operating and capital budgets, the CFO will become immediately familiar with earned income streams, funding mechanisms and program resource allocations.  The individual will work with the President and all stakeholders to ensure that costs and revenue projections related to the restoration project, visual and performing arts productions, including commissions, the capital campaign and rental-derived programming, i.e. Art and Antiques Shows, align with the financial realities and priorities of the Armory.  Directing a staff of 11, the CFO will oversee finance, operations, technology and human resources day-to-day.  The individual will provide oversight for rental management, box office and other front of house activities, as well as facilities management and capital projects.  The CFO must gain the trust and confidence of the President and the Board, and its committees, serving as their partner and advisor.  The individual must therefore be a broad gauged manager who understands the implications of and has used financial information and analysis to drive sound business decisions for a multi-faceted landmark institution about to undergo vast change.

The Chief Financial Officer should have the following experience and qualifications:  proven senior-level leadership, management and problem solving experience, having dealt with a variety of financial and business issues required to support a complex performing arts, cultural or similar institution or organization; prior experience as a chief financial officer, chief administrative officer or equivalent is desirable; a record of success as a hands-on change agent managing integrated financial, administrative, technology, and human resource systems and procedures; demonstrated ability to work in partnership with a strong president, an experienced, results-oriented senior staff and a board of diverse and creative professional, business and community leaders; forecasting and budgeting oversight, particularly for a facility undergoing renovation and/or restoration, complemented by an understanding of the legal aspects of construction and building; recognized expertise in managing finance, business planning and strategy, administration, and nonprofit accounting, with knowledge of box office operations and controls; ability to successfully integrate financial and information systems in support of a complex operation; significant experience utilizing a variety of financial software packages is desirable; knowledge of information systems and technology, as well as comfort with multiple transactions and rapidly changing circumstances; familiarity with grants, contracts, cooperative agreements or other funding mechanisms; someone who understands city and state funding protocols; an effective, articulate and persuasive communicator, verbally and in writing, who can speak finance in simple and accurate terms; and an MBA/CPA is preferred, ideally with experience in nonprofit financial management.

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Applications should be sent in confidence to Mark Tarnacki at SRAC@PhillipsOppenheim.com.

 

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SHALOM HARTMAN INSTITUTE, New York, NY

President, Shalom Hartman Institute, North America

The Shalom Hartman Institute (SHI) was founded in the 1970’s in Jerusalem by Rabbi David Hartman to be a place where Judaic studies scholars would address the critical contemporary challenges facing the Jewish people.  Today, the Institute, led by Rabbi Donniel Hartman, is a pluralistic research and leadership institute at the forefront of Jewish thought and education globally.  Headquartered in Jerusalem, SHI empowers scholars, rabbis, educators and lay leaders from Israel and around the world to develop new and diverse voices within the tradition, laying foundations for the future of Jewish life.

The President will create, shape and execute a primary agenda to increase SHI’s visibility and effectiveness in North America and enhance, through exciting education programs, the organization’s capacity and presence.  Providing the overall leadership, direction, strategy and vision, the President will:  think through the needs and challenges of the contemporary Jewish world in North America and formulate, with the CEO and Board, a plan of action that furthers SHI’s mission and engages and energizes a broad spectrum of the modern Jewish community in Hartman programs; implement the organization’s plans, goals, objectives and priorities and establish a mechanism to measure outcomes and achievements; articulate a cohesive vision, and focus activities on external relations and communications, engaging educators, lay leaders, scholars and broad-based thinkers, and serving as a spokesperson, fundraiser, thought leader and representative of SHI’s purpose, values and mission; hire appropriate staff, especially an operating executive to manage day-to-day activities and direct realistic and smoothly running operations.

The President will report to the CEO in Jerusalem and the Chair and Board in North America.

The President will be or have the following experience and qualifications:  a clear commitment to SHI’s mission, with the ability to express a vision, create and implement programmatic strategies, and excite broad publics; proven senior-level leadership and management experience as an organization builder in the not-for-profit, public or private sectors, preferably with great credibility in Jewish education, scholarship, and religious and communal life; a skilled negotiator and deal-maker able to develop positive alliances with other education service providers, with organizations and community members that form the logical student base for SHI programs, and with funders of education programs; a record of success in attracting financial support from various constituencies; a comfort level with fundraising and personally interacting with and cultivating donors; outstanding oral and written communication skills, including the means to exhibit thought and leadership on issues of concern to Jewish intellectual life; ability to address topics in pluralistic, non-polarizing ways, but nevertheless with determination; a history of excellent public speaking skills for formal or extemporaneous presentations; an understanding of finance in terms of forecasting, budgeting and the like; a history of developing operating plans and budgets, and achieving positive results; a knowledge of the role that branding, marketing and communications play in developing education constituencies; a solid understanding of technology and the use of diverse educational modalities, including education through lectures, workshops, hands-on learning demonstrations, distance learning programs provided through the Internet and via broadcast and multimedia mechanisms; a demonstrated ability to work effectively with representatives, advocates and professionals with different backgrounds and from various Jewish and non-Jewish communities.

For a complete position description or to submit an application or nominations, please e-mail SHI@PhillipsOppenheim.com.

 

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TAUBMAN MUSEUM OF ART, Roanoke, VA

Director

The Taubman Museum of Art began in 1947 as an offshoot of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, with an exhibition in the region’s historic Hotel Roanoke.  In 1951, this “Roanoke Fine Arts Center” was incorporated as an independent organization and in 1980, was renamed the Roanoke Museum of Fine Arts before moving to downtown’s Center in the Square in 1983.  Renamed again in 1992, the Art Museum of Western Virginia, the Museum underwent its most ambitious rebirth in November 2008 as The Taubman Museum of Art (“The Taubman”) in a central new 81,000-square-foot “green” state-of-the-art facility designed by renowned architect, Randall Stout.  As picturesque downtown Roanoke’s most contemporary structure, The Taubman proves an arresting analog for the city’s successful and ongoing evolution from industrial and manufacturing town to technology- and healthcare-driven city.  The building’s forms and materials evoke the surrounding mountainous landscape of the Shenandoah Valley and the industrial-era building culture of the great early 20th century railroad boom when Roanoke came to prominence as a switch-point city of the new South. The $68 million facility has approximately 16,000 square feet of permanent and temporary gallery space, an education center that provides innovative and exemplary state curriculum-aligned education initiatives to enhance and improve K-12 and higher education programs in the region, a theatre space, café, store and administrative offices.

The Director will provide the vision, strategic leadership and management expertise for the Museum.  Working in close partnership with the staff and the Board, he or she will define the scope and direction of exhibitions and programming and shape the curatorial vision and collection of the Museum moving forward.  The Director will ensure the Museum continues to provide compelling and innovative educational programming, public events and scholarly research to attract the broadest audience.  Through these activities, along with expansive local and regional marketing and public relations strategies, the Director will take advantage of the groundswell of interest in the new building and raise the public profile of the Museum locally, regionally and nationally.

The Director will play a central role in fundraising and will work closely with the leadership of the Board of Trustees to secure the resources needed to support the ongoing operations, as well as the development of new initiatives.  This person will also be responsible for the overall financial condition of the Museum, including annual and long-term plans and budgets, building an endowment, securing additional annual funding and maximizing sources of earned income.

It is expected that the Director will be an inspiring leader and able administrator who will be expected to know The Taubman thoroughly, the collection, history, culture and programs, finances, operations and constituents; understand the city of Roanoke, the Museum’s base and potential of support; forge a strong working relationship with the Board and its leadership; understand their strengths and capabilities and bring forth its best ideas, efforts, resources and contacts; assess all current fundraising activities and determine short-term and long-term fundraising needs in the context of the Museum’s strategic goals; proactively cultivate high-level donors and potential individual, corporate, government and foundation supporters; develop compelling ways to promote the Museum’s activities to its member base and increase the appeal of the Museum to new members; evaluate the Museum’s curatorial direction and provide a strategy for future exhibitions, programs and outreach; ensure the integration of exhibition and education objectives; introduce new ideas, host traveling exhibitions and partner with peer museums to program new ones; advance The Taubman’s educational and community outreach; explore opportunities to enhance the research and programmatic capacity of the Fralin Center; continue to encourage technological advances and innovative initiatives; motivate the staff; understand their experience, strengths and concerns; create an atmosphere that rewards initiative, as well as cross-departmental collaboration; be an articulate spokesperson and champion for The Taubman, reaching out to peer institutions and potential partners nationally; become an active and visible participant in Roanoke’s civic life and culture.

The ideal candidate should have proven ability to raise funds and identify, cultivate and solicit major donors and other sources of revenue and acquisitions; previous experience conducting an endowment campaign would be a plus; credibility in the museum field; a successful record in the planning and administration of museum programs, such as collections management, exhibition development, designing public and school programs, and community outreach; demonstrated capability for working relationships with arts leaders nationally and internationally; familiarity with current technologies and trends in museum interpretation; a background, knowledge and commitment to the visual arts, preferably 19th and 20th century American and contemporary art, coupled with a commitment to arts education, new exhibitions and programs; a track record of generating awareness, excitement and appreciation of an organization or program; budget oversight; outstanding verbal and written communication skills.

For additional information on The Taubman, please visit www.taubmanmuseum.org.

Nominations and expressions of interest in this opportunity should be submitted to the attention of Sarah James and Mark J. Tarnacki via email to Taubman@PhillipsOppenheim.com

 

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