THE OPPORTUNITY

The Aga Khan Museum is seeking a Director of Development to provide strategic fundraising leadership and operational expertise to the Museum’s development activities.  This is an exceptional opportunity for a dynamic and seasoned fundraising professional to increase donor support for this unique cultural institution dedicated to sharing the artistic, intellectual, and scientific contributions that Muslim civilizations have made to world heritage.

Reporting to the Director & CEO and serving as a member of the senior leadership team, the Director will work closely with Museum colleagues and Board members as well as senior volunteers and peers from across the Aga Khan Development Network.  The Director of Development will be the Museum’s chief development officer and will be accountable for an annual fundraising target of $6.5 million in 2016, growing to at least $10 million per year within five years.  Leading a team of nine development staff and supported by dedicated volunteers, the Director of Development will oversee the management and cultivation of donors and sponsors, grant applications, donor events, the Museum’s membership program, and an endowment campaign.

Our donors and 13,000+ members come from across the country and around the world. Candidates must therefore be willing to travel locally, nationally, and internationally.

ABOUT THE AGA KHAN MUSEUM

Opened in September 2014, the Aga Khan Museum in Toronto, Canada offers visitors a window into worlds unknown or unfamiliar: the artistic, intellectual, and scientific heritage of Muslim civilizations across the centuries from the Iberian Peninsula to China.  Our mission is to foster a greater understanding and appreciation of the contribution that Muslim civilizations have made to world heritage, and to connect cultures through art.

Honouring the spirit of collaboration upon which the Museum is built, the Aga Khan Museum is deeply committed to both forging relationships with Canadian institutions and communities, and to preserving an international mandate.  It maintains strong global ties with such institutions as the Musée du Louvre in Paris, the State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, and the Museum of Islamic Art in Doha, Qatar.

As a vibrant educational institution, the Museum encourages the full spectrum of public engagement with its exhibitions, live arts programming, and diverse Permanent Collection of more than 1,000 objects dating from the 8th to the 21st centuries.

Current exhibitions at the Aga Khan Museum include Abbas Kiarostami: Doors Without Keys, the work of acclaimed photographer, poet, and filmmaker Abbas Kiarostami and A City Transformed: Images of Istanbul Then and Now.  Recent exhibitions include Home Ground: Contemporary Art from the Barjeel Art Foundation, which showcased 12 Arab artists exploring themes of identity and belonging, and A Thirst for Riches: Carpets from the East in Paintings from the West, which paired 17th-century Dutch and Flemish paintings with Eastern textiles from the same period.  Innovative performing arts programs promote creativity and the sharing of ideas, enabling artists to inspire audiences through Showcase Performances, classes and workshops, films, panel discussions, lectures, as well as public jam sessions.

The Aga Khan Museum is part of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN).  Founded and chaired by His Highness the Aga Khan, AKDN is a private, international, non-denominational development organization that works to improve living conditions and opportunities for people in the developing world.  His Highness is the 49th hereditary Imam (Spiritual Leader) of the Shia Ismaili Muslims, and has received honourary citizenship from Canada.

DEVELOPMENT AT THE AGA KHAN MUSEUM

In addition to revenue from memberships, admissions and commercial activities, the Aga Khan Museum relies on the generosity of donors to sustain its vision of building bridges between cultures through the arts.  This support helps to promote the understanding and appreciation of the beauty of the arts of Muslim civilizations and knowledge of their contributions to world heritage.

Donations from individuals, corporate support, and government and foundation grants directly support the activities of the Aga Khan Museum, necessary to maintain our exceptional Permanent Collection and sustain its roster of exhibitions, education programs, performances, and events.

Fundraising is critical to the establishment and growth of the Museum. Our target is for fundraising to contribute at least 50% of the total revenue.

IDEAL CANDIDATE

Driven and results-oriented, the new Director of Development will be a seasoned fundraising professional with a breadth of development experience and a global perspective in fundraising.  This experience will include demonstrated success in the personal solicitation of major donors, and in engaging and leveraging senior volunteers in major gift fundraising. 

The ideal candidate will possess strategic ingenuity, and will excel at providing strategic direction, managing fundraising operations, and developing and leveraging relationships.  With an entrepreneurial spirit and creative mindset, combined with operational excellence and sound business judgement, the new Director of Development will be expected to elevate the Museum’s fundraising activities.

Energetic and optimistic, the successful candidate will be an inspiring role model, motivating others to new heights of achievement.  The new incumbent will establish clear goals, and understand the tactics and processes needed to achieve them.  Skilled at leading teams by harnessing their strengths and addressing individuals’ needs, the new incumbent will foster teamwork through encouragement, delegation, and collaboration.  The Director of Development will engender confidence in, and enthusiasm for, the fundraising team’s efforts by demonstrating exceptional results.

The new Director of Development will combine a quiet confidence, outgoing personality, and sense of humour in the meaningful engagement of diverse stakeholders.  Articulate and passionate, the Director of Development will inspire both their staff and volunteers, and attract others to support our mission.  As a skilled enabler of volunteers, the Director of Development will support our Board members and volunteers, locally and internationally, to maximize their passion, time, and connections most effectively. 

Self-directed and disciplined, the new incumbent will thrive working independently while being a contributing team member.  Highly organized and pragmatic, the Director of Development will have demonstrated competency in respectfully managing expectations, focusing on priorities and tactically utilizing organizational resources.  The Director must be a flexible multi-tasker who is comfortable with ambiguity, and who will put systems and processes in place to ensure that our Development operations run effectively and efficiently.  The ideal candidate’s exceptional communications skills will be demonstrated by listening, seeking input, and evaluating information.

The successful candidate will be effective at leveraging the Museum’s global connections to increase and broaden support for the Museum.  The Director of Development will possess a strong understanding of the philanthropic landscape in the Greater Toronto Area, and will have knowledge of and insight regarding the charitable environment across Canada.  As well, the ideal candidate will understand the unique nuances and perspectives of various cultures and expand support for the Museum through outreach and engagement with multiple communities.   

KEY AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY

Strategic Leadership

The Director of Development will be tasked with providing strategic leadership for all fundraising activities on behalf of the Museum.  To achieve this goal, the Director of Development will:

• Provide direction for the development and execution of a fundraising strategy over five-year and ten-year horizons with monthly and annual targets for the first five years as a first priority.
• Provide leadership to position the organization and the Development team, and marshal the resources necessary to achieve the key goals and objectives of the fundraising strategy and fundraising targets.
• Assess current priorities, workload, and resources, and establish an action plan ensuring that immediate needs are met while longer-term strategies, plans and actions are developed
• Establish and leverage effective relationships with the senior management team and with their staff to ensure a proactive engagement in the programmatic agenda that facilitates effective development and fundraising closely aligned with the programmatic agenda.
• Report on fundraising progress and fundraising activities to the Director & CEO, the Development & Fundraising Committee and the Board.
• Manage the creation and set the agendas of fundraising advisory committees and the Development & Fundraising Committee.
• Work with the Director & CEO and other members of the Leadership Team to implement and monitor strategic goals, policies, and processes to ensure the Museum meets its stated mission.

Fundraising Related Activities

The Museum has established a $6.5 million fundraising revenue target for 2016, growing to at least $10 million a year within 5 years.  In addition to this, the planning and implementation of a multi-year endowment campaign is one of the key deliverables of the position.  The fundraising strategy will focus activities on fundraising against programmatic and operational expenditures as well as on object acquisitions.  To achieve this goal, the Director will:

• Foster and enhance relationships with various new and potential supporters.
• Identify potential funders, initiate contact, and conduct presentations.
• Lead the stewardship of existing donors and members and ensure that there is timely and effective communication and interaction with them.
• Lead all revenue generation activities ranging from philanthropic donations, to object acquisitions and sponsoring opportunities, specifically with the following groups:

Individuals:

• Lead activities with individual donors on a broad range of funding opportunities.
• Implement the donor recognition policy with emphasis on stewardship and donor engagement, including hosting a number of special events each year.
• Identify private and commercial donors toward capital requirement, and other institutional priorities.

Membership:

• Maintain ongoing contact with and grow the museum membership program by developing members and memberships at all levels, and ensure effective stewardship, loyalty, and engagement of the large membership base of the Museum.
• Target and pursue diversity in new members to ensure a balance in the membership demographics.

Endowment Giving:

• Develop and execute a multi-year $125 million endowment campaign to provide a sustainable base of recurrent revenues for the longer-term funding requirements of the museum.
• Manage endowment contracts, agreements, and fulfillment plans and ensure all stakeholder requirements are met.

Grants:

• Establish a firm base of government and foundation grant applications, aimed at raising $1 million or more each year.
• Manage grant agreements and fulfillment plans and ensure that all stakeholder requirements are met.

Corporate and Other Sponsorship:

• Secure sponsorships to cover the direct costs of the programmatic agenda for temporary exhibitions, performing arts, education & scholarly programs and Free Wednesdays program, ensuring effective collaboration with these departments.
• Manage sponsorship contracts, agreements, and fulfillment plans and ensure that all marketing benefits are met.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

• Significant experience at planning and executing major fundraising and special events at a senior level, preferably in the arts and/or not-for-profit sector.
• An excellent network of sector professionals and potential donors and sponsors.
• Fully conversant with CRA requirements as they apply to registered charities re: fundraising.
• Demonstrable experience in planning and executing successful fundraising campaigns.
• Considerable experience in working with senior volunteers and major donors.
• Proven experience in sponsorship, service delivery, and marketing in the private and commercial sectors.
• Experience with government and foundation granting procedures as well as individual giving and membership campaigns.
• Exceptional interpersonal and relationship management skills, including the ability to develop effective partnerships, to negotiate, to persuade, and to close.
• Entrepreneurial spirit and creative mindset, combined with operational excellence and sound business judgement.
• Excellent writing and presentation skills.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively to a wide range of audiences.
• Exceptional communication skills, oral and written.
• Proven ability to lead, motivate, and manage staff and volunteers.
• Ability to manage multiple deadlines and to work well under tight timelines or changes in priorities.
• Experience working with a fundraising database, preferably Tessitura. 
• Strong work ethic, and professional and personal integrity.
• Goal-directed, results-oriented.
• Passionate about the education of cultural heritage with expressed interest in the mandate of the Museum.
• An affinity with the underlining goals and philosophy of the Aga Khan Development Network.
• Ability to travel nationally and internationally.
• A university degree is required for this position.
• CFRE designation preferred but is not essential for this role.
• Candidates of all races, origins, and religious affiliations are encouraged to apply.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

KCI (Ketchum Canada Inc.) has been retained to conduct this search on behalf of the Aga Khan Museum.  For more information about this leadership opportunity, please contact Tara George, Senior Vice President, Search Practice and Lead Consultant by phone at 416-340-9710 ext. 254 or by email at agakhanmuseum@kciphilanthropy.com.

Please send resume and letter of interest to the email address listed above by April 15, 2016. 

All inquiries and applications will be held in strict confidence.