Chief Philanthropy Officer

The Aspen Leadership Group is proud to partner with San José Museum of Art in the search for a Chief Philanthropy Officer.

The Chief Philanthropy Officer will oversee San José Museum of Art's fund development, membership, legacy giving and the achievement of related revenue goals, leading all fund development endeavors in alignment with the Museum's strategic plan, institutional values, and commitment to equity. The Chief Philanthropy Officer will work closely with the Oshman Executive Director and the Board of Trustees to develop and implement a comprehensive multi-year fundraising plan for individual and institutional giving that increases revenues and expands the Museum's donor base while managing the day-to-day operations of the development department and motivating the team towards ambitious fundraising goals.

Founded in 1969 by artists and community leaders, the San José Museum of Art (SJMA) is the premier modern and contemporary art museum in Silicon Valley. Its dynamic program, which balances socially relevant traveling exhibitions with critically engaging shows drawn from a collection of 2600+ art works, resonates with defining characteristics of San José and the Silicon Valley—from its rich diversity to its hallmark innovative ethos. Projects touch on timely topics from migration and identity to artificial intelligence and include significant original and touring exhibitions by both nationally and internationally acclaimed artists (Rina Banerjee; Dinh Q. Lê) and emerging and under-recognized practitioners (Woody DeOthello; Sonya Rapoport). Exhibitions such as Barring Freedom and Visualizing Abolition, organized in partnership with the University of California at Santa Cruz, announce a growing commitment to social justice and university partnership. The Museum’s collection plan prioritizes community relevance and public access, and places particular priority on acquiring works that reflect the cultural heritages and lived experiences of the community.

The goal of becoming a borderless museum, essential to creative life in San José and the Silicon Valley inspires the community impact work of SJMA. The Museum is invested in supporting artists of the global majority and women and works to eliminate barriers to access by offering weekend and evening hours, eliminating admission fees for students and teachers, and providing exhibition didactics in English, Spanish, and Vietnamese––the three official languages of San José. The Museum is the largest provider of in-school arts education in Santa Clara County and the first art museum experience for countless students in the South Bay. An extensive free in-school docent program introduces students to inquiry-based visual analysis and an extensive field trip program and multi-week classroom residencies are offered free to Title I students. Each summer an on-site summer art camp offers standards-based arts instruction infused with cross curricular subject matter and introduces students to concepts of exhibition design and curatorial practice, including virtual studio visits with permanent collection artists—an annual highlight.

SJMA is proud to have an audience that supports its strong commitment to lifting historically underrecognized voices and stories. A recent survey of SJMA audiences, conducted as part of “Culture Track,” a nation-wide study of cultural behavior, found that audiences were looking to cultural institutions like SJMA to provide “moments of beauty and joy” and to “bring people of different backgrounds together” after a year where they increasingly missed “feeling connection with others” and “creativity.” Now reopened with expanded evening hours, SJMA is committed to responding to this need with innovative presentations of its permanent collection, creative partnerships with organizations in San José, San Francisco and the East Bay, and “borderless” projects that spill beyond the walls of the Museum support the rebuilding of public life in downtown San José. Through other programming, like First Fridays, and through three free community days offered each year, the SJMA celebrates the region’s racial, ethnic, and linguistic diversity.

San José Museum of Art believes in the power of radical imagination and the role art can play in bringing communities and people together for the benefit of all. As a public art museum in the heart of a racially, ethnically, and linguistically diverse community, SJMA embraces its role in telling stories and creating experiences that nurture a sense of belonging and value and that contribute to the creation of a more vibrant multiracial society.

A bachelor’s degree is preferred, as is a minimum of 10 years of fundraising experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience. All applications must be accompanied by a cover letter and resume. Cover letters should be responsive to the mission of San José Museum of Art as well as the responsibilities and qualifications stated in the position prospectus.

The salary range for this position is $140,000 to $170,000 annually.

To apply for this position, visit: https://opportunities.aspenleadershipgroup.com/opportunities/1138.