The Organization
Maryland Humanities is a nonprofit organization based in Baltimore that serves the state with free public humanities programs. Through nearly 1,600 program events, Maryland Humanities reached more than 360,000 Marylanders in 2019, working with hundreds of local partners. Founded in 1973 as one of the state councils of the National Endowment for the Humanities, its mission is to inspire all Marylanders to embrace lifelong learning, exchange ideas openly, and enrich their communities. With a full-time staff of 15, Maryland Humanities offers nearly a dozen different programs ranging from Maryland History Day and One Maryland One Book to Museum on Main Street and Grants.
Position Overview
The Director of Advancement is the leader of Maryland Humanities’ (MH) advancement efforts and serves as a key member of MH’s leadership team as a Senior Staff member. They will lead the advancement team in a unified strategy for institutional development–including all activities related to short-term and long-term advocacy, fundraising, marketing, and communications. They do this while ensuring that the advancement team works collaboratively and purposefully towards advancing the mission of Maryland Humanities and the goals of the strategic plan, Humanities Now.
They are a strategic leader who will play an important role in fostering innovation and collaboration within advancement staff. They will support the success of the department and ensure that communication lines stay open. They will actively incorporate MH’s equity and inclusion lens in all the work that they do.
The Director of Advancement reports to the Executive Director (ED), supervises a Communications Specialist and a Grants Specialist, and works in close collaboration with Senior Staff to assist in leading Maryland Humanities, understanding the needs of the organization and leading resource growth and development to meet those needs.
Salary Range: $80,000-$85,000
FLSA Status: Exempt; Permanent; Full-Time
Reports to: Executive Director
Working Conditions: Hybrid
Supervisory Responsibilities: This position will supervise the Grants Specialist and Communications Specialist
Duties/Responsibilities:
Fundraising (60%)
• Develop, manage, and execute long-term institutional development goals in alignment with the strategic plan as well as annual fundraising plans to achieve short-term income goals
• Cultivate and steward relationships with private funders—individuals and organizations
• Solicit both restricted and unrestricted gifts from individual funders, including direct mail, electronic mail and web-based campaigns, and annual report
• Develop, manage, and execute special events
• Manage the solicitation of institutional funders (businesses, corporations, foundations, government agencies, nonprofits)
• Manage deliverables of sponsorship and donor benefits, including maintenance of acknowledgement on website and social media platforms
Advocacy (20%)
• Lead efforts to increase local, state, and federal funding
• Cultivate and steward relationships with public funders—local, state, and federal elected officials and their staff and government agency personnel
• Manage all official correspondence with elected officials, incl. invitations to events and tracking RSVPs; relevant updates and/or press coverage in districts; etc.
Marketing & Promotion (15%)
• Develop, manage, and execute long-term institutional marketing and promotional goals in alignment with the strategic plan as well as annual communications plans to achieve short-term marketing and promotional goals
• Ensure the consistent application of the organization’s brand across all communications vehicles, including programmatic and fundraising collateral, the website, social media accounts, and electronic communications
Administrative (5%)
• Manage customer relationship management (CRM) database, eTapestry, incl. gift processing and acknowledgment; preparing queries and exports for solicitation; preparing donor reports; data integrity; etc.
• Prepare and process bulk mailings in collaboration with requesting staff members
• Assist with training of staff on CRM policies and procedures
Required Skills/Abilities:
• Demonstrated initiative to learn and enhance skills that promote equity, inclusion, and cultural responsiveness, and an understanding of systems of oppression and their impact on community
• Demonstrated commitment to the creation of inclusive spaces and to the equitable treatment of all—including participants, audiences, supporters, staff, and board—at every level of the organization
• Attention to detail, accuracy, and consistency in executing tasks for internal as well as external audiences
• Ability to hold accountability and shared ownership of projects and tasks
Education and Experience:
• Proven and recurring success developing, implementing, and managing development and communications for a non-profit, or relevant experience where comparable knowledge, skills, and abilities were gained
• Demonstrated experience managing staff and participating in departmental or organizational leadership, or relevant experience where comparable knowledge, skills, and abilities were gained
Preferred Attributes and Qualities:
• Skilled in examining and re-engineering operations and procedures
• Adaptable to change
• Strong understanding of community-centric fundraising or the application of a racial equity lens to development efforts
• Strong communication and active listening skills with coworkers and a wide range of stakeholders
• Dependability and timeliness
• Ability to anticipate needs and align resources
Working Conditions and Physical Requirements:
• Maryland Humanities offices are located in Baltimore, MD. The office is open for staff to work from as needed. Each staff person is expected to join on-site team meetings at least 1 day per month.
• Must reside in or relocate to Maryland
• In-person meetings with donors, partners, and board members
• Prolonged periods of sitting and working on a computer
Additional Details:
No one candidate will be perfect for this job. The skills and experience needed to be successful in this job exist on a spectrum. Frequently cited statistics show that candidates with disabilities, BIPOC candidates, women, and members of marginalized and/or systematically excluded groups apply to jobs only if they meet 100% of the qualifications. Maryland Humanities is happy to leave that statistic in the past. No one ever meets 100% of the qualifications. Please just apply.
What we are offering
• The annual salary for this position is $80,000-$85,000.
• Employees are eligible for employer-provided health and dental insurance coverage (two plans offered, including one 100% employer paid), flex benefits, retirement (including a 4% employer contribution), monthly stipend to offset parking and/or work-from-home expenses, and annual funding for professional development.
• We have 21 days of vacation per year and 12 days of sick leave per year as well as access to advance and donated leave if needed
• 15 paid holidays and 2 floating holidays prorated for part time. Access to holiday exchange (i.e. observing Eid Al-Adha instead of Christmas)
• We offer a sabbatical with up to 6 weeks after five years of service and up to 10 weeks after 10 or more years of service.
• We offer Extended Family and Medical Leave of 12 weeks with additional eligibility for 4 weeks of a gradual return to work
• We traditionally close the offices at the end of the year, Dec 24–Jan 1.
Maryland Humanities’ staff have established shared working values, linked here.
Maryland Humanities is an equal opportunity employer. It is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment. Accordingly, all terms and conditions of employment will be carried out without regard to race, creed, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, nationality, marital status, age, or disability. Maryland Humanities will not tolerate acts deemed to constitute discrimination or harassment based on gender, sexual orientation, race, creed, color, religion, national origin, marital status, age, disability, or any other characteristic protected by law.
How To Apply
What to expect
Step one: All submissions will be reviewed and the initial candidate pool will be formed. Not all submissions will make it into the candidate pool. Once the pool of candidates is established, a brief phone interview will be set up with the Executive Director.
Step two: Remaining candidates will take part in an interview with members of the Maryland Humanities Team via Zoom or in-person depending on the state of the pandemic, and the comfort level of everyone involved. The final candidate will be selected after this interview.
Step Three: Selection and placement of the final candidate. Placement for this position is anticipated to occur in September/October 2022. Once the final candidate has accepted their offer of employment, all other applicants will be notified of their status.
To Apply: Please prepare the following materials: cover letter and résumé via email to hr@mdhumanities.org with the subject line as “Director of Advancement;” no phone calls please. For best consideration, applications are due by September 9. Search will remain open until filled.