Development Officer
About the Organization
Strawbery Banke Museum (SBM) is a 10-acre living history museum located in the heart of downtown Portsmouth. The museum interprets daily life in the same historic waterfront neighborhood over 300+ years, making the 37 historic buildings accessible to a wide range of visitors one of our primary goals. A Visitors’ Center and a state-of-the-art Collections Center were built in 2005 and 2008, respectively.
Twenty-four business and community leaders from around region comprise the Board of Trustees. The staff is comprised of 27 year-round and approximately 70 seasonal employees. The operational and capital expenditures range from $2-$3 million annually. Annual attendance is 90.000+ including 10,000 school children. Strawbery Banke hosts an ever-growing number of special events and programs for adults, children, and families throughout the year. Seasonal and holiday signature events are time-honored traditions that help make Portsmouth the vibrant destination it is.
Strawbery Banke is continually ranked as TripAdvisor’s #1 “Thing to do in Portsmouth”, Yankee Magazine Editors’ Choice: Best of New England Classics “Best Historic Village” and the 2020 Best of the Seacoast in the Entertainment & Leisure category for Best Group Event/Tour/Activity.
Strategic Framework:
Strawbery Banke Museum:
A place to learn,
A place to gather,
A place to preserve.
Mission Statement:
To promote understanding of the lives of individuals and the value of community through encounters with the history and ongoing preservation of a New England waterfront neighborhood.
Toward that goal, Strawbery Banke Museum:
- Acquires and conserves, for today's visitors and for future generations, historic buildings, objects, and other materials pertinent to its mission.
- Conducts research aimed at placing local developments within the broader context of city, state, and national history.
- Disseminates the results of that research to the public through exhibitions, publications, demonstrations, tours, symposia, workshops, and other educational activities and programs.
Core Values:
In order to create the best possible experience, SBM prioritizes the following core values,
which are integral to the success of the museum, and the organization’s commitment
to the greater community that we serve.
- Authenticity
- Engagement
- Inclusivity
- Innovation
- Integrity
- Sustainability
Equal Opportunity Statement:
Strawbery Banke Museum is committed to the principles of equal employment. We are committed to complying with all federal, state, and local laws providing equal employment opportunities, and all other employment laws and regulations. It is our intent to maintain a work environment that is free of harassment, discrimination, or retaliation because of age, race, color, marital status, national origin, ancestry, religious creed, sex, sexual orientation (including transgender status, gender identity or expression), pregnancy (including childbirth, lactation, and related medical conditions), physical or mental disability, genetic information (including testing and characteristics), crime victim status, veteran status, uniformed service member status, or any other status protected by federal, state, or local laws. SBM is dedicated to the fulfillment of this policy in regard to all aspects of employment, including but not limited to recruiting, hiring, placement, transfer, training, promotion, rates of pay, and other compensation, termination, and all other terms, conditions, and privileges of employment.
About the Job
Strawbery Banke is seeking a Development Officer. This new position is funded for 18 months, with hope for extension. This position will play a crucial role in growing and sustaining the museum’s membership and donor base through managing day-to-day membership relations, developing and implementing strategies for member and donor engagement, and coordinating creative events to enhance member experiences. The ideal candidate will be a dynamic and proactive individual with a passion for history and community engagement.
Duties and Responsibilities
Development and Fundraising:
- With Director of Development, responsible for earning yearly-defined annual fund goals
- In coordination with the Director of Development, create plans to obtain annual fund gifts and membership goals
- Solicit for annual fund gifts
- Manage donor stewardship for donations made to the annual fund as well as the President’s Club
- Collaborate with the ManagementTeam to implement cultivation and solicitation strategies for developing donors and enhancing support
- Identify and engage donors who are potential candidates for the President's Club (donors of $1,000 and above), facilitating their transition through moves management
- Assist, as needed, the Development Operations Manager to create direct mail appeals, solicitations, and other fundraising activities
- Work with the Director of Development, the Development Department, and the Development Committee to plan and implement development initiatives
- Conduct donor research and prepare information documents for the Director of Development and President & CEO ahead of donor meetings
- With the Director of Development, Development Team and Committee, organize, plan, and implement fundraising special events including but not limited to Galas, Annual Kick Off Event etc…
Member Event Coordination:
- Plan and execute member events and functions to engage and cultivate relationships with members and donors
- Collaborate with the Director of Marketing on invitations, promotions, and other event-related communications
- Assist in the creation of promotional materials, including text and images for member renewal communications, monthly emails, and website content
Membership Management:
- Partner with the Membership and Development Operations Manager to manage the membership database in Altru, ensuring accurate records of member information and interactions
- Recruit new members by identifying and pursuing potential members who align with the museum's mission and values
- Develop onboarding resources and organize events for new members to enhance their integration into the museum community
- Collaborate with the Director of Development, the Development Department and the Development Committee to develop and implement membership growth strategies
Additional Duties
- Assist with Museum events as assigned by the Director of Events
- Participate in all trainings and workshops required of Strawbery Banke Museum staff
- Other duties as assigned
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Nonprofit Management, Marketing, Business Administration, or a related field
- Minimum of 3-5 years of experience in membership management, development, or a related role
- Strong communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to build and maintain relationships with members, donors, and stakeholders
- Strong computer knowledge; experience working with the Altru database or other donor database is highly preferred
- Experience with data analysis
- Proven ability to plan and execute events and programs
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
Requirements of all Strawbery Banke Museum Staff:
SBM is committed to fostering a workplace that is truly equitable, inclusive, and accessible for a diverse group of staff, volunteers, and visitors. As such, it is an essential requirement that every SBM staff member:
- Exhibit a positive, collegial attitude and ability to work cooperatively with others at all levels of the organization including direct reports, colleagues, supervisor, volunteers, and visitors of all ages, abilities, and cultural backgrounds;
- Actively contribute to an organizational culture of empathy, dignity, trust, and respect. Each person at SBM agrees to proactively prevent and address issues such as unconscious bias, harassment, gender disparity, racial inequity, political divisiveness, and barriers to accessibility; and
- Foster inclusive and engaging interactions, accommodate safety and comfort needs and requests, and to provide the best visitor experience possible. Staff members equally share the responsibility of immediately addressing a deficiency, and/or, notifying the appropriate department or supervisor to address any situations.
Strawbery Banke Museum Staff Norms:
SBM is committed to fostering a supportive and safe work culture. Through a series of training sessions in 2022-2023, staff collectively established and approved the following norms:
- We will set and acknowledge boundaries that foster a healthy work/life balance
- We will help and support each other to create psychological safety and trust
- We will welcome different viewpoints, values, and ideas in solving organizational problems
- We will proactively, honestly, and constructively create clear expectations regarding communication with all potential stakeholders
- We will hold ourselves and each other accountable in executing mutually agreed upon decisions
Working Conditions
This position requires working occasional nights and weekends for Museum and Member events. The staff event schedule for Museum events will be coordinated in advance by the Director of Events. When occasional evening and weekend work is required for events, the equivalent time off is provided within the same workweek whenever possible.
Must be physically and mentally able to perform the essential functions of the position, with or without reasonable accommodations.
The essential duties of this position require a combination of regular attendance onsite, but with the capacity for some remote work; the schedule to be determined in collaboration with the Director of Development.
Please fill out our Google Form application: https://forms.gle/w3Mhvs3Ytr31hRRaA
The application period closes at midnight on September 1st.
Please reach out to Laura Towne-Miller, Director of Human Resources at ltowne@sbmuseum.org with any questions