Director of Institutional Advancement

ABOUT CHABOT SPACE & SCIENCE CENTER (CHABOT)

Chabot Space & Science Center has been Oakland’s home for science since 1883. Founded as an astronomical observatory, it sits on 13 trail-laced acres in Redwood Regional Park, within the largest stand of coastal redwoods in the East Bay. Their research-level observatory—the largest complex free for public viewing in the Western United States—houses three telescopes, including a 20-inch scope that helped relay data to NASA during the Apollo 13 descent. Chabot features a 241-seat full dome planetarium, hands-on exhibits, space artifacts, and a giant screen theater.

Chabot is at an exciting inflection point. Focused on reconnecting with the community, sharpening focus on science education, and building the foundation for what comes next, Chabot’s goal is to connect folks with the power and wonder of science, wherever that connection shows up: for a family on a Saturday, a student on a field trip, someone looking through a telescope for the first time, a scientist, or an educator. As part of that work, Chabot has deepened its partnership with NASA’s Ames Research Center and continues to grow its highly regarded Workforce Development Academy, opening career paths in science and technology for youth across Oakland and the East Bay. Chabot strives to become an invaluable resource for teachers and students who rely on them and nurture deeper connections with the communities it serves.

OPPORTUNITY HIGHLIGHTS

• Salary Range : $170,000 – $195,000
• Benefits include :
• Medical/Dental/Vision coverage
• Vacation: 3 weeks per year
• Sick days: 10 days per year
• 403b retirement plan

YOU ARE

• An entrepreneurial, mission-minded advancement leader who has built and/or scaled a diversified and sustainable development program, including major gifts, annual fund, events, planned giving, membership, and corporate and foundation support.
• A natural spokesperson and relationshipbuilder who moves comfortably between donors, Board members, elected officials, and the press, and who can translate Chabot’s science mission into language that resonates with families, students, educators, and scientists alike.
• A team-builder who creates a genuine culture of philanthropy—coaching staff, equipping the Board to fundraise, and earning trust across every level of the organization.
• Energized by Chabot’s inflection point and excited to help reframe institutional growth around community need.
• Genuinely curious, community-connected, and driven by a real passion for expanding access to science education across Oakland and the East Bay.

POSITION OVERVIEW

Chabot Space & Science Center seeks an entrepreneurial, mission-minded Director of Institutional Advancement to lead fundraising, communications, marketing, graphic design, and government and corporate relations. The successful candidate will be a gifted storyteller who has enthusiasm and skill conveying Chabot’s exciting mission to families, students, young adults, scientists, and educators alike.

REPORTING RELATIONSHIP

The Director of Institutional Advancement reports directly to the CEO and manages a team whose work is to build relationships and strategies that grow revenue and sustain Chabot—identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding donors at every stage of their giving. The position serves as a member of Chabot’s senior leadership team.

The Director works closely with the CEO, Board of Directors, volunteers, and senior staff to create and meet Chabot’s fundraising and public awareness goals.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES

Strategic Leadership & Team Management

• Develop and implement a long-range donor-centric development plan to include goals and objectives for annual operations and capital and endowment initiatives, including, but not limited to, an expanded major gifts program and diversified annual fund, foundation and government grants, corporate sponsorships and gifts, planned giving, membership, and special events.
• Supervise and mentor an Advancement team of five to achieve fundraising, membership, and marketing goals, raising $4M+ in contributed income annually.
• Oversee the departmental budget, including monthly contributed income reports, projections, analyses, and reconciliation with the Finance Department; write support narratives for budgets; monitor performance against budget; and ensure collection of outstanding pledges.
• Grow Chabot’s major gifts program; build and manage a portfolio of 100+ donors, use moves management and other engagement strategies, and conduct proactive prospect research to inform donor cultivation and stewardship.
• Build a planned giving program that leverages existing relationships with longtime donors and volunteers; cultivate a long-term strategy for legacy giving.
• Grow the corporate sponsorship program, including both cash and in-kind/cross-promotional support.
• Partner with colleagues across the institution to develop institutional funding opportunities and priorities; oversee all grant writing and reporting.
• Oversee and ensure the accuracy and integrity of prospect research, donor cultivation and stewardship practices and protocols, data collection, privacy and retention, and gift tracking and acknowledgement systems.
• In coordination with CEO and Board of Directors, develop strategies to gain government support and actively cultivate support through outreach to elected and appointed officials.
• Identify and execute on public funding opportunities, including government grants, direct legislative appropriations, and local tax measures.
• Lead efforts to build a culture of philanthropy throughout the organization, engaging the full staff and Board in understanding the importance of philanthropy to Chabot’s mission and their respective roles as advocates and ambassadors.

Membership & Events

• Continue to grow visitorship and community giving through coordinated multi-channel direct response campaigns, strategic email marketing, and on-site messaging.
• Expand existing membership program—with a particular focus on new member acquisition—to build overall attendance, deepen participation in Chabot’s programs and activities, and ultimately advance the major gifts pipeline.
• Oversee cross-departmental team and partner with Board and other volunteer leaders to ensure the success and growth of Chabot’s annual Starlight Gala, raising $300K+.

Board Management

• Partner with the Board’s Development Chair to strategize on fundraising opportunities, create agendas, and lead monthly Development Committee meetings as a way to engage committee members and the full board towards a shared vision for fundraising success.
• Develop fundraising training for Board and other leadership volunteers.
• Attend Board meetings and assume responsibility for all development reports to the full Board and the Development Committee.
• Aid in the research and recruitment of new Board members.

Marketing & Communications

• Work closely with the CEO, Marketing Manager, and other staff to develop an annual marketing plan.
• Serve as a spokesperson for Chabot, including speaking to press, elected officials, and other external stakeholders.
• In close coordination with the Marketing Manager, oversee development of all marketing communications material, including collateral materials, publications (Annual Report, eVoyager Newsletter, etc.), web communications, and creative marketing concepts in support of all Chabot programs to increase visitation and optimize earned and contributed revenue.
• Manage the graphic design team on strategy and prioritization to further strengthen Chabot’s brand.

COMPETENCIES

• 10+ years of fundraising experience with progressive growth toward senior leadership.
• 5+ years of supervisory experience and demonstrated success as a collaborator, mentor, and team/coalition-builder.
• Proven success across the full range of advancement work: annual fund, membership, major gifts, corporate and foundation support, events, planned giving, and marketing.
  • Capital campaign experience is highly desirable.
• Demonstrated experience securing six- and seven-figure gifts (including multi-year commitments) from individual donors.
• Exceptional interpersonal and relationship-building skills, with a collaborative approach to working with colleagues, volunteers, and donors alike.
• Strong intellectual curiosity and genuine openness to new philanthropic trends and practices, in addition to knowledge and experience exercising best practices.
• Excitement about joining an organization at an inflection point—ready to help shape a reframed institutional growth strategy in alignment with community needs.
• Talented communicator with strong problem-solving and presentation skills, including public speaking.
• Commitment to inclusion and to building genuine connections with the Oakland and East Bay community Chabot serves, paired with passion for and dedication to Chabot’s mission.
• Proficiency with MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and Google Suite; Salesforce or comparable CRM experience required; comfort with data analytics and systems evaluation strongly regarded.
• A. degree required, with a relevant field preferred
  • A., M.B.A., or fundraising certifications a plus
• English language proficiency, spoken and written.

EQUITY STATEMENT

Chabot is committed to creating an inclusive, equitable,diverse,and accessible working and learning environment that reflects the communities we serve. It is Chabot’s policy and practice to consider all qualified candidateswithout regard to race, religion, color, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, disability, or veteran status.