The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art seeks an innovative, talented, and entrepreneurial fundraiser to build and lead a transformational philanthropy program.

About the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art

The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art is the first museum to focus exclusively on storytelling through images, the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art believes that visual storytelling can connect us and help shape a more just society. With a growing collection that encompasses artworks from across cultures, places, times, and mediums, including paintings, sculptures, murals, photography, comic art, book and magazine illustrations, and the arts of filmmaking, the Lucas Museum will explore narrative art’s potential to prompt questions, invite opinions, inspire community, and move people to think about the impact of images on our world.

Co-founded by George Lucas and Mellody Hobson and led by director and CEO Sandra Jackson-Dumont, the Lucas Museum was designed by renowned architect Ma Yansong of MAD Architects with Stantec as executive architect and will open in Los Angeles’s Exposition Park in 2025. An 11-acre campus with extensive new green space designed by Studio-MLA will embrace the museum’s 300,000-square-foot building, which will feature expansive galleries, two state-of-the-art theaters, and dedicated spaces for learning and engagement, dining, retail, and events.

This is a rare moment in the sector to redefine an inclusive arts institution through both the museum’s collection, programming vision, social impact approach, and the audiences the museum envisions walking through our doors.

About the Position

This is an unprecedented opportunity to fill a pivotal role in the launch of the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art. The Managing Director, Development (MDD) will innovatively oversee the diversification of funding streams and build a loyal base of donors to ensure the museum’s long-term sustainability for future generations.

The MDD provides entrepreneurial, strategic leadership that establishes long-term growth in earned revenue and contributed income from individuals, foundations, and corporations.

Within an integrated External Affairs portfolio, inclusive of marketing, communications, special events, publications, and development, the MDD reports to the Deputy Director for External Affairs. The position is responsible for the strategic leadership, management, and implementation of membership, fundraising, and special events in support of the Lucas Museum’s vision.

The MDD will build out and lead a staff of more than twenty members to accomplish this visionary work.

Advancing the museum’s people-first values, a donor-centric approach to fundraising is critical to growing all sources of restricted and unrestricted giving from individual donors (membership, annual appeal, major and principal gifts), corporate partners (members, sponsorships, and activations), and foundations.

Living the values of the Lucas Museum with a commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Access, and Belonging (DEIAB), the MDD will build the organizational structure and team with unwavering commitment to the mission, vision, and values.

Commitment to DEIAB

All staff at the Lucas Museum lead through a deep commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, both within the museum and with the communities that we serve. The Lucas Museum embraces diversity and equal opportunity.

We are committed to building a team that represents and supports a variety of backgrounds and perspectives. The Lucas Museum fosters a work environment that is free of discrimination and harassment, whether based on race, national origin, gender, gender expression, religion, ethnic background, age, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or any other criterion prohibited by applicable federal, state, or local laws.

We believe that diversity and inclusion among our team is critical to our success, and we seek to recruit, develop, and retain talented people from a diverse candidate pool. Applications from traditionally underrepresented communities are encouraged.

CORE COMPETENCIES FOR THIS ROLE

• Strategic and Visionary Leadership: A strategic and visionary leader with the knowledge, foresight, and clarity to inform decision-making in alignment with the overall goals at each phase of the museum’s establishment; nimble in adjusting to shifting priorities and able to balance multiple tasks efficiently and effectively; ability to anticipate, analyze, and interpret complex problems, achieving sustainable, creative solutions with the flexibility and confidence to participate fully in important debates.
• Exceptional Communicator and Manager: An engaged, active listener, able to communicate effectively with a broad group of stakeholders and outlets—from prospective donors to the museum’s Board of Trustees to peers within the institution. This individual will be an advocate for and mentor to staff, fostering peer leadership by creating and identifying opportunities for growth and development. Motivates and engages a high-quality team of professionals in pursuit of the museum’s goals.
• Influential Relationship Builder and Innovative Thinker: Establishes transformational relationships with people inside and outside of the museum, inspiring partnership, investment, and collaboration in support of the institution’s goals. Leverages creative and innovative strategies in pursuit of new ways of fundraising.
• Operational Expertise: A systems thinker with true business prowess that can successfully and progressively build out an operational infrastructure to support the fundraising goals of the organization. Demonstrated ability to ramp and scale through nimble and creative organizational development and change management.

Key Responsibilities

Build Fundraising Systems and Infrastructure

• Build the strategic direction, pre-opening approach and annual plans for a start-up development department to achieve annual goals and priorities consistent with the Lucas Museum’s mission, vision, values, and strategic plan.
• Support the programmatic priorities of the museum through creative funding opportunities across all sources. Develop prospecting and donor materials rooted in the goals and priorities of the Lucas Museum so that fundraising consistently supports programmatic goals inclusive but not limited to exhibitions, conservation, publishing, social impact, technology, learning and engagement, and public programs.
• Design a systematic donor cultivation and stewardship program with intentional follow up.
• Establish best practice systems, policies, and procedures in tandem with the institution’s financial systems, including data management and reporting, analytics, prospect research, donor stewardship and recognition, moves management, and financial reconciliation.
• In partnership with IT and other departments, help to launch and ensure use of a comprehensive member and donor database in concert with best-in-class donor cultivation and stewardship practices.
• Lead revenue growth over the first five years of operation to build long-term sustainability for the Lucas Museum.

Relationship and Fund Development

• Leverage strategic funding and revenue opportunities by working collaboratively and in alignment with learning and engagement, retail, special events, marketing and communications, and social impact, to convert visitors to members and members to donors.
• Oversee the identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of current and prospective donors. Facilitate donor recognition and stewardship programs.
• Examine and creatively implement entrepreneurial approaches to membership to build recurring annual support and a pipeline and strategy for a major gifts program. Build unique membership programs that strengthen pipeline, enhance strong donor retention and take advantage of the global brand potential of the Lucas Museum.
• Develop sponsorship opportunities and corporate partnerships that activate multi-year relationships and associated benefits and engagement. Build corporate sponsorship and membership programs aligned with the launch of the Lucas Museum.
• Build institutional relationships and funding opportunities with local, regional, and national foundations.
• Orchestrate fundraising activities with the director and CEO, the Deputy Director for External Affairs, and other museum and department leaders, matching the Lucas Museum’s priorities with funding opportunities.
• Motivate the giving of the Board of Trustees and support their efforts to open doors for funding from others.

Visionary Leadership, Management, and Communication

· Seek creative solutions to build a donor base reflective of our constituencies that furthers the museum’s commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Access, and Belonging and become a model for new and innovative fundraising practices. In partnership with the marketing and communications team, elevate stories and experiences of a diversity of members, donors, and constituents in an effort to grow and sustain the base of supporters for the Lucas Museum.

· Strategically manage the corporate and special events teams to shape a robust revenue stream for a facilities rental program. In partnership with the Director of Special Events, align the multi-year business plan for corporate and non-profit rentals, membership, and partnerships with both individual and corporate member benefits.

· Connect special events and fundraising to education opportunities, including engagement with key leaders within the museum.

· Create, activate, and pitch unique individual and corporate sponsorship opportunities for the opening series of events in support of launch. Leverage the unique opening moment to engage sponsors and partners.

· Work with communications and marketing to develop and create compelling materials to increase the visibility of the organization’s mission and to support fundraising efforts rooted in a brand- and values- aligned case for support.

· Provide staff leadership to and collaborate with volunteers and appropriate future board-related committees.

· Serve as an effective communicator for the museum, representing the mission, vision, and values of the Lucas Museum to various constituents including donors, members, and community partners.

· Build and lead a high performing, high empathy team, representing the values of the Lucas Museum.

Key Qualifications

Education and Experience

· Bachelor's degree is required; Master’s or other advanced degree is preferred; minimum of ten (10) years of progressively increasing experience and responsibility in a senior management role focused on fundraising

Skills

· Outstanding relationship builder with keen ability to communicate the mission, vision, and values of the Lucas Museum to outside audiences

Knowledge

· Deep awareness of best practices in fundraising field with a desire to both learn from and be a leader in development in cultural institutions

· Significant knowledge of the cultural sector and museum landscape

· Strategic thinking in building systems to last

Abilities

· Collaborative team player with proven ability to build relationships and work effectively and positively with museum leadership and staff, a diverse set of external partners, and the public

· Comfort with ambiguity, an ability to envision the new and different, and a commitment to developing and working with diverse audiences

· Ability to influence and engage direct reports and peers

· Results-oriented with a focus on equitable decision making

· Ability to make decisions in a changing environment and anticipate future needs

· Ability to collaborate as a team player

· Ability to thrive in an entrepreneurial, creative, collaborative, and nimble environment

Pursuant to the Lucas Museum’s COVID-19 Mandatory Vaccination Policy, the museum requires all new hires to provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination as a condition of employment absent an approved medical and/or religious exemption. Upon hire, all new hires will receive detailed instructions on complying with this policy. Federal, state, or local public health directives may impose additional requirements.

For more information, please visit www.developmentguild.com.

Tracy Marshall

SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, PRINCIPAL

Development Guild DDI

Jesse Bryan

VICE PRESIDENT

Development Guild DDI

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: From $180,000.00 per year

Schedule:

• Monday to Friday

Work Location: One location

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