New Job

As my previous posts illustrates, I've got a new job. I work at the Oakland Museum of California in Corporate Development. The commute adds about 45 minutes extra to my work day. I'm doing essentially the same thing (I did at the Asian Art Museum) at a smaller organization, but with more responsibilities.

I'm currently reviewing records and trying to plan out the next few months. My first three days here had me writing a report on one day and a grant on the next. It was a great hazing, I now have an overall grasp of the education programs.

Job Posting for Corp. Relations Manager

Position Title: Corporate Relations Manager
Department: Development
Reports To: Director of Development


Position Summary
Plans, implements, and coordinates the identification, research, solicitation and stewardship of corporate gifts, grants, sponsorships, and annual support for museum programs, biennial Golden Gala, and Capital Campaign.

Supervision Received and Exercised
Works closely with the Director of Development, Senior Grants Officer, Trustees, and Museum staff on all forms of corporate support.

Job Duties and Responsibilities
Duties include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Identify corporate prospects and develop and implement strategies for cultivating, soliciting, retaining, and upgrading their financial support of the Museum.
• Manage corporate gifts to the museum’s $10 million Capital Campaign.
• Work with the Trustees and volunteer committee to secure corporate sponsorship of the museum’s 2006 Gala.
• Develop case statements, project descriptions, benefit packages, and cultivation strategies for ongoing corporate support.
• Write and submit corporate grant applications, funding requests, sponsorship proposals, and annual support appeals.
• As appropriate, solicit corporate support by phone and in face-to-face meetings.
• Cultivate and maintain excellent relationships with corporate donors and sponsors.
• Plan and implement stewardship, reporting, and recognition programs for corporate donors and sponsors.
• Work with the Board of Trustees, senior staff and colleagues in the Marketing Department to meet annual fundraising goals.
• Stay abreast of current sponsorship trends for arts groups and corporate philanthropy and participate in business and corporate gatherings as appropriate.
• Develop and monitor the annual corporate giving budget.

Contribute to the overall success of the Development team and the Museum with the participation in activities outside the scope of this job description.

Qualification Standards

Knowledge of:
• Principles and practices of fundraising, prospect research, proposal writing, marketing, budget development, and computer applications.
• PC-based word processing spreadsheet, and database software, including Microsoft Word, Excel, and Raiser’s Edge.

Ability to:
• Communicate effectively and persuasively in both oral and written form.
• Develop clear, concise written proposals
• Produce budgets and reports
• Work independently and set priorities
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contracted in the performance of required duties.

Experience and Education:
• Minimum of three years' experience with increasing levels of responsibility in fundraising for a nonprofit institution
• Experience soliciting major corporate gifts or like experience working directly to broker relationships
• Museum experience is desirable
• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university
• Certification from fundraising workshops and/or professional organizations is desirable.

Competitive salary and benefits package, commensurate with experience.

CP Event

It's a bit nail-biting to put on your *first* event. I mean technically I was a producer of the film festival. But this time I actually had to worry about the food and entertainment and alcohol.

The thing is - it was a huge success. We didn't run out of food or alcohol and DJ Omar played really good music. It made it easier for me, to just know that. People set-up in good time, the people arrived and we were able to get them in the galleries in time. Everything worked out realloy well. But I'm exhausted.

Apparently the key to a good event is to think about every possible disaster and preparing for it.

Together

Trying to hold it together. It was a rough day within these walls.

Museum Mondays

Monday the museum is closed to the public, it is an effective day for museum staff, as paperwork that has been put aside in lieu of tending to "the public" is efficiently done. I found great pleasure in striding quickly through the museum when the galleries and courts are empty, walking the empty stairwells and sliding in and out of restricted areas with my key card. Every thing feels a bit easier.

Today I made phone calls and no matter how many tricks I use to make the calls sound efficient and businesslike, I get nervous. "Yes" I say, "you've given to us before and we believe it is time for you to give to us again." The tactics I use? I stand up (to sound businesslike) I put a smile in my voice and I repeat their name, so that they will inherently like me a little bit more. All sales tricks, but strangely tricks I've only learned recently. I can never use their name more than two or three times, otherwise it feels weird to me. How many times do I address my friends' names as I talk to them?

I keep wondering if I'm cut-out for this. Have I taken a job that is below my qualifications (I'm afraid so)? If so can I relax at this job or should I go for the ever more challenging? How successful will I be with this formula of chasing dollars? So cliche to let time play itself out, but I'm heading that way

Sand Mandala

This amazing Sand Mandala was made in the course of one week at the Asian Art Museum, by the Monks from the Dzindu Monastery of Tibet. The sacred sand mandala is a mystic diagram of the universe used as an aid to meditation of the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara. The mandala will be destroyed in a ritual on Sunday, July 10 at 2:00 pm.

Which is amazing really, they meditate and create this fine piece with sand and they destroy it at the end of its creation, reaffirming detachment (from their hours of work) and impermanence of everything.

To see the different stages of the sand mandala taking shape and the concentration needed is awesome.

Contemporary

Today on the way to work a woman (working on her laptop) sat next to me. Which isn't very exciting in and of itself, except that I peeked at her laptop and realized that she has the same type of job as me, she sells sponsorships.

She was looking at a benefits' list for a tech conference that was in NYC in December. On it was listed things like signage and mention in press releases. It sounded too familiar. So there's a thought, I can sell sponsorships in the for-profit world if I were to leave the museum. See there are development jobs out in the real world, we're just as viable in the job market as marketing. AND as we are still in our infancy of development we tend to be a little more creative.