The Buffalo Bill Historical Center is currently seeking a Chief Development Officer. Reporting to the Executive Director and CEO, the Chief Development Officer leads all fundraising activities for the Buffalo Bill Historical Center including annual fund, membership, grants and planned giving. The Chief Development Officer works directly with the Executive Director and CEO, staff, Board of Trustees and Advisory Boards to ensure that fund raising goals are met and exceeded annually. The Buffalo Bill Historical Center is contemplating a major Capital and Endowment Campaign within the next 10 years and expects the Chief Development Officer to help position the organization for success and provide overall leadership for that effort. The Development Office is currently responsible for annual fund giving of $650,000 and membership support of $550,000. Grant funding averages $400,000 to $900,000 annually. The Development Office is staffed with five (5) employees who report directly to the Chief Development Officer. The BBHC also has an extensive special events fund raising program which currently reports to the Chief Development Officer. That office is staffed by two employees and currently is responsible for $500,000 in income from five (5) events. An aggressive capital and endowment campaign is being considered in the future. It is expected that the Development Office needs to significantly expand its operations to ensure an expanded donor pool, a sound stewardship operation and the successful motivation of volunteers as well as professional staff.
The Buffalo Bill Memorial Association was founded in 1917 and is the legal entity which operates the Buffalo Bill Historical Center. The BBHC is recognized nationally and internationally as the nation’s leading educational institution highlighting the American West. The Buffalo Bill Historical Center is made up of five museums (Whitney Gallery of Western Art, Buffalo Bill Museum, Cody Firearms Museum, Plains Indian Museum and the Draper Museum of Natural History), the McCracken Research Library, and the Cody Institute for Western American Studies. The collections include over 70,000 objects and 500,000 historical photographs. The BBHC has a history of curating exhibitions and travelling them to national and international museums. The BBHC has a staff of over 100 employees, a Board of Trustees of 41 individuals and an additional 70 Advisory Board members. The Board and Advisory Board members are leading citizens, many with national reputations for excellence in their respective fields and in philanthropy. The Buffalo Bill Historical Center operates on a budget of $9,000,000 annually and has an endowment of $48,000,000. Each year it serves more than 200,000 paid visitors. The facility encompasses over 310,000 square feet of space on forty acres of property. The BBHC is accredited by the American Association of Museums. The Buffalo Bill Historical Center is a private organization with 501c3 tax exempt status and is a registered Wyoming charity. The organization has a long history of fund raising on a national level with its Board of Trustees being especially generous over a long term. Currently, the expansion of the potential donor base and the establishment of an effective stewardship operation are major goals of the historical center, in readiness for the capital and endowment campaign.
Cody, Wyoming is a small town of 9,000 people located just 52 miles from the east entrance to Yellowstone National Park. Cody boasts extensive outdoor and indoor recreational amenities and has been recognized nationally for its quality of life. The Yellowstone Regional Airport connects Cody to all national and international destinations with direct flights to Salt Lake City via Delta Airlines, and to Denver via United Airlines. Outdoor recreational activities include fly fishing, white water rafting, alpine and nordic skiing, snow boarding, horseback riding, camping, hiking, cycling and golf. Indoor activities at the 5-year-old community Paul Stock Recreational and Aquatic Center include racquet ball, squash, lap swimming, basketball, jogging track, aerobics center, weight training, a variety of classes and activities, and an Olympic size pool and a children’s water pool. The Riley Events Center includes a full size hockey arena, where the local AA hockey team plays a full season and major indoor recreational and community events are held. The medical community in Cody is extensive with over 35 doctors covering most specialties centered on West Park Hospital. There are over 40 churches in the community as well as numerous social, civic and arts organizations. Cody offers extensive evening activities with restaurants, movie theaters, dramatic performances and concerts. The public schools are some of the best in Wyoming. Taxes are among the lowest of any of the 50 states with no personal income tax and limited property and sales taxes. An extensive business district highlights numerous and varied shopping opportunities.
Specific Responsibilities and Duties -
* Provide leadership to the Development Office and Special Events staff of seven employees setting sound goals and objectives
* Provide leadership for development to the Executive Leadership Team of the Center composed of all Curators and Department heads
* Provide leadership to the Board of Trustees working with Board Officers and the Development Committee of the Board to establish goals and objectives and to ensure active Board participation in conjunction with Board Leadership and the Executive Director and CEO.
* Provide leadership for development to the seven Advisory Boards of the Center
* Provide advice and counsel to the Executive Director and CEO on all development matters
* Provide general leadership to the Buffalo Bill Historical Center as a senior leader and a member of the Executive Leadership Team
Specific Goals -
* Evaluate and reorganize the current development office staff to ensure that the office is properly organized and manned to meet or exceed targets
* Grow Annual Fund support by at least 15% in three years
* Grow Membership support by at least 15% in three years
* Grow the potential major donor pool from its current 350 potential major donors to 1,000 potential major donors in five years. (A major donor is defined as giving of at least $1,000 annually or the potential to give at least $5,000 to a campaign)
* Develop an aggressive and pro-active stewardship program to continually keep the BBHC in front of current and potential donors
* Grow our grant program to exceed $800,000 annually in grant support.
* Establish an on-going planned giving effort
* Develop a plan to train all professional staff in development techniques and mentor staff in all aspects of development and stewardship.
* Position the BBHC to be able to embark on a Capital and Endowment campaign.
* Increase local, state and national support from public and private organizations and individuals by meeting and exceeding the goals outlined above.
Travel -
The Chief Development Officer is expected to travel regularly throughout the nation visiting donors, either alone or teamed with other staff or Trustees.
Compensation -
Salary in the $100,000 to $140,000 range depending upon experience with generous health benefits and a TIAA/CREF pension plan. A performance based bonus system is negotiated with the finalist over and above a base salary. Relocation expenses are provided, as well as generous expense allowances.
Portrait of the Ideal Candidate -
The ideal candidate is a results oriented energetic self starter, unafraid to make the “ask.” He or she is passionate about development and fund raising and has thorough knowledge of all aspects of development and philanthropy and enjoys mentoring staff, trustees and volunteers. The candidate likes rural living and an active lifestyle but must also be a “people person,” very comfortable in corporate and cosmopolitan social situations. A fascination with Western American history and culture immediately positions the candidate to understand the importance of the BBHC in interpreting the west to diverse audiences. He or she is an organized team player with good follow-through and should be willing to work with anyone to get the job done.
Qualifications -
Ten years of development and fund raising experience is preferred with demonstrated advancement to higher levels of leadership in the development field including a proven track record of increasing contributions to the organizations for which they have worked. Direct experience in museum fund raising may be substituted for up to three years of general development and fund raising experience. Graduation from an accredited college or university is preferred. Extensive study in philanthropy and fund raising or the CFRE designation is also highly desirable. Participation in professional and civic associations and organizations is considered a plus.
Send complete résumé and a cover letter to:
Chris Searles
Human Resources Manager
Buffalo Bill Historical Center
720 Sheridan Avenue
Cody, WY 82414
or via e-mail to chriss@bbhc.org
Questions and Inquiries may be directed to:
Bruce Eldredge, Executive Director and CEO
307.578.4069 or to brucee@bbhc.org
