Organization
Just
30 miles south of San Francisco, Filoli Historic House and Garden is a historic home and vibrant landscape situated on the
ancestral lands of the Ramaytush Ohlone people in Woodside, California.
Encompassing 654 acres along the slopes of California’s coastal range, Filoli
was built in 1917 as a private residence and was opened to the public in 1975. Its centerpiece is a 54,000+ square-foot Georgian revival style
mansion that was designed by the architect Willis Polk and is considered one of
the nation’s finest remaining 20th century country estates. The
historic home is situated on 16 acres of formal gardens, over six acres of
orchards, and hundreds of acres of natural land with six distinct ecosystems
and nature trails. Filoli is on the National Register of Historic Places and a
designated California State Historic Landmark. Filoli is also a part of the
National Trust for Historic Preservation.
Filoli is dedicated to connecting its rich history with a vibrant future
through beauty, nature, and shared stories, providing an opportunity for all
people to honor nature, value unique experiences, and appreciate beauty in
everyday life. Throughout the year, nearly 750,000 visitors explore the
historic house, stroll through the meticulously maintained gardens, and enjoy
the natural lands. Shopping and dining options are offered daily. Filoli hosts
various events throughout the year, including seasonal celebrations and
engagement programs, enriching the visitor experience and fostering a deeper
connection to the estate's history and natural beauty. Filoli has been a
continuously working estate for over 100 years. The original owner, William
Bourn, planned Filoli to be self-sustaining, with agricultural fields,
livestock, and orchards. Filoli continues today to produce fruit butter, hard
cider, honey, dried lavender, and culinary herbs. On the site, there are six
distinct ecosystems with 60% of the land covered in secondary growth redwoods.
In recent years, Filoli has expanded the network of trails open to the public
and is focusing on increasing public engagement with nature and land
conservation.
Filoli’s 2024–2028
Strategic Plan is centered on deepening community connection, including
Filoli's first-ever capital campaign, a $25 million initiative to expand guest
access to nature and shape the future of this historic estate.
Filoli has a
29-member board of directors led by Board Chair Sydney Leung, and Kara Newport
serves as President & CEO. The Chief Development Officer reports to the CEO
and has three direct reports, including the Director of Development Operations,
Writer and Grants Coordinator, and Major Gifts Officer. For the fiscal year
ending December 31, 2025, Filoli reported a total revenue of $30.2 million,
with 10% from contributions and grants, 16% from memberships, 60% from program
services, 11% from the retail gift shop, and 3% from other revenue.
Community
Filoli is located
in unincorporated San Mateo County and has access to amazing towns, including
Belmont, San Carlos, Redwood City, and Woodside. The surrounding area is known
for its natural rural beauty, serene and wooded landscapes, rolling hills, and open
landscapes. The location is further complemented by its proximity to Silicon
Valley and world-class schools, including Stanford University, the University
of California, Berkeley, and Santa Clara University. Its proximity to San
Francisco provides effortless access to an array of charming destinations, such
as the scenic Half Moon Bay with its dramatic coastal cliffs along the Pacific
Coast Highway, the world-renowned vineyards of Napa Valley, the alpine beauty
of Lake Tahoe, and the awe-inspiring cliffs and waterfalls of Yosemite National
Park.
Sources:
visitcalifornia.com; census.gov; siliconvalleyguide.com; livability.com
Position Summary
The Chief
Development Officer leads a professional Development Department and serves as a
key Executive Team member and a strategic leader for Filoli Historic House and
Garden (Filoli). The Chief Development Officer
(CDO) is instrumental in partnering with the Board, the Chief Executive Officer
(CEO), and the leadership team in the creation and implementation of a
long-term development strategy that builds a philanthropic program designed to
engage a broad audience in ongoing programs as well as ambitious projects.
The CDO leads the
development of relationships to build the organization’s visibility and support
by designing and implementing a vision for cultivating philanthropic
commitments. In direct partnership with the CEO, the CDO serves as Filoli's top
fundraiser and provides counsel and influences high-stakes decisions and
big-picture elements of the $25 million comprehensive campaign, Cultivating the
Future.
Centered around
developing and deepening donor and supporter relationships, this position
serves as a key senior external representative for the organization and carries
a portfolio of leadership donors. The successful candidate for this position is
a results-oriented leader whose passion for Filoli’s mission is matched with
strong executive leadership, outstanding collaborative interpersonal skills,
nimble decision-making in the face of complex challenges, and a proven track
record of soliciting and closing significant gifts.
Roles and Responsibilities
Leadership
·
Work closely with the CEO, the Executive Team,
and the Board of Directors on comprehensive long-term planning that supports
sustainable growth, and provide leadership in the development and
implementation of a comprehensive contributed revenue strategy.
·
Serve as a knowledgeable leader for
philanthropic advancement, providing expertise in all development functions and
working with the CEO to build fundraising strategies that secure the financial
health of Filoli in line with the overall strategic direction.
·
Serve as a collaborative leader and a member of
the Executive Team in establishing growth direction, developing creative
solutions, and representing a unified voice for the overall strategic direction
for Filoli.
·
Serve as an independent leader of Filoli and
represent the organization as requested in the absence of the CEO.
·
Analyze fundraising results, evaluate the effectiveness
of fundraising programs, and forecast annual and long-term fundraising
projections for use in organizational financial planning.
·
Staff and provide leadership to fundraising
committees, including the Gala and Development Committees, and the Campaign
Cabinet; proactively plan meeting agendas, present robust data, and develop
direct relationships with board members and volunteer leaders through direct
committee work.
·
Professionally and effectively, represent Filoli
to external audiences, including individual and organizational contacts and the
broader philanthropic community; Use external meetings, conferences, and
speaking engagements to build the brand visibility and financial support that
advances Filoli’s mission.
·
Play a significant leadership role in
identifying and prioritizing fundraising projects, keeping current on
cross-departmental project development and implementation, and providing
institutional reports for project process and completion.
Development and
Donor Relationships
- Strategically lead, manage, and execute a complex and growing
development function to sustain and grow the revenue base of Filoli:
- Build and grow a sustainable major gifts program, informed by
prospect management and research;
- Execute a comprehensive individual giving program that includes
annual fund and leadership annual giving;
- Create platforms and opportunities for Corporations and
Foundations to engage with Filoli and build a sustainable base of
institutional support;
- Build a planned giving program through the Filoli Legacy Society;
- Create a fundraising and cultivation event platform that is
designed to generate revenue and deepen relationships while being
streamlined and efficient.
- Personally cultivate, solicit, and steward a portfolio of Filoli's
top major and principal gift prospects.
- Serve as a primary partner with the CEO to advance their
fundraising activities.
- Partner with the Board of Directors, Development Committee, and
other volunteer fundraisers to engage them directly in all phases of
fundraising.
- Create performance measurables and ensure regular internal and
external tracking and progress reports are in place.
- Maintain a thorough and current knowledge of Filoli’s programs and
develop ongoing donor communication plans and strategies that create
layers of giving opportunities within the annual plans.
- Develop comprehensive cultivation and stewardship programs that do
not just acknowledge gifts but builds from them for future giving
potential.
- Ensure that all fundraising efforts are well organized, well
executed, and lay the foundation for future increases in donor support.
- Keep abreast of federal and state tax laws and gift tracking
standards that may be relevant to major donor gift administration.
·
Ensure that development communications across
the department meet the quality and brand standards of the organization.
·
Engage external partners, consultants, and other
resources for training and professional development to ensure staff has the
latest tools and techniques and the board has confidence in the solicitation
process.
Campaign Management
·
Oversee the overall campaign plan, including
phasing and prioritization, leadership recruitment, prospect management,
performance targets, communications, budgeting, policy oversight, campaign
recording, and donor management and recognition.
·
Ensure campaign strategies and reporting systems
are in place to monitor and communicate progress to keep the campaign on track.
·
Partner with professional campaign counsel, Huron,
to ensure following the highest standards in campaign development.
·
Drive the solicitation process through the
engagement of executive Leaders and Development staff.
·
Oversee the Campaign Cabinet, the volunteer
leadership of the campaign, including recruitment, onboarding, staffing,
evaluation, communications, and events.
·
Ensure proper management of gifts, ensure
ongoing gift stewardship is in place for all donors, and create robust
recognition and acknowledgment programs.
·
Provide regular updates and reports to the CEO,
staff, and board leadership, tracking campaign statistics, evaluating progress
based on established benchmarks, recommending next steps, and adjusting when
necessary.
·
Create programs and activities to raise public
interest in the project.
·
Responsible for the implementation and equitable
delivery of the campaign policies; regularly reviews and updates to meet
evolving campaign needs.
Management and
Cross-Departmental Collaboration
·
Develop annual department plans and budgets that
support the overall needs of the organization.
·
Hire, train, manage, evaluate, develop, and
supervise Development staff with an emphasis on succession and professional
development.
·
Lead team members in setting work goals and
maintaining accountability for goal achievement.
·
Ensure that staff members are resourced with
individual professional development plans.
·
Provide oversight and continually improve to
ensure excellent internal processes and systems.
·
Collaborate with the Executive Team to develop
project overviews, create an internal support network for donor meetings and
events, and ensure that the organization’s needs and priorities are being met.
·
Collaborate closely with the Marketing team to
ensure development and campaign messaging and materials are aligned with
overall institutional messaging and brand standards.
·
Coordinate with the Property team, including
Horticulture, Collections, Learning & Engagement, and Interpretation, to
maintain an institution-wide fundraising project grid and support the creation
of overviews and budgets to have project information available for conversation
and solicitation.
Traits
and Characteristics
The Chief
Development Officer will be an experienced and charismatic leader with a
passion for Filoli’s mission and a deep appreciation of its beautiful setting.
Highly motivated and energetic, they will possess highly developed
organizational skills and be well versed in development best practices. A
dynamic and experienced development professional with a proven fundraising
track record that includes capital campaigns, they will also be experienced in
leading and mentoring teams. An inspiring communicator and authentic
relationship builder, the CDO will be committed to Filoli’s efforts to
integrate accountability to support and sustain a racially equitable
organization.
Other key
competencies include:
·
Leadership &
Teamwork – The ability to cooperate with
others to meet objectives, leading with authenticity, self-awareness, and
emotional intelligence, inspiring trust through personal example.
·
Interpersonal
Skills & Appreciating Others – The
ability to communicate effectively, building rapport, and relating well to all
kinds of people, and the disposition to identify with and care about others. Committed to Filoli’s dedication to
integrating accountability across all efforts to support and sustain a racially
equitable organization.
·
Flexibility &
Personal Accountability – The dexterity to
be a change agent who can readily modify, respond, and adapt, paired with the
commitment to being answerable for personal actions.
·
Decision-Making
– The capability to gather and analyze
relevant information to make sound, timely, values-aligned decisions.
Qualifications
A
minimum of seven years of progressive fundraising experience with a proven
track record of closing major gifts, campaign oversight, and communication
responsibilities in a comparable institution, program, or function is
essential. Direct experience managing a professional team of fundraisers in a
campaign environment with proven success in directly securing gifts is
required. Experience serving on a senior staff or executive team and direct
relationships with board and volunteer fundraisers is required. A working
knowledge of databases, with experience in Blackbaud Altru or similar customer
relationship management systems (CRM), is required. A comprehensive knowledge
and understanding of trends and best practices in the philanthropic sector, and
a successful experience with large, comprehensive campaigns is needed. A
bachelor’s degree is required, and an advanced degree and/or specialized
training or certification in fundraising are a plus. The flexibility to work a
schedule that includes evenings and weekends, with 20% to 40% remote work
optional, is required. The ability to sit for long periods at a computer and
occasionally stand, walk across uneven terrain, climb stairs, reach, lift,
carry, bend, and lift or carry items up to 25 pounds is necessary. The
successful candidate will embody leadership, collaboration, and innovation in a
dynamic, mission-driven environment.
Compensation
and Benefits
Filoli provides a
competitive and equitable compensation package. The range for the annual salary
is estimated between $220,000 and $245,000. Employee benefits include paid
vacation (15 days based on management status), sick leave, personal days,
holidays, health, long-term disability, life insurance, and a voluntary 401(k)
retirement plan.
Applications
and Inquiries
To submit a cover
letter and resume with a summary of demonstrable accomplishments (electronic
submissions preferred), please visit https://artsconsulting.com/opensearches/filoli-historic-house-and-garden-seeks-chief-development-officer/
Filoli is an equal opportunity employer. We strive
to create a working environment that includes and respects cultural, racial,
ethnic, sexual orientation, and gender identity diversity. Women, racial and
ethnic minorities, persons with disabilities, persons over 40 years of age,
disabled and Vietnam-era veterans, and people of all sexual orientations and
gender identities are encouraged to apply.
