Chief Philanthropy Officer

The Opportunity

Holocaust Museum Houston (HMH) seeks a dynamic, strategic, and entrepreneurial leader to serve as Chief Philanthropy Officer (CPO).

This is a rare opportunity to help shape the future of one of the nation’s leading Holocaust museums and educational institutions—expanding its reach, strengthening its national voice, and building the philanthropic engine required for long-term impact.

At its core, this role is about philanthropic growth. The successful candidate will partner closely with the CEO and Board of Trustees to drive major and principal gifts ($50,000 and up), grow the museum’s endowment from ~$15M to $45M, and position the institution for a future growth.

Depending on experience and performance, the role can grow from a philanthropy-focused portfolio into a broader advancement leadership position.

Why now?

HMH stands at an inflection point.

• Nearly 30 years after its founding by Holocaust survivors, the museum has become a major cultural and educational institution
• Annual fundraising is approximately $7M, with significant growth potential
• The museum is expanding its national profile and educational reach at a time of rising antisemitism and civic urgency
• In the near term, a major exhibition will significantly increase visibility and audience engagement—creating immediate opportunities for leadership gifts, donor expansion, and institutional partnerships

This moment will serve as a catalyst for building momentum toward future campaign efforts.

The Role

Reporting to the CEO and serving as a member of the senior leadership team, this leader will oversee a philanthropy-centered advancement function.

Core Responsibilities (Immediate Focus)

• Lead all aspects of development and fundraising, including:
• Major and principal gifts
• Annual giving and membership
• Institutional and foundation support
• Planned and legacy giving
• Events and donor engagement
• Personally manage and grow a portfolio of top-tier donors and prospects
• Build, manage, and continuously develop a high-performing, accountable, and collaborative advancement team, including:
• Establishing clear goals, metrics, and portfolio discipline
• Coaching and mentoring staff to increase effectiveness and retention
• Recruiting and structuring the team to support long-term growth
• Creating a culture of performance, ownership, and continuous improvement
• Drive strategy and execution to significantly increase contributed revenue

Expanded Scope (Over time)

• Provide oversight of Marketing and Communications, including:
• Brand positioning and institutional voice
• Strategic storytelling aligned with philanthropic priorities
• Audience development and engagement
• Over time, may expand to include broader advancement integration, including elements of the museum experience that directly support engagement and philanthropy

Key Priorities (First 18–24 Months)

• Strengthen advancement infrastructure, systems, and team performance
• Expand major and principal gift fundraising
• Accelerate endowment growth and legacy giving
• Elevate institutional storytelling to support philanthropic outcomes
• Align marketing and communications with development strategy
• Leverage a major upcoming exhibition as a platform for leadership gifts and donor growth
• Build the relationships, pipelines, and momentum necessary for a future comprehensive campaign

The Ideal Candidate

• Proven success securing major and principal gifts at scale
• Strong experience in building and leading high-performing fundraising teams
• Strategic partner to CEO and Board in driving philanthropic growth
• Demonstrated ability to use storytelling, brand, and engagement to advance fundraising outcomes
• Entrepreneurial mindset with the ability to build systems and scale impact
• Experience overseeing or collaborating closely with marketing and communications functions
• Capacity and interest to grow into a broader advancement leadership role over time
• Familiarity with Houston/Texas and Jewish philanthropic communities a plus

Title and Growth Path

The role is designed with the flexibility to evolve from Chief Philanthropy Officer to Chief Advancement Officer over time, as scope expands and organizational needs continue to grow.

Disclaimer:

This job description is intended to provide a general overview of the responsibilities and requirements of the position and is not intended to be an exhaustive list of duties. The Museum reserves the right to modify job responsibilities, work schedules, or expectations as needed. Nothing in this description alters the at-will employment relationship between the employee and the Museum.