Chief Advancement Officer

Chief Advancement Officer

Connecticut Historical Society

Hartford, CT

chs.org

The Connecticut Historical Society (CHS) seeks an experienced,
energetic, and creative Chief Advancement Officer (CAO). The CAO
will have the opportunity to shape the CHS’s strategic fundraising
vision for the future. The successful candidate will partner with
the Executive Director/CEO, senior staff leadership, and Board of
Trustees to create, plan, and execute a comprehensive campaign
including annual, capital, and endowment.

The successful candidate will have the demonstrated track record
to lead, build, and manage a multi-faceted, comprehensive
fundraising and marketing program in an environment where the
prospective donor constituency is not immediately obvious. The CAO
will strategically engage the Executive Director/CEO and Board of
Trustees in public outreach and fundraising activities, providing
meaningful engagement opportunities and effective support. S/he
will be a creative and effective manager and implement policies and
best practices to ensure greater staff collaboration and
accountability. The ideal candidate will engage staff, Board of
Trustees, and volunteers at all levels to create a robust
fundraising culture and increase fundraising participation.

The CAO will report to the Executive Director/CEO and lead a
team of five development, marketing, and communications
professionals. The candidate will have accountability to the CHS’s
Campaign Committee and serve on the Executive Leadership Team.

The Connecticut Historical Society (CHS) has always worked to
understand the past and encourage historic inquiry. Through
permanent and groundbreaking temporary exhibitions such as Common
Struggle, Individual Experience, An Exhibition about Mental Health,
the CHS has always worked to ensure that Connecticut residents feel
connected not only to the history and culture of Connecticut but,
through a shared understanding of history, with each other. The
public programming of the CHS serves school groups, families,
teachers, curious life-long learning adults, researchers, and the
State of Connecticut. The CHS is the only state historical
organization that offers a folklife program, the Connecticut
Cultural Heritage Arts Program, to ensure the collection is an
inclusive and true representation of the diversity of the state.
The adoption of the state folklife program in 2015 resulted in
bringing more than 60,000 objects, mostly photographic and video
content, of the diverse cultural groups that are in
Connecticut.

The Connecticut Historical Society is at an exciting moment in
its history. As the organization prepares for its 200th Anniversary
in 2025, the CHS is committed to a five-year strategic plan to
enhance its impact by elevating work with diverse communities
across the state to develop engaging programs, events, and
exhibitions. The CHS is in discussions with the State of
Connecticut regarding a potential public-private capital project
which is currently in its early stages of conception. In support of
this capital project, the CHS anticipates launching a comprehensive
fundraising campaign. In preparation for this anticipated campaign,
the CHS has completed a campaign readiness assessment, an extensive
development assessment, and wealth screen of its prospects. The CHS
has also completed an institutional rebrand which will launch to
the public in the first quarter of 2023.

Connecticut Historical Society has retained "http://www.glfreeman.com/">Freeman Philanthropic Services, LLC
to facilitate this executive recruitment. Please send confidential
inquiries and applications directly to Freeman Philanthropic
Services, LLC via e-mail at "mailto:[email protected]">[email protected].