About The Simon Wiesenthal Center

Simon Wiesenthal Center (SWC) is a global Jewish human rights organization that confronts anti-Semitism and hate, defends the safety of Israel and Jews worldwide, and teaches the lessons of the Holocaust through awareness, advocacy, justice, education, and its Museums of Tolerance. With a constituency of over 400,000 member families since its founding in 1977, the SWC has an international footprint through its Museums of Tolerance, Moriah Films, and the Digital Terrorism + Hate Project.

Headquartered in Los Angeles, it maintains operations in New York, Chicago, Miami, Toronto, Paris, Berlin, Jerusalem, and Buenos Aires. It is an accredited Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) at the United Nations, UNESCO, the Organization of American States, the Latin American Parliament, and the Council of Europe and maintains relationships with the highest levels of governments throughout the world.

In 1993, the Center opened the Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles to worldwide acclaim. The Museum has served as the Center’s flagship educational arm, challenging visitors to confront bigotry and racism, and to understand the Holocaust in both historic and contemporary contexts.

In addition, the Center developed Moriah Films to produce theatrical documentaries to educate global audiences. Moriah has produced 17 documentaries to date, two of which have received the Academy Award for best feature documentary, The Long Way Home and Genocide.

Museums of Tolerance – Los Angeles and Mobile Museums

• The Museum has served over 7 million visitors with 350,000 visiting annually, including 100,000 students this year alone, who will participate in a three-hour museum visit and lesson. Over 3 million children and youth have participated in the Museum experience and its programs. Over 200,000 adults have been trained in the Museum’s customized, professional development programs which include Tools for Tolerance®, Teaching Steps to Tolerance, Task Force Against Hate, National Institute Against Hate Crimes, Tools for Tolerance for Teens, and Bridging the Gap. The Tools for Tolerance® program has served over 150,000 law enforcement and criminal justice professionals from throughout California, across the United States, and around the world, and this year will provide professional training to over 10,000 police professionals. The Museum’s educator professional development programs support school communities in California, around the US, and across the world in advancing anti-bias and social justice education, inclusion, and equity. The Mobile Museums of Tolerance is a newly launched network of traveling mobile education center utilizing innovative technology and interactive lessons to bring a message of tolerance directly to communities across the State of Illinois, empowering visitors to combat anti-Semitism, bullying, racism, hate, and intolerance and to promote human dignity. By the end of 2024, a fleet of six new mobile museums will be launched in New York, Florida, California, and Hawaii.

Moriah Films

• Moriah Films is the two-time Academy Award®-winning film division of the Simon Wiesenthal Center. It has produced 18 documentaries that have examined the tragedy of the Holocaust, seminal events in modern Jewish history, the creation of the State of Israel and the lives of epic personalities of the 20th and 21st centuries. Moriah Films’ in-house production studio is a state-of-the-art film, video, and sound editing facility using the latest and most cutting-edge technology available in the industry. Over one billion people around the globe have seen Moriah’s films, including Oscar® winners Genocide and The Long Way Home, in theaters, on cable, and on every major streaming platform. Moriah Films is currently completing its newest documentary which will be released this year on David Ben-Gurion.

At the end of 2023, Jim Berk was appointed Chief Executive Officer of the Simon Wiesenthal Center and tasked with succeeding the organization’s Founder, Rabbi Marvin Hier. He has embarked on a multi-faced re-envisioning to reinforce the organization’s founding principles of advocacy, justice, education, and tolerance, as the organization looks to aggressively expand existing programs and launch new initiatives. For the past 25 years, Mr. Berk has served as CEO of several global companies and has an extensive background running entertainment, leisure, education, and social impact companies. He also has a proven track record in building dynamic leadership teams and creating successful growth companies.

For more information about Simon Wiesenthal Center’s history, please visit: www.wiesenthal.com. 

Purpose of the Position

The Chief Development Officer (CDO) is responsible for leading The Simon Wiesenthal Center’s philanthropy team across the United States and all global efforts in support of its annual and long-term fundraising goals. This leader, in consultation and collaboration with the Chief Executive Officer, is responsible for creating the overall development vision, strategies, and metrics for The Simon Wiesenthal Center. The CDO will work closely with the staff and Board of Directors to infuse a culture of giving at SWC.

The CDO will be an invaluable member of a passionate and dynamic team around the world, dedicated to making a significant impact within the global Jewish and secular communities. This person understands Jewish philanthropy sector but sees the opportunity for development beyond this community as the institution’s mission is to fight for all marginalized communities and anywhere hate exists.

This person will work closely with the CEO and the senior management team as it develops the strategic plan for future expansion and have a voice in the organization’s key decisions as a member of the CEO’s senior leadership team. The CEO looks to build a new team comprised of dynamic, innovative thought partners, and is looking for this position to be a leader among leaders as the institution powers forward.

Key Responsibilities

Executive Leadership

• Serve as a senior member of SWC’s senior leadership team and ensure coordination of fundraising processes and procedures across the organization.
• Partner with the Chief Executive Officer, and other organizational leaders to create and implement new programs and initiatives which will be achieve the organization’s social impact goals and be attractive to individual, foundational, and corporate donors.
• Create a plan for the stewardship and growth of individual, grassroots, direct response, and institutional giving initiatives.
• Prioritize goals and initiatives for organizational collaboration and strategic growth for fundraising.
• Lead an internal review of the existing development group and develop an expanded development group that will fit the operational goals of the organization and the candidate’s assessment of needs.

Revenue Generation

• In partnership with the CEO, expand the creation and continued growth of SWC’s principal giving and major giving programs.
• Serve as the strategy creator, operational executive, and execution leader for SWC’s capital campaign creation and implementation
• Oversee current local, state, and federal grants development initiatives and lead consultants and staff in developing the strategy for continued renewal and opportunities for expansion.
• Serve as an external representative of SWC, its affiliates, programs, and initiatives to effectively steward donors, integrating programmatic staff as needed to increase donor impact.
• Lead the strategy and execution of special events and fundraisers.
• Garner data on fundraising metrics with the goal of conducting analyses and integrating takeaways into institutional fundraising strategies.
• Rigorously conduct and analyze strategic prospect research. Oversee the implementation and continued maintenance of an up-to-date donor tracking system.
• Engage the Board of Directors in fundraising efforts to further a culture of philanthropy and advocacy for SWC’s mission.
• Lead the development and execution of a revitalized and expanded direct mail program, focused on the identification of the next generation of grassroots fundraising donors to Simon Wiesenthal Center.
• Oversee the review and expansion of the current online fundraising operation.
• Build a fundraising strategy and associated list of donor options focused on naming opportunities at Simon Wiesenthal Center.
• Introduce high-stature volunteer engagement to the Center’s comprehensive fundraising culture.
• Work with leadership to leverage to curate the existing donor base to make additional financial commitments.
• Work with the CEO and senior leadership to identify and secure high profile leaders to be honored at SWC Gala dinners.

• Directly manage current development staff of 18, plus three additional positions budgeted but unfilled, and multiple consultants for the development of state and federal grants.
• Install processes enabling ongoing examination of the best fundraising practices of especially relevant national nonprofit organizations and institutions and determine their potential applications for the Center.
• Recruit, appoint, and retain top tier fundraising talent, enabling them to invest their experience and talents, and providing them with mentoring and career growth opportunities.
• Integrate increased fundraising efficiencies including an updated CRM.
• Serve as the key development professional across all organizational initiatives, with a goal to increase staff collaboration.
• Review existing staff knowledge and resources, play a critical role in developing more efficient structures, processes, and staff to improve deliverables as needed.
• Manage the development budget and ensure it is financially viable, sustainable, and on target for annual growth. Encourage and support fundraising skills for all levels across the organization.
• Maintain a thorough knowledge of current issues as they relate to SWC’s internal operations and external programs to increase organizational effectively and programmatic success.

Experience and Professional Qualifications

The Chief Development Officer will have demonstrable experiences in planning and managing annual and capital campaigns, managing the operational components of a comprehensive fundraising platform, managing and mentoring staff, recruiting and managing volunteers, designing and managing stewardship and communications strategies, and planning and managing creative special events. The ideal candidate will have the requisite interpersonal skills necessary to develop meaningful relationships with high capacity donors, representatives of state and federal government agencies and departments, corporate executives, and representatives of local and national foundations.

• Fifteen years of development leadership experience with at least five years of demonstrated success in leading a team.
• Significant experience in major and principal gifts in the 6- and 7-figure range.
• Extensive experience working on the planning, operating, and ongoing management of a capital campaign.
• Detail focused mindset with a desire to implement efficiencies to the development function.
• A track record of interacting with high-net-worth individuals, political and impact leaders, Board of Directors and executive leadership on various fundraising initiatives.
• Experience recruiting, managing, and servicing high-stature volunteers as emissaries and frontline fundraisers.
• Technological savvy and experience utilizing technology to enhance SWC’s fundraising initiatives. Ideally, successful update/implementation of a fundraising CRM.
• Respect and passion for the mission of SWC and MOT.
• Willingness to travel domestically and internationally.
• A dependable work ethic, with a desire to model professional leadership.
• Outstanding written and oral communication skills
• A passion to advocate for SWC’s mission and impact globally.

• A strong set of positive and guiding core values and principles, and a commitment to and passion for the mission of SWC.
• A growth focused mindset with a desire to implement successful fundraising strategies across individual, corporate, foundation, planned, and grassroots development initiatives.
• Charismatic leadership with a desire to build a high functioning, innovative, and growth-focused development team.
• A desire to serve as a catalyst for positive change within SWC. 
• A collaborate operating style who believes we are more effective working together in alignment.
• Willingness to make foundational changes to build a best-in-class development group.
• Genuine interest in forming a partnership with the CEO as a critical member of the executive team. 

• Staff based in the Center’s International Headquarters in Los Angeles, Regional Directors nationwide, and all outsourced operations managers.

• Chief Executive Officer
• Chief Financial Officer / Chief Operating Officer
• Chief Development Officer
• General Counsel
• Global Advocate
• Executive Director, Museums of Tolerance
• Executive Director
• Executive Vice President, Social Action and Advocacy
• Executive Vice President, Media & Communications
• Executive Vice President, Moriah Films
• SVP, Human Resources