Barbara Ben-Horin New SBMA Director of Development

The Santa Barbara Museum of Art is pleased to announce the appointment of Barbara Ben-Horin as Director of Development. It is anticipated that she will officially begin her new position on January 18, 2011.

With more than 30 years as a leader and fundraiser for major nonprofit organizations, Ms. Ben-Horin most recently comes to SBMA from the position of Chief Executive Officer for the Foundation for Santa Barbara City College, the 5th largest community college foundation in the U.S. and considered the most successful among those in California.

Previous to her position at SBCC, Ms. Ben-Horin served as the National Vice President for Planned Giving with American Friends of The Hebrew University (AFHU) in New York, the U.S. fundraising arm for The Hebrew University of Jerusalem which holds approximately $400 million in its endowment to support the University. In her position, she designed and managed a national planned giving effort, securing gifts ranging from $100,000 to $20 million.

SBMA Director, Larry Feinberg, states, “The Museum confronts the same uphill battle that all nonprofits are facing in the wake of this sustained economic downturn. With major development issues on the horizon, including the need to address replacement and renovation of some parts of our facility, this is the right time to adjust our development team and to meet these challenges. Barbara is a very gifted person who not only has proven to be an effective fundraiser, but also has distinguished herself in Santa Barbara as a strong community leader.”

Before her employment with AFHU, as well as an eight-year position at the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), Ms. Ben-Horin lived and worked in Santa Barbara for 22 years directing two nonprofit organizations, the Santa Barbara Jewish Federation and Shelter Services for Women (now known as Domestic Violence Solutions) and served for seven years as the assistant administrator for the SB County Office of Education.

Feinberg continues, “Barbara has devoted her life to raising money for educational institutions, so we are particularly pleased for her to join the Museum’s team because of our strong educational mission and programming, especially in the public schools.”

In addition to her exceptional expertise in development and fundraising, Ms. Ben-Horin’s career has resulted in well-honed skills in the areas of fiscal management; board, staff, and organizational development; strategic and long term planning; and marketing, media, and community relations.

Ms. Ben-Horin currently serves on the boards of the Anti-Defamation League Santa Barbara Tri-Counties Region and Congregation B’nai B’rith. She is a member of the Foundation for SBCC President’s Council and the Santa Barbara Foundation Women’s Fund, and was recently asked to become a member of the newly formed Domestic Violence Solutions Honorary Council.