Posted on September 5, 2012

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Director of Individual Giving

The Museum of the City of New York celebrates and interprets the city, educating the public about its distinctive character, especially its heritage of diversity, opportunity, and perpetual transformation. The Museum is riding an exciting wave of success and is in the midst of a revitalization of its mission and operations, which centers on the renovation and expansion of its historic building, the advancement of the stewardship of its collections, and new and ambitious exhibitions, publications, and public and school programs.

The Director of Individual Giving identifies, cultivates, solicits, and stewards gifts from individuals for the Museum’s general operations and for restricted projects, including managing the Museum’s membership program and four special support groups: the Alexander Hamilton Circle, a major donor program; the Women’s Committee; the Frederick A.O. Schwarz Children’s Center Committee; and the Young Members Circle.

The Director is a senior member of a ten-person development team, responsible for building and strengthening relationships with current donors, as well as prospecting new gifts to substantially expand the Museum’s individual donor base. He/she implements and executes a variety of solicitations, including membership renewal and direct mail campaigns, on-site solicitations, annual appeals, and digital outreach. He/she conceives and implements cultivation events to enhance donor relationships and to increase gifts from individuals.

The Director of Individual Giving seeks not only to retain and upgrade existing individual donors, but to actively identify and acquire new donors and members through research, cultivation, and targeted outreach.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Plan and manage all endeavors to secure gifts from individuals for the Museum’s general operations and for restricted projects, including exhibitions and collections initiatives.
• Work collaboratively with the Museum’s Director and Senior Vice President of External Affairs to identify, cultivate, and secure new and renewing donors for the Alexander Hamilton Circle patrons’ program and for several specialized donor groups, including a Women’s Committee and Young Members’ Circle.
• Supervise a Membership Manager and oversee all aspects of the membership program, including the management of income and expense budgets, and the execution of renewal and annual appeal campaigns, digital and on-site membership marketing, and personal solicitations.
• Ensure the cost-effective fulfillment of all membership and patron benefits.
• Execute well-managed and conceived donor cultivation and stewardship events--curator-led tours, lunches, and off-site lectures and receptions.
• Produce reports to measure the success of campaigns and to track gifts from trustees and other individuals.
• Carefully monitor income and expenses throughout the year.
• Actively research and cultivate prospects from a variety of sources, including the general membership base, donors to gala events, and attendees at public programs.
• Coordinate meetings and a series of off-site fundraising events for the Frederick A.O. Schwarz Children’s Center Committee.
• Manage the production of invitations and mailing lists for exhibition opening receptions. Liaise with individual donors at openings and other Museum events and facilitate introductions at these events for key donors with the Museum’s Director and other senior staff.
• Produce timely and accurate donor lists, including for the Annual Report and Fifth Avenue donor wall.
• Work with the Finance Office to reconcile income and expenses and provide supplemental reporting material as necessary.
• Provide assistance as needed with other departmental projects, including gala events and trustee meetings.
• Actively use the Raiser’s Edge database management system to create and generate reports. Oversee the accurate and timely input of data on all individual contributions.

EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS

• Seven to ten years of development experience, preferably with a cultural institution, and the proven ability to steward and grow an individual donor program and meet financial goals.
• Experience building a pipeline of annual fund and restricted gifts from individuals.
• A passion for fundraising and a strong knowledge of the philanthropic community in New York City.
• Excellent oral and written communication and interpersonal skills. The ability to communicate clearly and effectively and with enthusiasm.
• A Bachelor’s Degree from a four-year college or university with a preferred major in the humanities
• Experience with social media and a knowledge of how to utilize it to enhance and cultivate support, particularly from young donors.
• Thorough knowledge of Excel, Microsoft Word, and Raiser’s Edge, including its reporting functions.
• Experience in executing and managing cultivation and stewardship events.
• Proven ability to manage expense budgets and attain revenue goals.
• A poised, focused, results-driven professional who can multi-task, establish priorities, and work both independently and as a member of a team.
• Common sense, discretion, attention to detail, and the ability to work gracefully in a high-energy environment.

Application Instructions

Please send resume with cover letter and salary history to the Museum of the City of New York, Attention: Human Resources Department, 1220 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10029 or email to jobs@mcny.org

Museum of the City of New York is an Equal Opportunity Employer