Advancement Director

MATTRESS FACTORY•Pittsburgh, PA

1d•$70,000 - $85,000•Hybrid

About The Position

Mattress Factory is a contemporary art museum and artist residency seeking an Advancement Director to lead its fundraising, membership, marketing, advertising, and public relations efforts. This role is crucial for securing and diversifying resources to support the museum's artist-centered mission, especially as it approaches its 50th anniversary. The Advancement Director will be a key member of the Senior Leadership Team, working closely with the Executive Director to develop and implement comprehensive strategies. The position involves direct supervision of the Development and Membership Manager and the Marketing Manager, and collaboration with other departments and external stakeholders. The ideal candidate is a relationship builder, a compelling storyteller, and a strategic thinker passionate about contemporary art and community engagement.

Requirements

A minimum of 5 years of progressive experience in fundraising, development, or advancement, with demonstrated success securing major gifts, grants, and sponsorships.
A bachelor's degree in nonprofit management, marketing, communications, or a related field — or equivalent experience.
Demonstrated experience writing successful grant proposals and managing institutional funder relationships.
Supervisory experience, with a proven ability to mentor and inspire staff while fostering a collaborative and inclusive workplace culture.
Experience planning and executing high-profile fundraising events and campaigns.
Working knowledge of marketing, communications, and public relations sufficient to guide and support a marketing team.
Experience working with and supporting boards and volunteer committees.
A strategic thinker with outstanding interpersonal and communication skills.
A collaborative and generous team member who values cross-departmental work.
Passion for contemporary art and an understanding of the role of art in civic life and community engagement.
A strong commitment to equity, diversity, accessibility, and inclusion.
Candidates must be available on weekends and evenings as necessary.
Must be able to travel domestically to lead the museum's donor trips, typically one to two times per year.
Must reside in the greater Pittsburgh area.

Nice To Haves

Experience with donor travel, curated dinners, or other intimate cultivation experiences is a strong plus.
Experience in a museum, arts, or cultural organization is a plus.

Responsibilities

Partner with the Executive Director to set, pursue, and achieve annual contributed revenue goals.
Design and lead a comprehensive fundraising program spanning individual giving, membership, foundation and corporate support, government funding, sponsorship, and special events.
Expand and diversify revenue by cultivating relationships with local and national foundations, corporations, and public funders.
Build and steward a personal portfolio of major gift donors and prospects, working alongside the Executive Director and Board of Directors on cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.
Develop and monitor the advancement budget, ensuring effective financial stewardship and a clear return on investment.
Contribute to fundraising planning for the museum's 50th anniversary and related campus and capital priorities.
Own the institutional funding calendar and strategy, ensuring proposals and reports are accurate, compelling, and submitted on time.
Write and submit grant proposals and reports directly, carrying a meaningful portion of the grant writing work.
Coordinate grant assignments across the team, gather program content from colleagues, and maintain compliance with funder guidelines and deadlines.
Cultivate and maintain direct relationships with program officers and institutional funders.
Build and manage a comprehensive donor and prospect pipeline focused on local and national prospects.
Generate individual, business, and foundation prospect lists; oversee research; and coordinate meetings and tours in collaboration with the Executive Director and Board of Directors.
Ensure timely, personal, and meaningful stewardship of donors at every level.
Spearhead Mattress Factory's donor travel program, leading one to two trips per year that take donors and supporters to unique arts destinations.
Design each donor travel itinerary in partnership with the Executive Director and artistic staff, identifying destinations and hosts, securing behind-the-scenes access, and shaping a memorable experience.
Spearhead the museum's Advocate Dinners, regular gatherings that bring together donors, artists, community members, and supporters.
Connect Advocate Dinners to the museum's broader cultivation strategy, ensuring meaningful follow-up and a clear path to deeper engagement and support.
Champion a culture of belonging across the museum's donor and community programs.
Lead and manage the museum's Annual Fund and other year-round fundraising initiatives.
Provide fundraising leadership for the annual Garden Party, including sponsorship, ticket sales, and revenue goals.
Collaborate on private, special, and rental events to support and grow earned event revenue.
Ensure fundraising and cultivation goals are built into museum events, openings, and public programs.
Provide strategic direction for the museum's membership program, setting goals and growth strategies.
Ensure membership serves as a healthy pipeline into annual and major giving.
Support the development of premiere membership and patron groups and the engagement opportunities that sustain them.
Provide strategic oversight of Mattress Factory's marketing, communications, and public relations.
Ensure marketing strategy aligns with the museum's mission, strategic plan, and earned and contributed revenue goals.
Safeguard and evolve the museum's brand identity, ensuring consistent messaging and aesthetics across all channels.
Oversee the museum's digital engagement strategy (website, social media, email marketing, and paid and earned media) and use performance data to refine campaigns and maximize impact.
Serve as a spokesperson for the museum and help cultivate relationships with local, national, and international media.
Develop and monitor the marketing budget to ensure effective allocation of resources.
Supervise, mentor, and develop the Development and Membership Manager and the Marketing Manager, setting clear goals and supporting their professional growth.
Manage departmental contractors, consultants, and occasional interns.
Foster a departmental culture that is collaborative, accountable, creative, and generous.
Maintain a detailed advancement calendar so that campaigns, appeals, deadlines, and events are executed on time and in coordination with one another.
Collaborate as a member of the museum's Senior Leadership Team, with proactive input into decisions affecting Mattress Factory's annual and long-term operating plans.
Serve as a senior staff advisor to the Executive Director, providing strategic counsel and insight to support decision-making and the achievement of organizational goals.
Foster a spirit of collaboration and mutual respect across departments.
Partner with the Executive Director to keep the Board of Directors informed and engaged by helping to plan board and committee meetings, preparing advancement materials and dashboards, tracking fundraising progress against goals, and ensuring timely follow-up.
Attend Board of Directors meetings and staff the Board's Advancement Committee, the Garden Party Host Committee, and other volunteer committees.
In collaboration with the Executive Director, help recruit, orient, and engage board members and volunteers in the work of advancement.
Represent the museum publicly, building relationships with donors, stakeholders, community leaders, and cultural partners that advance the museum's mission.
Other duties as assigned by the Executive Director.