Associate Director of Membership & Individual Giving

Canyon•New York, NY

2d•Onsite

About The Position

Canyon seeks a full-time Associate Director of Membership & Individual Giving to support the Chief Advancement Officer in launching Canyon's membership programs and individual giving opportunities, and support all fundraising activities for the organization. About Canyon Canyon is a new contemporary art center dedicated to exhibiting video, sound, and performance, opening on the Lower East Side of Manhattan in fall 2026. Spanning approximately 40,000 square feet, the venue encompasses exhibition galleries, a 120-seat performance space, an 800-person event hall, a restaurant, bar, mezzanine café, and theater. Canyon presents two major exhibitions per year alongside a year-round program of live events, performances, screenings, and community programming. Position Summary The Associate Director of Membership & Individual Giving, is responsible for developing, implementing, and overseeing the launch and growth of Canyon's membership programs and individual giving opportunities. The Associate Director of Membership & Individual Giving, reports to the Chief Advancement Officer (CAO) and is an integral part of the organization, working closely with the executive team, Visitor Services, and Communications. Opening in the fall of 2026 in the Lower East Side, Canyon expects to welcome hundreds of new members, donors, and thousands of visitors each year. This position will play a key role on the founding advancement team and the launch of fundraising strategies. They will oversee the launch of Canyon's membership program and individual giving opportunities, and support the CAO in coordinating and producing all development special events, including the annual gala, member events and exhibition openings, and cultivation and partner events.

Requirements

5+ years of experience in a similar fundraising position
Experience running membership programs, donor groups, and producing special events
Knowledge of significant funders, leaders in philanthropy, social, and cultural circles in NYC
Comfortable engaging with people, cultivating relationships, and facilitating solicitations
Proficient in donor CRM systems, communications software, and ideally experience with Adobe Creative Cloud or graphic design software preferred
Experience with gift processing, member/donor benefit fulfillment, and communications
Possess sound judgement, diplomancy, hospitality, and discretion in donor relations
Proactive, creative, positive, and resourceful problem solver and communicator who takes initiative and anticipates needs in advance
Highly organized and detail oriented
Excellent verbal, written and communication skills

Nice To Haves

Experience in a museum, performing arts or cultural institution, or
Passionate about deeply connecting with others through performances, video and media art, music, and art that moves, hospitality, and wide ranging audiences
Experience with Google Workspace, Project Management software (Click-Up, Asana, similar)
Experience with CRM software best practices and data entry, and event management software
Experience working in hospitality, customer relations, or start-up/early stage organizations

Responsibilities

Actualize, implement, launch and manage Canyon's membership program and related events, benefits, and stewardship programs
Work closely with the Chief Advancement Officer to develop and execute strategies for annual appeals, membership campaigns, and individual giving programs
Identify, cultivate and solicit new members and donors, focusing on general membership
Manage the gift processing, acknowledgment, and tracking process, and track department expenses and budgets, providing regular reports
Craft written communications and marketing materials for membership and development outreach, mailings, solicitations, newsletters, events, proposals, and annual reports
Conduct prospect research, wealth screenings, and run reports of donor and prospect portfolios for team meetings, actions, and solicitations
Act as rockstar CRM lead for advancement, tracking donors, prospects, and contacts
Manage advancement's calendar of events, including membership events, donor stewardship and prospect cultivation events, the annual gala, and exhibition openings and program receptions
Support the CAO in coordinating all fundraising event logistics and manage the budget, expense and income tracking for each event
Manage member, donor, and VIP lists for all Canyon special events, external member or partner events, and organize cultivation events with Canyon's programmatic partners
Book meetings, tours, and travel
Work select events that may take place outside of working hours