Director of Major Gifts

Whitney Museum of American Art•New York, NY

8d•$175,000 - $185,000

About The Position

The Director of Major Gifts will provide strategic leadership in securing significant philanthropic support for the museum. Overseeing a growing team of Major Gift Officers, the Director will develop and implement a comprehensive major gifts strategy to grow and manage a portfolio of donors capable of contributing six figures and above to the Whitney. They will be responsible for guiding and coaching MGOs in effective moves management while also managing a portfolio of high-level donors. This position will report to the Chief Advancement Officer.

Requirements

Bachelor’s Degree
8-10+ years' experience in nonprofit advancement/major gifts fundraising; experience in museums or cultural institutions a plus
Proven track record of securing six figure+ gifts
Proven ability to manage donor information with discretion
Expert written and oral communication skills- ability to communicate the Whitney’s mission to a broad audience; adept at crafting proposals, donor correspondence, and other materials
Experience managing and coaching others toward success
Collaborative, team player who excels at partnering with colleagues
Data-driven fundraiser with comfort leveraging Raiser’s Edge or related software
Self-starter with the ability to multi-task and prioritize requests
Strong organizational skills

Nice To Haves

experience in museums or cultural institutions a plus

Responsibilities

Develop overarching strategy for major gift fundraising at the Whitney, including fundraising for exhibitions, endowment, education, capital projects, and other strategic priorities
Coach a team of high-performing MGOs toward individualized fundraising goals; routinely review portfolios and pipeline health, monitoring related metrics
Lead by example by practicing strong major donor management for own portfolio of six-figure donors
Partner closely with the Director of Individual Giving, membership team, and prospect researcher to develop a robust major gifts pipeline
Ensure organizational leaders (staff and volunteer) are effectively prepared to engage and solicit key donors
Promote a strong stewardship experience that encourages donor retention and upgrades
Attend key patron group, acquisition committee, and museum events to build and steward relationships with donors and prospects
Create systems for tracking progress toward goals in partnership with the Director of Advancement Operations
Stay current with industry best practices for fundraising and donor relationship management
Lead and coordinate relevant trainings and professional development opportunities for Major Gifts team on moves management, relationship-building, industry trends, and goal setting
Build library of Major Gifts process documentation, in partnership with Director of Advancement Operations
Oversee team budget in partnership with Chief Advancement Officer and Chief Financial Officer