Director of Philanthropy

Honolulu Academy of Arts • Honolulu, HI

6d • $130,000 - $150,000 • Onsite

About The Position

The Director of Philanthropy (“DoP”) is the senior leader responsible for the strategy, execution, and performance of the Honolulu Museum of Art’s philanthropy program. Reporting to the Chief Advancement Officer (“CAO”), the DoP leads and develops the frontline fundraising team, strengthens donor strategy and moves management, and drives philanthropic revenue in support of the Museum’s mission, campaign priorities, and long-term sustainability. As a hands-on fundraising leader, the DoP manages a focused portfolio of major and leadership-level donors and prospects while guiding significant cultivation and solicitation efforts across the team. They set portfolio and pipeline standards, strengthen qualification and moves management practices, and ensures fundraising activity is strategic, measurable, and results oriented. As HoMA advances its campaign, the DoP leads the Major Gifts phase and translates campaign strategy into coordinated frontline execution. The DoP also expands planned giving and complex and blended gift strategies, strengthening the team’s ability to identify and advance sophisticated philanthropic opportunities in partnership with the CAO, Advancement Services, Finance, and appropriate professional advisors.

Requirements

• A bachelor’s degree or an equivalent combination of education and relevant professional experience.
• Ten years of progressively responsible fundraising experience.
• Demonstrated success cultivating, soliciting, and securing significant major and leadership gifts, including advancing donors toward increasingly sophisticated giving opportunities.
• Experience effectively managing, coaching, and developing multiple staff members, with the ability to build accountability, confidence, and performance across a team.
• Strong background in fundraising strategy, pipeline and portfolio management, revenue forecasting, and data-informed decision-making.
• Excellence with written and verbal communications and interpersonal and relationship management skills.
• Proficiency in CRM systems.
• Demonstrated experience identifying and advancing planned, non-cash, complex, or blended gift opportunities and coordinating appropriate internal and external expertise.
• Honesty, integrity, sound judgment, and a commitment to ethical fundraising and effective follow-through.

Nice To Haves

• Experience leading major gift fundraising within a comprehensive or capital campaign environment.
• Proficiency integrating planned giving into major gift, campaign, or broader fundraising strategy.
• CFRE certification or progress toward certification.
• Experience with Tessitura.
• Experience in a museum, arts and culture, higher education, or other complex nonprofit environment.
• Hawaiʻi fundraising or community experience preferred; candidates from other markets should demonstrate success establishing relationships, credibility, and philanthropic networks in a new community.
• Understanding of and dedication to advancing the Honolulu Museum of Art’s identity, vision, and values.

Responsibilities

• Leads the strategy, execution, and performance of HoMA’s integrated philanthropy program across annual, major, corporate and foundation, and planned giving.
• Maintains and advances a strategically focused portfolio of major and leadership-level donors and prospects, personally leading significant cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship opportunities.
• Provides strategic leadership for institutional giving, ensuring corporate and foundation fundraising is aligned with Museum priorities, campaign strategy, and broader philanthropic opportunities.
• Establishes clear fundraising goals, portfolio standards, and performance expectations and is accountable for progress toward individual and team revenue objectives.
• Leads the development and execution of HoMA’s major gifts strategy, building a pipeline of qualified prospects and donors capable of increasingly significant support.
• Drives the Major Gifts phase of the campaign, translating campaign strategy into coordinated cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship activity across the frontline team.
• Leads prospect strategy and portfolio reviews, reinforcing disciplined qualification, moves management, upgrade strategies, and timely solicitation planning.
• Partners with the CAO on campaign execution, principal- and leadership-level gift strategy, and the highest-priority donor opportunities while providing hands-on fundraising leadership across the team.
• Supervises, develops, and evaluates fundraisers, establishing clear expectations, accountability, and performance measures.
• Provides hands-on coaching, mentoring, and strategic guidance to build the fundraising skills, confidence, and effectiveness of a developing team.
• Builds a consistent culture of donor-centered strategy, disciplined moves management, collaboration, and continuous improvement across the philanthropy team.
• Partners with the CAO on hiring, onboarding, talent development, performance management, and succession planning and serves as an experienced fundraising leadership resource across Advancement.
• Owns the fundraising strategy and growth of HoMA’s planned giving program, integrating legacy giving into major gift, campaign, and broader fundraising strategies rather than treating it as a separate channel.
• Identifies and advances opportunities for planned, non-cash, complex, and blended gifts that may combine current, campaign, endowed, and deferred support.
• Coordinates with Advancement Services, Finance, legal counsel, and donors’ professional advisors as appropriate to develop and execute sophisticated gift opportunities while ensuring sound documentation and administration.
• Partners across Advancement and with Museum leadership and program colleagues to ensure coordinated donor strategy, engagement, solicitation, and stewardship.
• Leads coordination across membership, annual giving, institutional giving, major gifts, and planned giving to strengthen donor progression and create clear pathways toward deeper philanthropic engagement.
• Supports the CAO in preparing fundraising forecasts, pipeline analysis, and strategy for Museum leadership, trustees, and the Advancement Committee; helps equip trustees and institutional leaders for effective donor engagement; and upholds leading practices in stewardship, donor confidentiality, and ethical fundraising.
• Demonstrates a commitment to fostering cultivating, and preserving a culture of inclusivity, diversity, equity, and accessibility through respectful communication and cooperation with others, continuous training, and the modeling of inclusive behaviors.
• In partnership with HR, supports the leadership team in ensuring equitable experiences, strengthening inclusion acumen and promoting a culture of belonging that embraces the contributions of all staff.
• Other duties as assigned.

Benefits

• Fully covered medical, dental, and vision insurance for employees.
• 12 paid holidays.
• 15 days of vacation accrued in the 1st year, increasing to 20 days in the 2nd year.
• 15 days of sick leave accrued annually.
• Group retirement plans with employer matching after 12 months of service.
• Shop, Museum Café, and Art School discounts.
• Onsite parking provided.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior