Gift Operations Administrator
About The Position
ABOUT THE LUCAS MUSEUM OF NARRATIVE ART Opening in September 2026, the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art is dedicated to illustrated storytelling. Founded by George Lucas and Mellody Hobson, the museum’s collection features works by artists including Norman Rockwell, Kadir Nelson, Jessie Willcox Smith, N. C. Wyeth, Beatrix Potter, Judith F. Baca, Frida Kahlo, and Maxfield Parrish; as well as comic art legends such as Winsor McCay, Jack Kirby, Frank Frazetta, Alison Bechdel, Chris Ware, and R. Crumb; and photographers Gordon Parks, Henri Cartier-Bresson, and Dorothea Lange. The Museum also houses the Lucas Archives, containing models, props, concept art, and costumes from Lucas’s filmmaking career. Designed by Ma Yansong of MAD with a landscape by Mia Lehrer of Studio-MLA, the Museum is in Exposition Park, Los Angeles, on an 11-acre campus that includes new green space and a 300,000-square-foot building with galleries, two theaters, a library, restaurant, café, retail store, and community spaces. POSITION SUMMARY The Gift Operations Administrator contributes to the integrity of gift operations and data management at the museum. The primary focus of this role is daily gift entry, donor acknowledgment workflows, and seamless financial operations in accordance with industry best practices and IRS guidelines. The Administrator reports to the Manager, Database and Donor Operations, working closely with the finance team to ensure contributions are accurately and efficiently logged for reporting and compliance purposes. The ideal candidate will bring a strong understanding of gift acceptance best practices, experience handling payment transactions, a keen attention to detail, and an aptitude for improving systems and processes.
Requirements
- Bachelors in relevant field and/or a minimum of 3-5 years of experience in gift processing, accounts receivables, or a related area
- Strong understanding of fundraising operations, industry best practices, and IRS guidelines
- Advanced proficiency with Tessitura or other donation database system
- Proficiency in Microsoft tools (Excel, Word, Teams, OneDrive, Planner)
- Highest degree of professionalism and discretion in dealing with donor information.
- Knowledge of basic accounting principles and experience with financial software applications a plus
- Strong attention to detail and accuracy in data entry and record-keeping
- Highly organized and analytical, with meticulous attention to detail
- Excellent written and verbal communication and interpersonal skills
- Ability to work collaboratively in a team environment and handle multiple tasks efficiently Experience managing multiple projects at once.
Nice To Haves
- Experience in admission-based non-profit arts and culture institution strongly preferred
Responsibilities
- Manage all aspects of gift operations, including individual, corporate, and foundation gifts, invoicing, and acknowledgment, in accordance with industry best practices and IRS guidelines
- Responsible for recording all contributions (gifts, pledges, payments, and account adjustments) in Tessitura including but not limited to monitoring: bank transfers, stocks, checks (incl. DAFs and matching-gifts), credit cards, online donations, fundraising event ticket purchases, etc.
- Run monthly automatic renewal and credit card billing procedures
- Review and post daily batches to Tessitura
- Support acknowledgment processes, partnering with colleagues across fundraising departments to ensure timely, accurate, and personalized gift acknowledgments
- Review gifts to ensure contributions captured in Tessitura are using the correct fields, including but not limited to solicitation ask amount, dates, campaigns/funds/designations/source codes, to ensure accurate reporting on Tessitura Analytics
- Manage refund process for erroneous contributions, and ad hoc refunds for memberships, etc.
- Support Finance team as they conduct routine reconciliations of contributions
- Collaborate with Finance and fundraising team to review and secure open pledges before year end
- Generate regular contribution and revenue reports from Tessitura, and share with the Finance and fundraising teams as required on the determined time basis (daily, weekly, monthly); and ensure these are appropriately stored within SharePoint
- Update and maintain donor records to support data accuracy, consistency, and reporting reliability.
- Implement and improve the museum’s gift processing workflow, policies and procedures
- Provide training to staff on Tessitura best practices i.e. completing gift entry forms, ensuring gift agreements are saved to Tessitura records and shared with Finance for accruals
- Monitor the gift entry form, encouraging and leading fundraisers in how to complete the form
- Proactively seek to optimize Gift entry process to minimize errors
- Provide assistance and guidance to staff regarding the gift and pledge process—including donor advised funds, gifts of stock, wire transfers, and corporate matching gifts
- Maintain standard operating procedures (SOPs) for gift operations, ensuring materials and process guides are current, organized, and easily accessible
- Work with Finance and Manager, Database and Donor Operations to ensure Campaign, Funds, GL codes are accurately setup and recorded in Tessitura/NetSuite; optimizing communication of gift designation changes and other adjustments
- Be an advocate for Tessitura within the Department, previous experience of using Tessitura for gift entry and reporting is essential
- Collaborate with the Finance team to ensure compliance with all applicable laws and regulations, maintain accountability standards to donors, and safeguard confidentiality in accordance with the ethical principles and professional standards of fundraising
- Manage Invoices in Concur for Membership and Development Operations Department
- Manage credit card expense reconciliation for Director of Membership and Development Operations, and others as necessary
- Undertake additional tasks and responsibilities as appropriate
- Assist with fundraising activities and events as needed
- Adhere to the museum's data protection policies and procedures
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Entry Level
