Major Gifts Officer

The Hip Hop Museum•Bronx, NY

19h•Hybrid

About The Position

The Major Gifts Officer is a frontline fundraiser responsible for building meaningful relationships with individual donors and securing major gifts for The Hip Hop Museum. The role focuses on prospect discovery, personalized cultivation, solicitation, and long-term stewardship, with most time devoted to advancing donor relationships. Reporting to the Chief Development Officer (CDO) and Chief Financial Officer (CFO), the officer manages donors and prospects capable of giving $10,000 or more, develops opportunities for five- and six-figure commitments, and partners with leadership on larger gifts and naming opportunities. The officer connects donor interests with Museum priorities and takes ownership of moving relationships toward a gift. The position is hybrid, subject to change based on the Museum’s needs. Occasional evenings, weekends, and holidays are required to attend events or support donor or corporate engagement activities. The salary range is $75,000–$88,000 annually, based on qualifications and experience.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent professional experience.
At least three years of progressive fundraising experience, including direct responsibility for cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding individual major donors.
Demonstrated success personally soliciting and securing five- and six-figure gifts, with specific examples of results and the candidate’s role.
Ability to build a qualified prospect pipeline, manage a donor portfolio, and move relationships from discovery through solicitation and stewardship.
Excellent relationship-building, listening, writing, and presentation skills.
Sound judgment and discretion in handling confidential donor information.
Ability to collaborate effectively with executive leadership, Board members, and colleagues while independently advancing donor relationships.
Working knowledge of fundraising CRM systems and disciplined portfolio documentation.
Strong commitment to the Museum’s mission.

Nice To Haves

Experience with Blackbaud or Altru.
Familiarity with Hip Hop culture, arts, education, or cultural institutions.

Responsibilities

Identify, research, and qualify prospective major donors by assessing their interests, philanthropic capacity, and connection to the Museum’s mission.
Build and manage an active donor portfolio, developing an individualized cultivation strategy, proposed giving opportunity, and clear next steps for each qualified prospect.
Cultivate donor relationships through personal meetings, Museum tours, tailored communications, and purposeful introductions involving leadership and Board members.
Personally solicit and close major gifts, working with the CDO, CFO, CEO, and Board members as appropriate.
Prepare proposals, donor briefings, and cases for support connecting donor interests with capital, programmatic, and operating needs.
Develop qualified mid-level donors into major gift prospects and seek opportunities to renew and increase existing donors’ support.
Create personalized stewardship plans that demonstrate gift impact, strengthen donor confidence, and encourage continued support.
Maintain thoughtful, timely donor communications, including progress updates, recognition, and invitations to relevant Museum experiences.
Coordinate with colleagues to fulfill donor commitments, recognition, and reporting expectations accurately and on time.
Partner with the CDO on cultivation and solicitation strategies and with the CFO on gift structures, funding priorities, and revenue projections.
Prepare leadership and Board members for donor conversations with objectives, tailored briefings, and timely follow-up.
Maintain accurate fundraising CRM records of portfolio contacts, donor interests, proposals, expected decision dates, and next steps.
Establish annual fundraising and portfolio goals with the CDO and CFO, including goals for donor meetings, qualified prospects, solicitations, gifts secured, and donor retention.
Report regularly to the CDO and CFO on progress, opportunities, and barriers, distinguishing prospective gifts from confirmed commitments.