Senior Director of Philanthropy

Position Summary

The Senior Director of Philanthropy is the Museum's senior fundraising team member, holding full accountability the philanthropic revenue line: individual and major gifts, corporate and foundation partnerships, membership giving, special event fundraising, planned giving, and the annual fund. This is not a single-program role - it is ownership of the institution's entire philanthropy portfolio. The position reports directly to the Chief Executive Officer and operates as a senior individual contributor, personally building donor and funder relationships and executing strategy rather than managing a team.

The role inherits and builds on the fundraising infrastructure, donor data, and three-year development plan established during the Museum's transition period, and is expected to take full ownership of that foundation rather than start from a blank slate.

• Individual & Major Giving
• Corporate & Foundation Partnerships
• Membership Giving
• Special Event Fundraising
• Planned & Legacy Giving
• Annual Fund
• Campaign Support

• Develop and execute an annual philanthropy plan.
• Manage a portfolio of donors and funders spanning individual, corporate, and foundation relationships, including direct cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.
• Own sponsorship strategy.
• Direct the Museum's grant strategy and pipeline across foundation and government sources, coordinating with contracted grant writing support.
• Lead the Museum's signature fundraising events, including sponsorship sales, procurement, budget management, and post-event stewardship.
• Grow the Museum's membership giving program.
• Establish and maintain a donor relations and stewardship.
• Assume ownership of the fundraising systems, donor data, and three-year development plan.
• Coordinate with the Chief Operating Officer to access shared administrative support as needed.

• Total philanthropic revenue.
• Corporate and foundation funding secured.
• Membership program growth.
• Signature event net revenue relative to target.
• Documented donor and funder acknowledgment and stewardship standards, consistently met across every revenue line.

• Bachelor's degree required; relevant graduate coursework or professional certification preferred.
• Minimum five to seven years of progressive nonprofit fundraising experience spanning major gifts, corporate and foundation partnerships, and special event fundraising - not limited to a single revenue line.
• Demonstrated success building or growing a comprehensive development function, including donor membership programs and grant funded initiatives.
• Experience with donor CRM and database systems; the Museum currently uses Blackbaud Altru.
• Proven ability to operate independently, without an established team, while coordinating effectively across departments in a shared resource structure.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including donor and corporate correspondence and grant writing oversight