Gifts Officer
The Gifts Officer will develop and initiate the practices to identify, cultivate, solicit, close, and steward an active pool of current and new donor prospects. Managing a portfolio of both corporate and individual donors, their primary responsibility is to solicit gifts in support of the Taubman Museum of Art's unrestricted annual fund/general operations and programmatic funding for exhibitions, educational initiatives, and fundraising events. The Gifts Officer must thoroughly understand, and be able to articulate, the museum's mission, vision, culture, values, history, key stakeholders, exhibitions, programs, and finances.
Job Duties and Responsibilities:
- Maintain a current, thorough, and accurate understanding of the museum's exhibitions, programs, and funding priorities to effectively connect funding needs to donor prospects.
- Work with the Deputy Director of Development and the Executive Director to identify, prioritize, and solicit corporate and individual donations.
- Develop relationships in the business community with a focus on increasing and sustaining corporate sponsorships.
- Build and manage a portfolio of 125-150 corporate and individual donors and prospects with an annual giving capacity of $1,000+. Within this list, identify, actively cultivate, and close gifts. This portfolio movement will be reviewed monthly with the Deputy Director of Development and Executive Director to ensure it reflects significant prospect movement from identification to cultivation to solicitation to stewardship.
- Expected to spend 50%+ of weekly time building relationships, on donor calls/ appointments, cultivating and soliciting gifts. Build relationships and execute prospect/ donor solicitations with a combination of in-person and virtual opportunities.
- Utilize donor development strategies (in-person visit, committee support, timely communications, cultivation events, and volunteer opportunities) to build relationships with prospects, leverage existing donors in the cultivation process; identify and implement opportunities to develop and retain corporate and individual donors.
- Brief Deputy Director of Development and Executive Director weekly/ monthly and keep appropriate staff up to date on interactions with donors, including research information, goals of meeting, and talking points. Proactively communicate with other museum staff/ departments as to the progress of fundraising needs/ initiatives.
- Effectively articulate, in written and verbal communications, the mission and impact of the museum to deepen relationships with donors, prospects, and high-level supporters, as well as external stakeholders.
- Serve as a visible frontline fundraiser in the community. The position represents the Museum professionally and interacts with various community members, business leaders, prospective donors and others as appropriate.
- Assist with corporate relation building between facility rentals and corporate sponsorship initiatives.
- Work cross-departmentally to ensure donor recognition is met, maintain hard copy and digital files of letters of intent, funding proposals, correspondences of commitment, pledge reminders, and major gift interactions. Actively and accurately enter all donor, member, prospect, and solicitation information into database.
- Draft and send proposals of support, acknowledgement letters, and stewardship reports in a timely manner.
- Work with the Deputy Director of Development and Deputy Director of Community Engagement to identify corporate funding opportunities and develop recognition/ benefit packages of future and current Community Engagement programming and educational naming opportunities.
- Work side-by-side with the Chief Curator and Deputy Director of Collections and Exhibitions to identify corporate funding opportunities and develop recognition/ benefit packages for future and current exhibitions.
- Serve in a leadership role for the planning and implementation of the annual Banner Exhibition Opening Party. This includes oversight of the Opening Party benefit committee in charge of planning the VIP party experience and serve as the lead for sponsorship and logistics of the event as a whole.
- Take an active leadership role in the Chairman's Dinner and Summer Celebration, donor cultivation events, and all fundraisers; primary lead for Banner Exhibition Opening Party.
- Key team member with support role in all Museum fundraisers including but not limited to Women's Luncheon, Tastings at the Taubman, and Sidewalk Art Show.
- Actively participate in weekday, evening, and weekend Museum programs, fundraisers, and events as assigned.
- Perform other tasks as assigned by the Deputy Director of Development or Executive Director.
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
Superior interpersonal skills, including ability to listen, observe and interact well with diverse individuals and groups. Strong work ethic and self-discipline to work independently. Excellent organizational skills and ability to prioritize workload in a timely manner to complete assignment when faced with many deadlines and competing requirements. Demonstrated ability to meet financial goals for major gift giving; think strategically and creatively; persuade others. Ability to demonstrate the highest ethical standards, empathetic disposition and perseverance; reflect optimistic and positive attitude; convey sensitivity to the needs of donors. Demonstrated writing ability and willingness to be hands-on in a role that is demanding and requires a high level of energy. High level of proficiency with Microsoft Office, including Word and Excel; knowledge of Blackbaud/ Altru database experience. Strong sense of fundraising ethics and respect for confidentiality of donor information. Professional presentation, manner, and ability to represent the museum. Knowledge of Roanoke area philanthropy and corporate connections.
Training, Education and Experience:
Bachelor's degree required. A minimum of 5 years experience as a charitable gifts solicitor working fundraising portfolios with demonstrated success in closing gifts in the $1,000-$250,000 range. Experience in nonprofit arts and culture organizations preferred.
Special Requirements:
Must be available to work flexible hours weekly, including nights, overnights, and weekends as needed. Must possess and maintain a valid Virginia driver's license and maintain a driving record acceptable to the Taubman Museum of Art and its insurance carrier(s).
Office hours with the mobility to meet with donors and potential donors at various off-site locations.