Job Description

Purpose:

Under the general direction of the Vice President of Development and External Relations, the Director of Individual Giving is responsible for maintaining and increasing funding from high net?worth individuals through effective identification, cultivation and solicitation. This position oversees the procurement, cultivation, solicitation, stewardship and retention of donors, moving them up the pipeline. The incumbent will identify and deepen relationships with individuals who have an interest in supporting the Mariners’ Museum and Park philanthropically.

The Director of Individual Giving will be an innovative professional with exceptional interpersonal skills, a passion for history, art, culture, education, and the sea. He/she will possess a high degree of professionalism and integrity. He/she will possess strong communication skills and add positively to an environment that is conducive to open and direct communication with individuals of varying degrees of involvement within the museum. The Director of Individual Giving should have the ability to think strategically, generate new ideas, plan, and set goals and objectives, as well as implement and follow-through on these goals, in conjunction with the Vice President of Development and External Relations, as well as other colleagues.

A good candidate is a results-oriented individual who demonstrates the ability to work well with people at all levels of the Museum and effectively develops relationships across the organization and in the community.

Duties:

  • Identify, cultivate, solicit, steward and retain qualified prospects and donors for gifts of $1,000+.
  •  Manage a portfolio of approximately 150 qualified prospects, and apply a moves management approach to the portfolio, with a custom cultivation strategy for each donor.
  • Oversee donor giving circles for annual fund effort.
  • Conduct a minimum of 24 face-to-face prospect meetings per month and establish a strategic and systematic focus on closing multi?year commitments from high net?worth individuals.
  • Meet or exceed individual and departmental budget goals as set in collaboration with the Vice President of Development.
  • Strategically engage board members, museum executives and other staff, as well as current donors in peer-prospect identification, visits, and closings.
  • Support the Vice President of Development and President and Chief Executive Officer with fundraising efforts.
  • Execute major gift materials, including briefing memos, proposals and stewardship materials.
  • Routinely network with community leaders and interact with high?net worth individuals for the purpose of cultivating personal relationships and developing personal giving.
  • Work collaboratively with Development colleagues to analyze portfolio and strategize upgrades, and with the Vice President of Development and Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations to cultivate gifts from individuals.
  • Ensure proper recognition, involvement and stewardship of donors.
  • Demonstrate a keen sense of curiosity about donors – seeking to discover what compels each donor to give substantially by asking the right questions – and be able to personally adapt as needed to meet the needs of donors.
  • Successfully align individuals’ interests with The Mariners’ Museum and Park and demonstrate a strong case for support. Articulate this case for support in a convincing and direct manner.
  • Provide accurate and timely activity and prospect management reports. Maintain accurate information in the donor database and partner with Donor Database Administrator to do so.
  • Monitor weekly, monthly, quarterly and annual activity to achieve all major and special gift revenue goals.
  • Work closely with Membership Coordinator and other Development colleagues to monitor and staff affinity groups, including the creation of solicitation materials; overseeing donor benefits and fulfillment.
  • Work with Special Events staff to plan and implement special events.
  • Assist with review and verification of major and special gift donor recognition lists.
  • Participate in regular Development staff and organization-wide meetings.
  • Perform other related duties as assigned.

Job Requirements

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities:

  •   Possess broad knowledge of the principles and processes of fundraising and planned giving.
  • Understand the mission and priorities of the Development Department and serve as an advocate for the department.
  • Successful experience in making cold calls, as well as development of cultivation and solicitation strategies.
  • Adhere to the principles of ethics and standard practices as articulated in the Council for Advancement and Support of Advancement (CASE) Donor Bill of Rights from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education, Association of Professional Researchers for Advancement (APRA) Statement of Ethics and the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP)  Code of Ethical Principles and Standards as well as the standards of practice of his/her departmental profession, as appropriate.
  • Possess excellent written and oral communication skills.
  • Experience with database applications such as Altru or Raiser’s Edge; working knowledge of Google Docs, Excel and Microsoft Word; knowledge of PowerPoint.
  • Must be entrepreneurial and have strong problem-solving, research and analytical abilities.
  • Must be a self-starter with a sense of humor and positive attitude.

Requirements:

  • Bachelors’ Degree in related field is required. Masters’ Degree preferred.
  • 3-5 years’ successful experience in major or planned gift fundraising, preferably in the arts and/or higher education. A substantial knowledge of best practices in fundraising. Demonstrated success in partnering with gift planning experts to executive and close complex proposals would be ideal.
  • Dedication to and passion for The Mariners’ Museum’s mission is essential.
  • Required to work Mariners’ Museum special events, including evening and weekend events.
  • Ability to understand the needs and interests of leadership and major gift donors in order to develop relationships between them and the Museum
  • Interest in all aspects of art, history, culture, the sea, and education, as well as a dedication to promoting the Museum’s fundraising priorities by building excellent relationships with Museum leadership and other staff, trustees, and volunteers
  • Must have excellent interpersonal skills and a demonstrated record of completing assignments.
  • Must be willing and able to travel.
  • The Mariners’ Museum reserves the right to add or change duties at any time.

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