Donor Relations Officer, Principal Gifts

Position Overview:

The Donor Relations Officer, Principal Gifts reports to the Director, Principal Gifts and Board Relations and supports the work of the Principal Gifts team, including the Chief Advancement Officer, Principal Gifts Officer, and Director, Gifts of Art.   Working as an integral part of a broader team of development professionals, the Donor Relations Officer complements the external, face-to-face donor responsibilities of the fundraisers. The Officer drafts gift proposals; recommends and implements communication and engagement strategies; stewards donor gifts. Efforts are focused on the Museum's highest net worth donors and prospective donors. 

This role is a term position with an end date of 1/1/2030.

Essential Functions:

Planning and Administration

• Prepares prospect briefings, customizes communications, and drafts correspondence on behalf of the Director, Principal Gifts and other key stakeholders.
• Plans itineraries of strategic meetings and activities for prospects visiting the Museum, as well as at off-site destinations.
• Partners with the Special Events team to conceive of and manage tailored cultivation and stewardship events. Compiles invitation lists, drafts remarks and provides other support for events.
• Coordinates donor meetings with curators and other staff who are the recipients of donor funds.  
• Assists in the creation and design of messaging and communications targeted to individuals and/or specific audiences, in both print and digital formats. 
• Attends meetings when called upon to track donor strategy and engagement.   
• Drafts agendas for meetings with the Director and Chair, Development Committee mindful of priorities for the program.
• Coordinates the sharing of donor correspondence and other information related to Principal Gifts with the larger Development team as needed.

Donor Engagement and Gift Development

• Proactively explores opportunities to advance prospective donors’ interests in the Museum and its priorities, based on deep understanding of the background of each prospect and in support of Principal Gift cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies for individuals. 
• Supports gift officers through the process of proposal, approval, and documentation. Drafts gift agreements and submits them to the Stewardship Officer for review and approval. 
• Assists in the development of comprehensive giving plans, including unrestricted, restricted, and planned gift components.

Collaboration/Coordination

• Collaborates with the Stewardship Officer to coordinate and ensure appropriate and timely stewardship of gifts, including tracking of stewardship activities and drafting complex stewardship reports for key donors.
• Collaborates with the Director’s Office in support of donor visits locally and nationally.  
• May be called upon to provide support for Campaign Planning Group meetings.
• Contributes to donor-centric, team-based structures through interactions with Development Research, Stewardship, Special Events, Board Relations and other program areas within External Relations to support relationship development, prospect management, and communication.  
• Attends events (may be evenings or weekends) in support of Principal Gift prospect advancement and larger departmental goals.
• Works as an integral part of a team of development professionals.

Qualification Requirements and Characteristics: 

• Bachelor’s degree required
• Demonstrated experience in fundraising or a related field (e.g., marketing, communications, research); 3+ years preferred
• Excellent writing, editing, and proofreading skills
• Strong communicator (both verbally and in writing)
• Ability to successfully manage a high-volume workload and competing priorities
• A creative and entrepreneurial spirit
• An ability to work with and to gain the respect of colleagues within External Relations, the Director’s Office, and broadly across the Museum – as well as with high-level prospects
• Must be committed to the Museum’s inclusion, diversity, equity and access efforts and initiatives 
• Demonstrated willingness to engage in a collaborative approach
• Strong attention to detail
• Ability to function independently with minimal oversight
• Experience with design software, communications, marketing, and/or social/new media desirable 
• Commitment to fostering respectful communication and collaboration within a diverse community
• Ability to handle delicate and confidential material
• Some evening and weekend work required

Salary Range

Full-time Salary, 35 hours per week

Starting Salary: $65,000 - $67,000

This is a term position with an end date of 1/1/2030.

This position is affiliated with the UAW union

The MFA is an equal opportunity employer. The community and audience we serve is diverse, and we wish to foster that diversity in our workplace. Toward that end, the MFA does not discriminate against individuals in hiring, employment or promotion on the basis of race, religion, color, sex/gender, gender identity and gender expression, age, marital status, national origin, sexual orientation, citizenship, handicap or disability, veteran or military status, political belief, pregnancy, genetic information or any other characteristic protected by law.