Manager of Individual Giving

Full-time
40 hours per week, including occasional weekend and evening hours for programs.
Flexible schedule, including hybrid work possibilities 

Job Summary:

The Elmhurst Art Museum seeks a Manager of Individual Giving to play a key role in managing individual giving and relationships at the museum with the Executive Director. This personable candidate would represent the museum while building and managing major gifts, planned giving, museum memberships, corporate and individual sponsorships, and annual giving programs. This critical full-time role will help prioritize the museum’s prospect pool and expand its donor portfolio as it embarks on a new 3-year strategic plan to ensure that Art is for Everyone. 

The candidate would help motivate individual gifts and internal coordination based on organizational needs and programming. With excellent communication skills, they would represent the museum as a main point of contact with major stakeholders and committed patrons. This is an important position on the Museum’s full-time team with responsibility for creating a positive experience for patrons and members to be involved at the museum.

The Manager of Individual Giving will coordinate with other departments on the museum’s team to build important and lasting relationships with the community. For instance, this role will process all museum membership paperwork, keep patrons current on the Museum’s programming through seasonal brochures and other member communications, oversee special member programs, solicit program sponsorships and manage relationships, and assure members have an educational and inspirational experience when visiting. 

It is an exciting time to join the Museum’s team as we embark our new strategic plan that resulted from staff, board, and community feedback, with a new organizational vision and mission underlined with the core purpose of fostering community by cultivating a creative space where art is for everyone. 

In the first 90 days you will:

1. Assess prospect intake and assess scheduled communications
2. Assess current corporate support with goals to expand the program
3. Create an individual giving donor/prospect portfolio with the Executive Director
4. Coordinate monthly membership mailings and plan a member drive around a key event
5. Creatively plan for and execute member programs
6. Evaluate and improve the Annual Giving programs & events such as the Soiree fundraiser

Principal Responsibilities:

Donor Cultivation and Stewardship: 40% of time

• Build a larger portfolio of individual giving for the museum and raise critical funds for the museum 

• In collaboration with the Executive Director, communicate with patrons about current plans, upcoming initiatives, vision, and brand for all fundraising campaigns.

• Cultivate interest in the museum and its programming through strategic touch points throughout the year to develop strong relationships with existing and prospective patrons 

• Manage the museum’s membership program including exclusive member-based events and benefits

• Ensure that all sponsor benefits, including donor recognition, are fulfilled. 

• Develop and oversee individual giving events including messaging and logistics. Greet and visit with guests at all donor appreciation events. 

• Support other organizational efforts on an as-needed basis, including general museum fundraising efforts and external partnerships like corporate relations, foundations, government, and others.

Planning and Member Communications: 15% of time 

• Create, distribute, and track sponsorship packages for exhibits, education programs, and other programs.

• Manage messaging to potential and current members in newsletters and fundraising campaigns.

• Manage and distribute regular print materials to key stakeholders and member newsletters, including personalized outreach and seasonal brochures

• Act as a museum representative at local community events 

Record Keeping: 30% of time

• Process renewal letters, emails, and other correspondence directly to Museum members and donors. 

• Create reports for the Executive Director and Board to report giving activities

• Write and manage all gift acknowledgements for the organization.

• Manage Raiser’s Edge database entries for all contributions to the museum.

Internal Coordination: 15% of time

• Coordinate with museum staff and Development Committee members to develop fundraising campaigns to support current and upcoming institutional initiatives 

• Develop revenue goals and measures with the Executive Director

• Ensure thoughtful integration between departments, ensuring coordinated and representative work, vision, and messaging

• Regularly collect and manage stakeholder testimonials, share with appropriate team members across the organization for communication and relationship building purposes.

• Work closely with other staff members executing patron events such as the annual Soiree fundraiser

• Ensure all departments have current membership information for distribution, as well as current donor information 

Compensation:

Salary range of $65,000 - $75,000 annually

Benefits package includes monthly contribution towards health care, paid time off, holiday pay, pre-tax retirement program options, professional development opportunities, and museum discounts

Flexible schedule, including hybrid work possibilities 

Qualifications:

Bachelor’s degree.
Non-profit fundraising experience including soliciting and managing major gifts

Proven success in managing staff and experience working successfully with organizational leaders and major stakeholders

Knowledge of non-profit giving best practices and commitment to compliance

Strong skills in project management, communication, organization, and problem-solving

Ability to organize and coordinate multiple short and long-term projects

Strong persuasive writing skills

Critical thinking skills with consideration for systems-wide impact
Experience in managing Raiser's Edge / Blackbaud products
Solid knowledge of Microsoft Office products, including Word and Excel
Curiosity about the Museum programming, the McCormick House, and the ability to communicate that to guests in an engaging and inclusive way.
Understanding or interest in contemporary art and/or preservation architecture is preferred
Willingness to work weekends, holidays, and evenings as needed.

How to Apply

To apply send cover letter and resume to employment@elmhurstartmuseum.org 

Full listing on www.elmhurstartmuseum.org/job-opportunities 

The Elmhurst Art Museum is an equal opportunity employer. The Elmhurst Art Museum is an arts complex with three distinct areas of focus. A balance of art, education, and architecture programming is central to our efforts of inspiring and enriching our community. We strive to hold public art events, as well as educational hands-on activities, related to rotating contemporary art exhibitions and the celebration of the McCormick house, a rare single-family home designed by Mies van der Rohe. The Elmhurst Art Museum is located in Elmhurst (IL), 25 minutes from downtown Chicago by public transportation (Metra).