Donor Relations Manager, Individual Giving

Museum Overview

The Brooklyn Museum is a world-renowned cultural institution dedicated to preserving and showcasing art, history, and heritage. Our mission is to bring people together through art and experiences that inspire celebration, compassion, courage, and the will to act. Our vision is to serve as an institution where art is a powerful force for personal transformation and social change. Celebrating our differences and learning about our diverse communities through our collections, exhibitions, and programming is the core of who we are and what we do.

We are committed to creating and cultivating a diverse community of talented, passionate people who are inspired to make the Museum an important hub of community activity and a great global destination. Our staff have the opportunity to grow their professional skills and work collaboratively with colleagues they admire and respect.

About The Role

The Manager, Individual Giving, is an experienced fundraising professional with a balance of independence and collaboration. The Manager will ensure impactful communication with donors through comprehensive stewardship reports, detailing the results of their contributions. This will involve aligning donor interests with the institution's priorities, including programmatic initiatives. Additionally, the Manager will provide guidance on gift planning strategies, encompassing financial and estate planning, tax implications, and real estate. They will manage a portfolio of existing and potential planned giving donors, fostering strong relationships and enhancing the institution's overall donor relations program.

The Manager, Individual Giving, oversees the Development Assistant, Individual Giving and reports directly to the Director of Individual Giving. This role will work onsite 3 days a week.

Responsibilities

Donor Relations

• Develop, track, and implement a comprehensive donor relations strategy aligned with short- and long-term fundraising goals
• Cultivate and maintain positive relationships with individual donors through personalized communication and engagement activities
• Create impactful donor reports that highlight the tangible impact of their contributions on exhibitions, programs, and the broader mission
• Develop other written materials, like newsletters or impact stories, to keep donors informed and engaged with the organization's work
• Work closely with the frontline fundraising team and serve as the primary contact to generate all gift agreements
• Create annual strategies for specific donors and develop personalized correspondence for the Shelby White and Leon Levy Director, Chief Development Officer, and other members of the Development team to thank, honor and acknowledge significant gifts and/or VIP donors, as determined by the Director of Individual Giving.
• Research and communicate emerging trends and best practices in donor engagement and stewardship
• Practice high emotional intelligence, demonstrated through excellent relationship building skills with internal and external colleagues and stakeholders, along with a deep understanding and demonstrated expertise in understanding what will make donors, prospects and associates feel appreciated
• Design and maintain templates to effectively illustrate to donors their lifetime and campaign giving
• Regularly attend museum-wide and art world events several evenings per week and occasionally on the weekends, as well as plan cultivation and stewardship events throughout the yea r
  
  

Planned Giving

• Support the Senior Campaign Manager on reinvigorating the institution’s planned giving program to:
• advance targeted outreach to qualified prospects
• create an array of benefits included with membership in the Museum’s Legacy Circle
• compile and develop planned giving communications intended for prospective and confirmed planned giving donors to be disseminated through a multi-channel communications plan
• Collaborate with frontline fundraisers and provide resources to ensure effective engagement of planned giving prospects
• Manage the operational function of the planned giving program by providing periodic reports on goals, benchmarking annually, creating donor lists, and maintaining data integrity
• Partner with the Development Operations team to ensure accuracy of estate administration files and maintain a comprehensive and reliable database for efficient information access
  
  

Administration and Team Management:

• Provide direct supervision to a Development Assistant, including assigning tasks, providing performance feedback, and coaching for professional growth.
• Oversee their work in assisting the Brooklyn Museum's advancement efforts by offering administrative, editorial, research, and systems management support.
• Partner with the Director of Individual Giving on special projects and other tasks, as assigned.
  
  

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree and or minimum of 3-5 years’ experience in fundraising, planned giving, or related field
• Proven experience mentoring and managing a junior team member, including providing guidance, setting clear expectations, and tracking progress
• Experience in managing databases and using fundraising software, specifically in creating queries and generating reports; Tessitura experience a plus
• Experience cultivating relationships with a wide range of individuals from a variety of different demographics
• Strong time management skills, the ability to handle multiple tasks, adhere to deadlines and work independently and as part of a team
• Creative, resourceful, entrepreneurial mindset, with roll up your sleeves mentality
• Ability and interest to think creatively and strategically about furthering impactful relationships
• Able to produce business correspondence, proofread for grammar, spelling and punctuation with a high degree of accuracy
• Competent in the planning and implementation of multiple concurrent projects and events
• Ability and interest in maintaining a thorough working knowledge of the Museum’s strategic plan, mission, and vision—as well as the permanent collection, education offerings and public programs
• Proven track record of planning and initiating successful fundraising strategies
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Outstanding attention to detail
  
  

Reports to: Director of Individual Giving

Position type: Full-time

Salary: $72,134.40

Union status: Union - UAW Local 2110

FLSA status: Exempt

Schedule: 35 hours per week, Monday–Friday, 9 am–5 pm ; additional night and weekend hours are required during key events. This role will work onsite 3 days a week.

If you have questions about our online application system, get in touch with us at job.applicationquestions@brooklynmuseum.org .