Development Officer at George Eastman Museum

Job Title: Development Officer

Job Status: Full-time

Location: Rochester, NY

Salary: $55,000 – $64,000

Overview:

The Development Officer is responsible for supporting the Vice President of Development in the identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of leadership annual campaign and major gifts in support of the museum’s funding priorities.  The Development Officer will also establish and manage his/her own portfolio of individual, corporate, and private foundation prospects in the Greater Rochester area and beyond, with a focus on securing high-level annual fund and membership gifts, exhibition sponsorships, and support for public programs.

Responsibilities:

Assist the Vice President of Development in all aspects of major gifts fundraising, including:

  • Coordination of donor cultivation and stewardship events locally and nationally;
  • Drafting correspondence, acknowledgement letters, funding proposals, and donor stewardship reports;
  • Collaboration with curators and other museum staff to identify and develop solicitation and stewardship strategies for prospective donors;
  • Preparation for Development Committee, Committee on Trustees, and Board of Trustees meetings and engagement of trustees in development-related initiatives.

Establish and develop a prospect portfolio in support of the museum’s fundraising priorities.

  • Identify, cultivate, and solicit individual, corporate, and private foundation gifts of $1,000 or more, with an emphasis on prospect qualification and securing first time gifts.  (Fundraising metrics to be determined in collaboration with the Vice President of Development.)
  • Initiate contact with planned giving prospects to promote the 900 East Avenue Society and opportunities to support the museum through bequests.  Assist in the continued stewardship of current 900 East Avenue Society members.

Collaborate with Development Database Administrator to maintain the museum’s prospect management system in Altru to support outreach by the museum’s Director, Vice President of Development, and Development Committee members.

  • Ensure that all contact reports, prospect plans, and opportunities (proposals) are accurately recorded in Altru’s prospect management system.
  • Conduct prospect research and prepare visit and event briefings and research reports, as needed.

Attend special events, exhibition openings, public programs and Eastman Museum Council programs to engage with local constituents and support relationship development.  (Some evening and weekend availability for these events is required.)

Other duties as assigned in support of constituent engagement activities and departmental priorities

Requirements

  1. Bachelor’s degree.
  2. At least three years in a fundraising/development environment and experience in front-line fundraising.
  3. Excellent interpersonal and written communication skills and mature judgement in handling sensitive and confidential information.
  4. Keen and consistent attention to detail.
  5. Solid relationship-building skills and the ability to professionally and effectively interface with museum donors and members, trustees, volunteers, and colleagues throughout the organization.
  6. The ambition to succeed as a front-line fundraiser and a genuine appetite for closing gifts and thoughtfully developing donor/prospect relationships.
  7. Curiosity and genuine desire to achieve a thorough and accurate understanding of the museum’s collections, exhibitions, preservation projects, special initiatives, and funding priorities to effectively connect supporters to funding opportunities.
  8. Flexibility and willingness to take on new responsibilities as the museum’s development program evolves.
  9. Proficiency in Microsoft Office and Excel; knowledge of Blackbaud’s Altru or similar CRM preferred.

Apply via AAM

The Eastman Museum is committed to equal opportunity for all, without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, veteran status, disability, genetic information, or any other protected characteristic.  The Eastman Museum will make reasonable accommodations for known physical or mental limitations of otherwise qualified employees and applicants with disabilities unless the accommodation would impose an undue hardship on the operation of our business.