Manager, Principal Gifts at the American Museum Of Natural History

Job Title: Manager, Principal Gifts

Job Status: Full-time

Location: New York, NY

Salary: $63,000 – $73,000

Manager, Principal Gifts

The American Museum of Natural History is one of the world’s preeminent scientific and cultural institutions, and has as its mission to discover, interpret and disseminate information about human cultures, the natural world and the universe through a wide-ranging program of scientific research, education and exhibition.

The Museum’s Institutional Advancement team is seeking a Manager, Principal Gifts, who will report to the Vice President, Development. Working with the VP and other staff, the Manager will drive the planning and strategy behind a creative, high-touch, customized program of annual cultivation, solicitation and stewardship for Museum Trustees, prospective Trustees and other principal gifts donors. This program helps deepen donor engagement, build community among a growing Board and facilitate new and increased gifts. This is a predominantly internal-facing role that will support the Museum’s President, Board Chair, VP and other senior leaders in implementing the donor strategies, including meetings, visits, written correspondence, events, gifts and more. This position will also create a new program of Honorary Trustee engagement.
This is an opportunity for a creative, entrepreneurial, highly organized and meticulous self-starter with superb project management, interpersonal and writing skills to play a critical role in a lively Museum fundraising program.
Job duties include:

  • Working with the VP and other colleagues, spearhead the development of an annual, personalized cultivation, solicitation and stewardship plan for individual donors managed by the VP that is deeply informed by current best non-profit fundraising practices.
  • Build a personal understanding of the Museum’s work and donor community to best match opportunities with funders and continually surface new engagement ideas.
  • Drive the execution of each individual donor plan, including by (among other efforts):
    • Planning meetings and visits (i.e., scheduling, logistics, briefings, presentations, etc.);
    • Drafting, revising and editing effective personalized correspondence from the VP/Museum leadership (i.e., emails, letters, etc.);
    • Partnering with colleagues on the Development team to plan and populate special events, including Board-hosted cocktail parties and dinners;
    • Supervising the production of mass mailings (i.e., annual reports, membership cards, holiday cards, etc.);
    • Identifying and securing gifts (i.e., for birthdays, as thank-yous, etc.).
  • Support senior leadership in donor solicitations by creating briefings and presentations, editing proposals, and more.
  • Create a new program of Honorary Trustee engagement and serve as their primary point of contact, including by programming and marketing an annual calendar of events, planning personalized visits and cultivating and soliciting their financial support.
  • Supervise the Principal Gifts team’s contributions to quarterly Board financial reports, monthly fundraising updates for the Board Chair and other team financial reporting.
  • Maintain current and accurate donor records in Raiser’s Edge (SQL CRM database).
  • Keep up to date on current philanthropic trends, data and other philanthropy-focused information. Continually infuse Museum programming with evolving best industry practices.
  • Coordinate and collaborate across the Museum, including with Trustees and donors, fellow Development staff, scientists, educators, exhibition specialists, volunteers, operations staff and others.


The expected salary range for the Manager, Principal Gifts is $63,000/annual – $73,000/annual. The AMNH offers an extensive benefits package designed to meet the needs of our dedicated and diverse community.

Pay will be determined based on several factors. The hiring range for the position at commencement is based on the type of work and the scope of responsibilities. The salary and placement offered is based on a number of individualized factors, including, but not limited to, skills, knowledge, training, education, credentials, areas of specialization and depth and scope of experience.

Required Qualifications:

  • High School Diploma or equivalent.
  • Minimum of 3-5 years of non-profit fundraising work experience, preferably in a New York City cultural institution.
  • Knowledge of best operating practices in high-level donor engagement.
  • Fluency in Microsoft Office.
  • Exceptional writing, editing and proofreading skills, with the ability to easily change writing styles to fit audience, format and voice.
  • Ability to work occasional evenings and weekends for fundraising events and donor visits.

Preferred Qualifications:

  • Bachelor’s degree in science, liberal arts or another related field.
  • Experience using the Raiser’s Edge platform.

To Apply

To be considered for this position please visit our web site and apply on line at the following link: careers.amnh.org

The American Museum of Natural History is one of the world’s preeminent scientific and cultural institutions. Since its founding in 1869, the Museum has advanced its global mission to discover, interpret and disseminate information about human cultures, the natural world and the universe through a wide-ranging program of scientific research, education and exhibition. The Museum is renowned for its exhibitions and scientific collections, which serve as a field guide to the entire planet and present a panorama of the world’s cultures.

The American Museum of Natural History is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. The Museum does not discriminate with respect to employment, or admission or access to Museum facilities, programs or activities on the basis of race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, marital status, partnership status, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, pregnancy, alienage or citizenship status, current or former participation in the uniformed services, status as a veteran, or national or ethnic origin, or on account of any other basis prohibited by applicable City, State, or Federal law.

If special accommodations are needed in applying for a position, please call the Office of Human Resources.

This job was sourced via AAM