Manager, Major Gifts | Asia Society

Manager, Major Gifts

Location:           New York

Department:      Development

Reports to:        Managing Director, Philanthropy

FLSA Status:     Exempt

Job Type:           Full -Time, Benefits Eligible

Compensation:  $70,000 - $85,000

Schedule:           40 hrs/week

SUMMARY:

This role is a key member of the development team, responsible for identifying, cultivating, and securing major gifts for the institution, with a majority focus on the Arts and Culture pillar. The position will focus heavily on cultivating a new and sustaining community of donors known for traditional support of cultural institutions, New York City-based partnerships, and other like nonprofits. This individual will work closely with the Managing Director of Philanthropy and the Museum Director and Vice President of Arts and Culture  to develop annual goal setting and fundraising plans and direct related activities in support of these goals and objectives; develop and manage a portfolio of major gift prospects; identify, cultivate and solicit donors and prospects in support of all Asia Society programs with a strong emphasis on fundraising for the Asia Society Museum and the Arts and Culture department. This role will focus on all aspects of relationship management including growing the donor’s knowledge of the organization, involvement, and financial support. Duties include, but are not limited to, personal meetings, tours, donor engagement events, and other methods of cultivation. This position will be responsible for meeting an annual revenue target (restricted and unrestricted funding) by developing a portfolio of donors from Asia Society’s current database and prospects.

Our ideal candidate would be:

  • A passionate and energetic advocate for Asia Society’s mission and values
  • A collaborative team player with a proactive, results-driven mindset and ability to work independently and as part of a team.
  • Highly organized and detail-oriented with a commitment to delivering exceptional donor experiences and have strong interpersonal skills and ability to engage and inspire both internal and external stakeholders.
  • Experienced in major gifts fundraising for art museums.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Donor Cultivation, Stewardship & Fundraising Strategy:

  • Identify, research, and cultivate individual donors to secure funding opportunities.
  • Work closely with the leadership team to create customized fundraising strategies and partnership proposals that align with the organizations mission and financial goals.
  • Identify, cultivate, steward, and solicit contributions through personal calls and visits.
  • Match Asia Society’s strengths with prospective donors.
  • Actively develop and maintain strong day-to-day relationships with donors and prospects through various activities including meetings, phone calls, letters, reports, emails, timely responses to donor inquiries and acknowledgements of gifts.
  • Manage a portfolio of 50 individual donors.
  • Create individual goals for each person in their portfolio based on the donor’s history of giving and knowledge of the donor’s giving potential.
  • Create a plan with timeline for each donor in their portfolio that is based on principles of donor-driven relationship building.
  • Execute individual donor plans such that individuals in the portfolio are retained and/or upgraded in the annual giving.
  • Work closely with the Arts and Culture department curators to create offers, proposals, and asks that will provide opportunities for donor retention and upgrade based on personal interests and passion for specific aspects of the mission.
  • Engage portfolio and non-portfolio donors in conversations regarding planned giving when appropriate.
  • Contribute to the planning and execution of special events and donor recognition activities aimed at cultivating and stewarding key partnerships.

Reporting & Metrics:

  • Track progress toward fundraising goals.
  • Manage the donor lifecycle from initiation to execution.
  • Work with Managing Director of Philanthropy to create reports and calendars of outcomes as required to accurately reflect portfolio activity and performance.
  • Perform ongoing statistical analysis and revenue benchmarking to evaluate the overall growth and performance in focus area.
  • Log contact reports to the donor database(s).
  • Provide regular updates and reports to senior management.
  • Perform additional duties as assigned.

REQUIREMENTS:

Education & Experience:

  • Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree preferred.
  • Minimum of 5-6 years of experience in nonprofit development and at least 1 year of experience in management.
  • Experience in a museum, cultural institution, educational, or non-profit environment a plus
  • Familiarity with the New York City philanthropic culture, specifically around cultural institutions.
  • Experience living in Asia and/or proficiency in an Asian language desired.
  • Demonstrated experience in cultivating and soliciting prospects capable of five and six-figure gifts.
  • Experience managing individual and major gifts programs and demonstrated track record of securing six-figure gifts.
  • Some experience with market research and analysis.

Skills & Competencies:

  • Strong ability to build and maintain relationships with a diverse range of stakeholders, including corporate partners, high-net-worth individuals, and foundation representatives.
  • Ability to co-manage and newly cultivate relationships with existing major gift donors.
  • Proven track record of developing and managing successful partnerships.
  • Strong negotiation, customer service, and relationship-building skills.
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to craft compelling proposals, reports, and presentations.
  • Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
  • Strong project management skills with the ability to handle multiple initiatives simultaneously and meet deadlines.
  • Understanding of the development of annual departmental revenue goals.
  • Ability to plan, develop and execute strategies for major individual gifts.
  • Ability to think strategically and creatively to develop fundraising programs and opportunities.
  • Proficient computer skills including Microsoft Office, allseats, Google Platforms, Photoshop, Adobe, and NetSuite Platforms and any event scheduling software
  • Familiarity with donor management software (e.g. Salesforce) and CRM tools.
  • Strong research skills with the ability to identify new donor prospects.

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS:

Salary Range: $70,000 - $85,000

Compensation within this range is determined by skills, experience, and organizational equity.

Asia Society offers a generous benefits package including health, dental, and vision coverage, a 403(b)-retirement plan, numerous paid holidays, tuition reimbursement, self-development hours, and more. Please visit asiasociety.org/about/careers and click on “Employee Benefits” to view our full benefits summary.

Benefit package highlights:

  • An HRA plan is available to supplement our medical plan.
  • After 1 year of service (1,000 hours), the Asia Society contributes 6% of gross earnings to an eligible employee’s 403(b) account, regardless of whether the employee makes their own contributions.
  • The Asia Society offers Self-Development time off, including Self-Development Summer Fridays between July 4th and Labor Day.

ABOUT ASIA SOCIETY:

Founded in 1956, Asia Society’s purpose is to navigate shared futures for Asia and the world across policy, arts and culture, education, sustainability, business, and technology. We provide a platform for dialogue and encourage a diversity of views as we try to find the most effective ways forward. Headquartered in New York City, the organization has 16 Global Centres around the world.

HOW TO APPLY:

To be considered for this role, all applicants must submit a completed application to: [email protected]

A completed application must include:

  • Resume OR CV
  • Cover letter
  • Salary requirements
  • Subject line: Manager, Major Gifts

Only those candidates considered for an interview will be contacted. Please regard your submission as received unless your email is bounced back.

Asia Society is an Equal Opportunity Employer who values diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging and accessibility in the workplace. Women and persons of color are strongly encouraged to apply.