Director of Development

New Mexico Museum of Natural History Foundation; Albuquerque (NM); Presencial; USD 75 000 - 120 000; Tempo integral

Resumo da oferta

The New Mexico Museum of Natural History Foundation seeks an experienced, relationship-driven Director of Development to grow philanthropic support for the New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science. Reporting to the CEO, this hands-on fundraiser will manage the full donor cycle—from identification to stewardship—and lead signature events and grant development.

The role focuses on cultivating individual donors and building corporate and foundation partnerships to advance science, education,

Qualificações

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of education and relevant professional experience.
• Minimum of five years of progressive fundraising/development experience.
• Demonstrated success cultivating, soliciting, and closing gifts from individual donors.
• Experience developing relationships with corporate and/or foundation funders.
• Demonstrated grant writing experience, including successful preparation and submission of funding proposals.
• Experience planning and executing fundraising events, donor cultivation events, or sponsorship programs.
• Strong prospect research and relationship-management skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to develop persuasive proposals and donor communications.
• Strong organizational and project-management skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities, relationships, deadlines, and events.
• Experience working with donor databases or CRM systems.

Responsabilidades

• Manage a portfolio of individual donors and prospects, developing customized strategies to cultivate, solicit, close, and steward gifts.
• Identify opportunities to move donors toward increased engagement and giving.
• Lead planning and fundraising for signature events and donor engagement activities.
• Develop sponsorship proposals and customized partnership opportunities with corporate and foundation partners.
• Write and submit compelling grant proposals, reports, and related materials.
• Maintain accurate donor data, track activity, and prepare revenue projections.

Conhecimentos

Fundraising

Donor relations

Grant writing

Event planning

Prospect research

Communication

Project management

CRM usage

Formação académica

Bachelor’s degree

Ferramentas

CRM systems

Descrição da oferta de emprego

Location: New Mexico Museum of Natural History Foundation (NMMNHF), Albuquerque, NM

The New Mexico Museum of Natural History Foundation advances the educational, scientific, and cultural programs of the New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science by raising funds and building community support.

About the New Mexico Museum of Natural History Foundation

The Foundation helps make possible exhibitions, education programs, scientific research, statewide outreach, and extraordinary visitor experiences that inspire curiosity and deepen understanding of the natural world and New Mexico’s remarkable scientific heritage.

Position Summary

The New Mexico Museum of Natural History Foundation seeks an experienced, relationship-driven Director of Development to grow philanthropic support for the New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science.

Reporting to the CEO, the Director of Development is a hands-on fundraiser responsible for the full donor cycle—from prospect identification and cultivation through solicitation, gift closure, and stewardship. The Director will manage a portfolio of individual donors and build relationships with corporate and foundation partners, including leading grant development.

The position will also lead signature fundraising and donor engagement events, including the Chocolate Fantasy Gala and TyRUNnosaurus.

This is an ideal opportunity for an entrepreneurial fundraiser who enjoys building relationships, making the ask, closing gifts, and connecting donors with opportunities that advance science, education, discovery, and the Museum’s impact across New Mexico.

Individual & Major Giving

• Manage a portfolio of individual donors and prospects, developing customized strategies to cultivate, solicit, close, and steward gifts.
• Identify and qualify new prospective donors through research, referrals, Museum engagement, events, and other sources.
• Conduct donor meetings, tours, presentations, and other cultivation activities.
• Develop compelling funding opportunities and personally solicit charitable gifts.
• Build long-term donor relationships through thoughtful and consistent stewardship.
• Identify opportunities to move donors toward increased levels of engagement and giving.
• Partner with the CEO, Foundation Board members, Museum leadership, and volunteers on donor cultivation and solicitation strategies.

Corporate & Foundation Partnerships

• Identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward corporate and foundation partners.
• Develop sponsorship proposals and customized partnership opportunities aligned with Museum programs, exhibitions, events, and priorities.
• Manage relationships with corporate sponsors from initial prospecting through solicitation, agreement, benefit fulfillment, recognition, and renewal.
• Build a strong pipeline of prospective corporate and foundation partners and proactively develop new relationships.

Grants

• Research foundation, corporate, and other grant opportunities aligned with Museum priorities.
• Write and submit compelling grant proposals, letters of inquiry, reports, and related materials.
• Maintain a grant calendar and pipeline, ensuring deadlines, reporting requirements, and stewardship commitments are met.
• Work collaboratively with Museum staff to gather program information, budgets, outcomes, and other information necessary for proposals and reports.

Special Events & Donor Engagement

• Lead planning and fundraising for the Foundation’s signature events, including the Chocolate Fantasy Gala and TyRUNnosaurus.
• Develop and execute event fundraising strategies, including sponsorships, underwriting, donor participation, auctions, and other revenue opportunities.
• Manage event budgets, timelines, vendors, committees, logistics, and benefit fulfillment in collaboration with Foundation staff and volunteers.
• Develop donor cultivation and stewardship opportunities throughout the year, including receptions, exhibit previews, behind-the-scenes experiences, tours, and other special activities.
• Evaluate event performance, including revenue, expenses, donor engagement, sponsorship retention, and opportunities for growth.

Development Operations & Strategy

• Work with the CEO to develop and implement annual fundraising goals, strategies, and priorities.
• Maintain accurate and timely donor and prospect information in the Foundation’s CRM/database.
• Track donor activity, proposals, solicitations, grants, sponsorship commitments, stewardship, and next steps.
• Prepare development reports, prospect lists, pipelines, and revenue projections.
• Ensure donor acknowledgments, recognition, sponsorship benefits, grant reporting, and other commitments are completed accurately and on time.
• Stay current on fundraising trends, ethical standards, charitable giving practices, and relevant regulations.
• Represent the Foundation and Museum professionally with donors, corporate partners, foundations, community leaders, volunteers, and other stakeholders.

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of education and relevant professional experience.
• Minimum of five years of progressive fundraising/development experience.
• Demonstrated success cultivating, soliciting, and closing gifts from individual donors.
• Experience developing relationships with corporate and/or foundation funders.
• Demonstrated grant writing experience, including successful preparation and submission of funding proposals.
• Experience planning and executing fundraising events, donor cultivation events, or sponsorship programs.
• Strong prospect research and relationship-management skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to develop persuasive proposals, donor communications, presentations, and other fundraising materials.
• Strong organizational and project-management skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities, relationships, deadlines, and events simultaneously.
• Experience working with donor databases or CRM systems.
• Ability to work independently and take ownership of projects while collaborating effectively with colleagues, Board members, volunteers, and Museum staff.
• Ability and willingness to attend occasional evening and weekend events.

Preferred

• Experience fundraising for a museum, cultural institution, education organization, scientific organization, or other nonprofit organization with a broad community mission.
• Experience securing corporate sponsorships.
• Experience managing a major-gift portfolio and developing donor pipelines.
• Experience working with Boards or volunteer fundraising committees.
• Knowledge of the New Mexico philanthropic and business community.
• Experience with planned giving or legacy giving.

The Successful Candidate

The successful Director of Development will be a confident and personable fundraiser who genuinely enjoys building relationships and asking people to invest in a mission they care about. They will be equally comfortable researching a new prospect, meeting one-on-one with a donor, writing a grant proposal, developing a corporate sponsorship pitch, managing the details of a major fundraising event, and following through on stewardship commitments.

They will bring initiative, curiosity, strong judgment, attention to detail, and a collaborative approach. Most importantly, they will understand that successful fundraising is built on meaningful relationships and will take ownership of moving those relationships from initial introduction to long-term philanthropic partnership.