Donor and Member Manager - Bell Museum

University of Minnesota; Saint Paul (MN); On-site; USD 47,000 - 50,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive wages

Tuition assistance / University-subsid

Flexible spending accounts

Retirement plans

Job summary

University of Minnesota's Bell Museum is seeking a Donor and Member Manager to lead annual giving and membership programs. You will collaborate with advancement teams and UMN Foundation to engage donors, qualify prospects, and strengthen relationships through strategic engagement and data-driven processes.

You will manage a small team, oversee member communications, and help grow the Leadership Annual Giving pipeline with enthusiastic outreach and frontline fundraising support.

Qualifications

• BA/BS degree plus at least four years of experience, with two years in advancement or related area.
• Previous supervisory experience to include hiring, training, and managing staff.
• Experience with events management or project management.
• Requires occasional attendance at some weekend and evening events.
• Proficient in Google Workspaces, Microsoft Office or similar software.
• Thoughtful collaborator and project manager.

Responsibilities

• Build and maintain relationships with members, donors, and community partners.
• Collaborate across Bell Museum departments and UMN Foundation teams on annual giving campaigns.
• Merge membership and annual giving data to support Bell fundraising goals.
• Serve as primary liaison for annual fund donors.
• Qualify members and donors for mid-level to major gifts.

Skills

Donor relations

Supervisory experience

Events management

Google Workspace

Education

BA/BS degree

Tools

CRM database

Microsoft Office

Job description

Job ID: 376843

Job Family: Advancement

Job Code: 9703AG

Employee Class: Acad Prof and Admin

Location: Twin Cities

Full/Part Time: Full-Time

Regular/Temporary: Regular

Time Appointment: 100% Appointment

Position Type: Faculty and P&A Staff

About the Job

Please note, this position is not eligible for H-1B or Green Card sponsorship. This position does not offer a STEM OPT training program.

This is a time of growth and opportunity for the Bell Museum, as we prepare to enhance our philanthropic goals for membership and annual funds, and to develop a systematic pipeline for donor engagement at all levels. As the Donor and Member Manager, you will play a dynamic role working in collaboration with the Bell's advancement team (development director, associate development officer and communications specialist) and serving as the primary liaison with the University of Minnesota Foundation annual giving, stewardship, and acknowledgements team. In this role you will build community for an engaged membership base and provide members with high-level, meaningful experiences. You will also develop a pipeline for members and donors to grow their giving annually, through strategic engagement and systematic processes. The Donor and Member Manager will enhance and streamline the museum's member and annual fund donor fundraising approach, as well as play a role in frontline fundraising to grow the museum's Leadership Annual Giving base.

What you'll do:

Annual Giving Program and Pipeline Development - 40%

• Build and maintain relationships with members, donors, and community partners.
• Collaborate across Bell Museum departments and UMN Foundation teams on implementation of annual giving appeals and targeted campaigns.
• Collaborate with UMN Foundation to become an expert at merging membership and annual giving data to support Bell fundraising goals.
• Serve as primary liaison for annual fund donors.
• Qualify members and annual giving donors with potential to become mid-level to major gift donors, coordinating with the Bell's front-line fundraising team.
• Lead development of donor research and qualification processes to increase annual giving and major gift prospect pool.
• Solicit members and mid-level donors for increased and multi-year pledge gifts.

Membership Program Management - 30%

• Implement strategies for a comprehensive and community-based membership program that includes membership levels that range from $15 donations to $1,000 supporting levels.
• Collaborate with marketing staff to create promotional and informational membership materials, including for acquisition, retention, and engagement.
• Maintain the membership database and purchase processing system as well as ensure clean and accurate data transfer to UMF's Donor Management System.
• Collaborate with Bell Museum Marketing and Visitor Services departments to create a strong membership presence onsite and support onsite membership enrollment.
• Develop and deliver refreshed membership programs, including gift membership and curiosity membership (partners include the staff who manage the individuals selling the gift memberships, marketing, UM Tickets, and the University of Minnesota Foundation).
• Ensure timely cycle of membership communications based on clean and accurate member data, including renewal solicitations and member welcome materials.
• Lead partnerships with printing and digital membership vendors on Bell member materials and communications.
• Respond to and develop efficient methods to respond to membership inquiries, addressing members' questions and problems personally when elevated beyond frontline staff.
• Effectively and efficiently leverage data on membership (including survey data) to drive decision making and strategy.

Advancement Stewardship- 15%

• Develop a supporter engagement plan that maximizes Bell events and unique opportunities and partnerships (on-site, off-site, and virtual).
• Partner with members of the Advancement Team on donor engagement, stewardship, and recognition.
• Write acknowledgement letters and provide other stewardship in response to memberships/gifts.
• Assist in developing and executing donor recognition events and activate in collaboration with the Development Director.

Supervise and Train Staff - 15%

• Hire, supervise, direct, train, and evaluate Advancement Student Associate staff (2-3 UMN students).
• Develop and deliver membership training to improve awareness of benefits, sales skills, and data-entry processes for frontline student staff on the Visitor Services team.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications:

• BA/BS degree plus at least four years of experience, with two years in advancement, membership or related area
• Previous supervisory experience to include hiring, training, and managing staff.
• Experience with events management or project management.
• Requires occasional attendance at some weekend and evening events.
• Proficient in Google Workspaces, Microsoft Office or similar computer software. (e.g., Word, Excel, Power Point)
• Thoughtful collaborator and project manager.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience working for a mission-centered nonprofit organization.
• Master storyteller - excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Thrives in a collaborative environment.
• Experience in annual giving or alumni relations.
• Demonstrated experience using a CRM database for donor tracking, reporting, and analysis.

About the Department

The mission of the Museum is to ignite and sustain curiosity for nature and the universe. The Bell envisions a hopeful future where all are inspired by nature and empowered by science.

For over 150 years, the Bell Museum of Natural History has collected, preserved, interpreted, and displayed the natural history of Minnesota as the state's official natural history museum. The Bell serves learners of all ages. Additionally, our scientific collections contain over five million specimens, representing every county in Minnesota and various locales around the globe.

The museum is powered by the great minds on campus-from our faculty-curators, student lab assistants, and undergraduate interpretive guides to our dedicated staff and collegiate partners.

We are looking for individuals to join our team who are inspired by our mission to ignite and sustain curiosity for nature and the Universe and achieve our vision of a hopeful future where all are inspired by nature and empowered by science. We believe that difference is a strength and are looking for candidates who reflect and respect diversity. We encourage you to apply for the position even if you do not believe you meet every qualification.

Pay and Benefits

Pay Range: $33.79 to $36.35 a hour (depending on education/qualifications/experience)

Time Appointment: 100% Appointment

Position Type: Faculty and P&A Staff

Please visit the Office of Human Resources website for more information regarding benefit eligibility.

The University offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes:

• Competitive wages, paid holidays, and generous time off
• Continuous learning opportunities through professional training and degree-seeking programs supported by the Regents Tuition Benefit Program
• Low-cost medical, dental, and pharmacy plans
• Healthcare and dependent care flexible spending accounts
• University HSA contributions
• Disability and employer-paid life insurance
• Employee wellbeing program
• Excellent retirement plans with employer contribution
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) opportunity
• Financial counseling services
• Employee Assistance Program with eight sessions of counseling at no cost
• Employee Transit Pass with free or reduced rates in the Twin Cities metro area

While our salary ranges provide a framework, it is important to note that most of the time, the initial pay may not reach the maximum of the range. This approach ensures that compensation reflects the value and unique contributions of each candidate while maintaining equity within our organization. As part of our commitment to fair and equitable compensation, please be aware that the salary offered to incoming candidates will be based on their individual credentials and experience.

Diversity

The University recognizes and values the importance of diversity and inclusion in enriching the employment experience of its employees and in supporting the academic mission. The University is committed to attracting and retaining employees with varying identities and backgrounds.

The University of Minnesota provides equal access to and opportunity in its programs, facilities, and employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, gender, age, marital status, disability, public assistance status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. To learn more about diversity at the U: http://diversity.umn.edu

Employment Requirements

Any offer of employment is contingent upon the successful completion of a background check. Our presumption is that prospective employees are eligible to work here. Criminal convictions do not automatically disqualify finalists from employment.

About University of Minnesota

The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (UMTC)

The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (UMTC), is among the largest public research universities in the country, offering undergraduate, graduate, and professional students a multitude of opportunities for study and research. Located at the heart of one of the nation's most vibrant, diverse metropolitan communities, students on the campuses in Minneapolis and St. Paul benefit from extensive partnerships with world-renowned health centers, international corporations, government agencies, and arts, nonprofit, and public service organizations.

At the University of Minnesota, we are proud to be recognized by Forbes as a Best Employer for Company Culture (2026), Best Employer for Women (2023, 2025, 2026), and Best Employer by State (2022-2026). In 2026, we also received Culture Excellence & Industry Awards recognition for employee appreciation and work-life flexibility.