Manager, Major Gifts and Stewardship

Socket.dev; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 70,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision coverage

PTO 15 days + holidays

Summer/winter hours

401k with match

Commuter benefits

Professional courses access

Free Academy membership screenings

Free tickets and screenings

Employee discounts

Job summary

Academy Museum is seeking a Manager of Major Gifts within the Individual Giving team in Los Angeles. The role focuses on designing and managing bespoke donor experiences, cultivating prospects, and stewarding major donors while maintaining a select portfolio.

You will collaborate with cross-functional teams, lead exhibitions-related donor events, and develop strategic engagement plans to advance philanthropic investments.

Qualifications

• Minimum of three years fundraising experience, including direct solicitation and securing six-figure gifts.
• Excellent donor-relations skills with strategies to cultivate prospects and engage donors.
• Ability to work collaboratively in a goal-oriented team environment.

Responsibilities

• Manage donor engagement, cultivation, and stewardship for major gift prospects and donors to support fundraising goals.
• Identify programming and behind-the-scenes engagement for exhibitions to support cultivation and stewardship communications.
• Lead Advancement-led events, including exhibition receptions and donor recognition experiences.
• Serve as the point of contact for tour requests across the Academy for the Major Gifts Team.
• Maintain a portfolio of approximately 15–30 households with six- and seven-figure capacity and develop engagement plans.
• Partner with Curatorial, Programming, Collections, Membership, and Premiere Circle teams to deepen donor relationships.

Skills

Donor relations

Fundraising

Microsoft Office

Team collaboration

Event planning

Education

High school diploma

Bachelor’s degree

Job description

• Department: Advancement
• Reports to: Director, Major Gifts
• Job Type: Full time – Regular
• Job Classification: Salaried (Exempt)
• Workplace Location: Los Angeles – Academy Museum
• Compensation: $70,000.00 - $75,000.00

Summary/Objective:

This role is a key member of the Individual Giving team, responsible for designing and managing bespoke donor engagement experiences that deepen connections to the Academy Museum. With direction and support from the Major Gifts team, the Manager cultivates prospects, strengthens stewardship of major donors, and creates meaningful opportunities that move relationships forward while maintaining a select portfolio of major gift prospects and donors.

Essential Functions of the Job:

• Manage and execute donor engagement, cultivation, and stewardship opportunities for major gift prospects and donors to support overall fundraising goals.
• Identify Academy programming and behind the scenes engagement for exhibitions that support strategic cultivation and stewardship communications.
• Serve as the lead on Advancement-led events, including exhibition receptions and donor recognition experiences.
• Serve as the point of contact for tour requests across the Academy for the Major Gifts Team
• Maintain a portfolio of approximately 15–30 households with six- and seven-figure giving capacity and develop individualized engagement plans.
• Partner with Curatorial, Programming, Collections, Membership, and Premiere Circle teams to deepen donor relationships and philanthropic investment.

Required Competencies:

• A high school diploma or equivalent certificate of completion.
• Professional fundraiser with a minimum of three years of successful fundraising experience, including direct solicitation and securing of six-figure gifts.
• Excellent donor-relations skills, with a proven ability in creating strategies to cultivate prospects and channel donor engagement.
• Intermediate to advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and various electronic communication tools.
• Proven ability to work collaboratively in a highly motivated, goal-oriented team environment.

Preferred Qualifications:

• A bachelor’s degree preferred.

Required Vaccination:

Full vaccination against COVID-19 is required, including any booster vaccinations as applicable. Exception: Medical and religious accommodations approved by the Office of People & Culture.

Our Benefits:

• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage.
• 15 days of PTO, plus company-paid holidays.
• Additional time off including summer hours, winter hours, and a cultural floating holiday.
• Paid sick leave.
• Paid parental leave.
• 401k retirement plan with a company match
• Clean Air Commuter Program
• Employee Assistance Program through ComPsych Guidance Resources.
• Wellness benefits through Cigna Healthcare.
• Free access to 16,000+ online courses through LinkedIn Learning
• Free Academy membership screenings
• Free tickets and screenings at the Academy Museum
• Employee discounts through LifeMart and Working Advantage