Philanthropy Officer

Museum of Contemporary Art Denver; Denver (CO); On-site; USD 115,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

403(b) retirement plan

PTO 16 days + 3 holidays

Paid holidays

Paid sick leave (HFWA)

Paid family leave (FAMLI)

Commuting support

MCA Denver membership

Staff discounts

Application window closes Nov 30

Job summary

MCA Denver is seeking a Philanthropy Officer to design, develop, and implement a major gifts program. You will steward current donors and cultivate new prospects to sustain a robust major gifts pipeline and contribute to a multi-million-dollar revenue goal.

You will work closely with the Executive Director and COO, manage a 50–80 donor portfolio, and guide moves-management, cultivation plans, and stewardship touchpoints. This is a full-time, on-site role in Denver.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required; master's preferred.
• 5–7 years of major gifts fundraising experience.
• Experience soliciting and closing gifts $15,000+ through moves-management.
• Knowledge of donor management systems (Altru) and MS Office.
• Art museum or cultural sector experience preferred.
• Knowledge of contemporary art or a second language is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Manage a major gifts portfolio and solicit gifts at $15,000–$250,000+ to support revenue goals.
• Cultivate and steward relationships with existing donors and new prospects.
• Develop donor engagement opportunities and events; recognize donors publicly and privately.
• Maintain donor records, forecast revenue, and prepare reports for leadership and Board.

Skills

Major gifts fundraising

Donor stewardship

Moves-management

Donor engagement

Donor database

Public speaking

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master's degree preferred

Tools

Altru donor management system

Microsoft Office

Job description

Compensation: $115,000–$130,000 annually, commensurate with experience

About MCA Denver

Founded in 1996, MCA Denver exists to connect people with the art, ideas, and stories shaping our time. From our 27,000-square-foot home in the heart of downtown Denver to our presence at the historic Holiday Theater and throughout the city, MCA reimagines the museum as a dynamic civic space, bringing together artists, audiences, and communities through experiences that are engaging, relevant, and one-of-a-kind.

Committed to strengthening Denver’s creative future, we champion the artists, perspectives, and stories that make our city vibrant. Our vision is to redefine the 21st-century museum as a place where everyone belongs, every voice matters, and new possibilities emerge.

Position Summary

The Philanthropy Officer at the Museum of Contemporary Art Denver designs, develops, and implements our major gift program. The Philanthropy Officer serves as a frontline fundraiser and supports the Executive Director in key donor engagement strategies to sustain a major gifts pipeline.

The key to success in this role will be stewarding and strengthening relationships with existing donors while identifying and cultivating relationships with new prospects to maximize philanthropic support. This individual will focus on building a strong culture of philanthropy that can sustain future fundraising campaigns.

Key Responsibilities

Priority 1: Major Gifts Portfolio and Solicitation

• Help our donors accomplish their philanthropic goals and ambitions through a relationship with our museum.
• Manage an active portfolio of 50–80 donors across the full donor lifecycle, conducting 10–15 substantive donor visits and strategic relationship‑building meetings monthly to advance cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship objectives.
• Design and execute personalized cultivation plans, moves-management strategies, and stewardship touchpoints.
• Directly solicit major gifts in Colorado and nationally at the $15,000–$250,000+ level, contributing to the department’s minimum annual contributed revenue goal of $4 million+, which is achieved through a combination of philanthropy, grants, endowment income, and other contributed sources.
• Partner with the Executive Director and Board of Trustees on key solicitations by providing prospect briefings, strategic guidance, and assistance with donor communication.

Priority 2: Donor Engagement and Stewardship

• Develop, plan, and participate in strategic donor engagement opportunities, such as small cultivation events and large donor stewardship events.
• Steward and acknowledge donors through public and private recognition.
• Act as an ambassador for the Museum, advocating publicly for MCA Denver’s mission, vision, and values.

Priority 3: Donor Data, Reporting, and Revenue Planning

• Maintain accurate donor records, meeting notes, and pipeline metrics in a fundraising database.
• Analyze financial data, forecast future revenue, and develop actionable plans with the Executive Director and COO to achieve contributed revenue targets.
• Create and present fundraising and development reports to be shared with staff and the Board, including detailed requests from the Executive Director.

Priority 4: Collaboration and Growth

• Work closely with the leadership team and other development staff in a collaborative, results-oriented manner to achieve established goals and deliverables.
• This position offers potential for expanded leadership responsibilities across development operations and fundraising functions over time.

Qualifications

• Education: A bachelor's degree in a related field; master's degree preferred.
• Experience: Minimum of five to seven years’ experience executing fundraising strategies, with a proven track record of soliciting and closing major gifts ($15,000+) through moves-management plans. Prior art museum or arts experience is preferred.
• Knowledge of contemporary art and/or a second language is an asset.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Excellent written and interpersonal communication skills to work effectively with a wide range of constituents, including donors, board members, and staff with varying levels of philanthropic sophistication.
• Strong data-driven approach and the ability to use software (Microsoft Office) and donor management systems (Altru or related).
• Ability to maintain the highest level of discretion with respect to confidential information.
• Strong attention to detail and a high degree of initiative and resourcefulness.
• Excellent time-management skills and the ability to juggle competing demands.
• Commitment to the value of contemporary arts in our community and society.

The Ideal Candidate Will

• Be energized by unconventional ideas, unexpected connections, and the belief that museums should be as dynamic as the communities they serve.
• Bring curiosity over certainty, possibilities over limitations, and a willingness to test, learn, and build as we imagine the future of contemporary art together.
• Help people connect their passions to a bigger vision, transforming philanthropy from a transaction into an act of creativity, community-building, and cultural impact.
• Believe that great fundraising is part storytelling, part relationship-building, and part invitation to help shape what comes next for contemporary art in Denver.
• Onsite Presence: This position requires working onsite at the Museum four (4) days per week.
• Travel: Must be able to travel to meet donors.
• Schedule Availability: Must be able to support fundraising and cultivation events, including some evenings and weekends.
• Location: Must live and work in the Denver area.
• Pay: $115,000–$130,000 annually
• Benefits: Full-time staff are eligible for the following:
• Health insurance: medical, dental, and vision coverage. MCA Denver pays 80% of the HMO plan premium until the staff member reaches one year of employment, and 100% after that. Staff may choose a PPO plan instead and pay the premium difference between the HMO plan and the plan they select. After one year of employment, MCA Denver also pays 25% of the HMO plan premium for spouses and dependents on the plan.
• Retirement plan: 403(b) with an employer‑funded match of up to 2%.
• Paid time off: 16 days per year, plus 3 floating holidays per year.
• Paid holidays: New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Presidents’ Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas Day.
• Paid sick leave: under Colorado’s Healthy Families and Workplaces Act (HFWA), accrued at one hour for every 30 hours worked, up to 48 hours per year.
• Paid family and medical leave: coverage under Colorado’s Family and Medical Leave Insurance (FAMLI) program, which provides eligible employees up to 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave (up to 16 weeks for pregnancy or childbirth complications). FAMLI is funded by a shared payroll premium, and the employee share is deducted from wages as required by law.
• Commuting: complimentary parking near the museum or reimbursement of an RTD bus pass.
• MCA Denver membership: free admission for your guests, plus free admission for you and free or discounted admission for a guest to opening parties, lectures, concerts, and other events.
• Staff discounts: 25% in the MCA Café and 20% in the Gift Shop, plus one complimentary café beverage each week.
• Application Window: Applications are expected to close on November 30th.

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by a staff member to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made upon request to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Ability to speak, understand, and communicate in English effectively, in person and in writing; and to hear adequately in person and by phone, in individual and group settings.
• Ability to work with, and process information from, a variety of individuals and media (e.g., computers, projected images, printed materials), sitting and/or standing up to 6 hours per day.
• Mobility to access various offices and a wide variety of meeting and museum settings, and to perform a variety of tasks involving standing, walking, sitting, stooping, kneeling, bending, and twisting; occasionally climbing stairs or using an elevator; and possibly reaching chest‑high and overhead for materials.
• Ability to reach for, move, and/or lift up to 25 pounds, and to use hands to finger, handle, or feel objects, tools, or controls.

MCA Denver is an equal opportunity employer. Management retains the right to add to or change the duties and responsibilities of this position at any time.