Director Of Philanthropy Jobs

THE BROWN | The Cici and Hyatt Brown Museum of Art, Science & History

Position Description: SENIOR DIRECTOR OF PHILANTHROPY

Reports To: Chief Executive Officer, direct line. Dotted line to the Chief Operating Officer in partnership with the Executive Assistant, who provide shared administrative and cross-departmental support.

Classification: Exempt, full-time Director (Departmental) tier; individual contributor, no direct reports

Department: Philanthropy - owns all institutional fundraising revenue

Position Summary

The Senior Director of Philanthropy is the Museum's senior fundraising executive, holding full accountability for every philanthropic revenue line: individual and major gifts, corporate and foundation partnerships, membership giving, special event fundraising, planned giving, and the annual fund. This is not a single-program role - it is ownership of the institution's entire philanthropy portfolio. The position reports directly to the Chief Executive Officer and operates as a senior individual contributor, personally building donor and funder relationships and executing strategy rather than managing a team. The role inherits and builds on the fundraising infrastructure, donor data, and three-year development plan established during the Museum's transition period, and is expected to take full ownership of that foundation rather than start from a blank slate.

Tier Classification

This position sits within the Director (Departmental) tier rather than the Director (Operational) tier. The distinction is structural, not titular: Departmental-tier roles carry a direct CEO or Board-facing reporting line, full accountability for a revenue-generating or mission-critical function, and strategic rather than single-function scope. The Senior Director of Philanthropy meets this standard through its direct CEO reporting line, Board-facing fundraising accountability, and ownership of every revenue stream in the department, even though the role currently carries no direct reports.

Organizational Hierarchy

• Reports directly to the Chief Executive Officer for strategy, revenue accountability, and Board facing philanthropy matters.
• Works closely with the Chief Operating Officer, who coordinates shared support resources across departments, including design, marketing, events, and the institution's data/database function.
• Partners with the Executive Assistant, who provides embedded scheduling and donor-communication support to this role.
• Holds no direct reports. During the transition period, receives operational support from the Development Specialist and, once hired, the Database Administrator - both shared institutional resources rather than reports into this position.

Scope of Responsibility

This role owns every philanthropic revenue line at the institution. Programs and campaigns will change over time; the categories below are intended to stay accurate regardless of how any individual program is named or restructured.

• Individual & Major Giving: cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of individual donors at every level, from annual fund contributors through principal and major gift prospects.
• Corporate & Foundation Partnerships: cultivation and stewardship of corporate sponsors and funders across all institutional programs and campaigns, not limited to any single event. Includes strategy and pipeline management for foundation and government grant funding, in coordination with contracted grant writing support where applicable.
• Membership Giving: strategy, cultivation, and growth of the Museum's principal giving membership tier and its broader membership program.
• Special Event Fundraising: revenue strategy and accountability for the Museum's signature fundraising events, including sponsorship, procurement, and net revenue performance.
• Planned & Legacy Giving: cultivation of the planned giving pipeline and stewardship of legacy commitments.
• Annual Fund: strategy and execution of the Museum's core annual giving program.
• Campaign Support: donor relations and stewardship in support of active capital campaigns, in coordination with the Chief Executive Officer and any contracted campaign counsel.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Develop and execute an annual philanthropy plan with defined revenue targets across every giving category above, in partnership with the CEO.
• Personally manage a portfolio of donors and funders spanning individual, corporate, and foundation relationships, including direct cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.
• Own sponsorship strategy for all institutional programs and events, not limited to any single campaign, including direct outreach to corporate partners.
• Direct the Museum's grant strategy and pipeline across foundation and government sources, coordinating with contracted grant writing support on proposal development, submission, and compliance reporting.
• Lead the Museum's signature fundraising events, including sponsorship sales, procurement, budget management, and post-event stewardship.
• Grow the Museum's membership giving program through structured cultivation, benefit fulfillment, and retention strategy.
• Establish and maintain a donor relations and stewardship system spanning all revenue lines, including gift acknowledgment standards, recognition, and planned giving cultivation.
• Assume ownership of the fundraising systems, donor data, and three-year development plan established prior to this hire, refining and building on that foundation rather than rebuilding it.
• Provide philanthropy counsel and support to the President and CEO and the Board of Trustees.
• Report progress against revenue targets, across every giving category, to the President and CEO on a regular basis.
• Coordinate with the Chief Operating Officer to access shared design, marketing, data, and administrative support as needed.

Success Measures

• Total philanthropic revenue, across all giving categories, relative to the annual target.
• Corporate and foundation funding secured relative to target, with full compliance on all grant reporting deadlines.
• Membership program growth, in count and dollars, relative to target.
• Signature event net revenue relative to target.
• Documented donor and funder acknowledgment and stewardship standards, consistently met across every revenue line.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required; relevant graduate coursework or professional certification preferred.
• Minimum five to seven years of progressive nonprofit fundraising experience spanning major gifts, corporate and foundation partnerships, and special event fundraising - not limited to a single revenue line.
• Demonstrated success building or growing a comprehensive development function, including donor membership programs and grant funded initiatives.
• Experience with donor CRM and database systems; the Museum currently uses Blackbaud Altru.
• Proven ability to operate independently, without an established team, while coordinating effectively across departments in a shared resource structure.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including donor and corporate correspondence and grant writing oversight.

IMPORTANT:

• Submit Resume and Cover Letter.

*Incomplete applications won't be reviewed.

Note: Before an offer of employment is made the following is required.

• Background check
• Drug screening
• 3 profesional reference check

The Future Has a New Name. From Hidden Gem to Crown Jewel: Welcome to The Brown.

Benefits:

• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance

Work Location: In person