Full-Time Exempt
Title: Senior Development Officer
Department: Development
Reports to: Director of Development
Summary
Virginia MOCA seeks a collaborative and driven fundraising professional to join our team as the Senior Development Officer. This pivotal role is essential to sustaining and growing the Museum's philanthropic support, with a focus on major gifts, corporate partnerships, and membership.
Reporting to the Director of Development, the Senior Development Officer will manage a portfolio of donors and prospects, develop donor pipelines, and lead strategic fundraising initiatives that align with the Museum's mission and vision. The ideal candidate brings a strong track record of securing individual and corporate gifts, building sustainable programs, and fostering meaningful relationships with supporters.
This is an exciting opportunity for a development professional looking to make a lasting impact at a dynamic, community-rooted contemporary art museum through collaborative fundraising, goal-driven strategy, and donor-centered stewardship.
Key Responsibilities
Major Gifts
- Manage a personal portfolio of donors and prospects with a focus on cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of gifts at $1000+.
- Develop and execute individualized strategies to engage current and prospective donors.
- Set and track annual and monthly performance goals for portfolio activity and gift outcomes, using donor data and trends to inform strategy.
- Collaborate with programming and curatorial staff to align giving opportunities with exhibitions, education initiatives, and special projects.
Corporate Support
- Identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward corporate sponsors and partners aligned with museum programs and institutional priorities.
- Develop and present customized sponsorship proposals aligned with each partner's goals, clearly communicating tailored benefit packages and recognition plans.
- Manage sponsorship fulfillment, track outcomes, and report on progress toward corporate fundraising goals.
- Collaborate closely with Marketing and Education to identify sponsorship opportunities aligned with programs, exhibitions, and events.
Membership
- Lead the growth of Virginia MOCA's general membership program, including individual, dual, household, and higher-tier categories.
- Oversee member communications and benefit fulfillment to ensure consistent and compelling experience.
- Collaborate with Marketing and Visitor Services teams to integrate membership messaging across platforms and enhance the visitor-to-member conversion process.
- Evaluate and refine membership offering based on trends, data and member feedback.
Internal Collaboration
- Work collaboratively across departments to ensure alignment between fundraising goals and institutional priorities.
- Participate in cross-functional planning meetings and help translate programmatic needs into donor opportunities.
- Support the development of proposals, cases for support, and impact reporting that reflect the Museum's vision and values.
Qualifications
- Minimum 3-5+ years of fundraising experience, including direct solicitation of individual and corporate donors.
- Proven success in at least two of the following areas: major gifts, corporate sponsorships, membership programs, or annual giving.
- Strong communication and relationship-building skills with a passion for connecting donors to mission.
- Highly organized, goal-oriented, and data-driven, with the ability to manage multiple priorities.
- Experience with a donor CRM system (Neon CRM or similar) a plus.
- Bachelor's degree required; CFRE or related credential a plus.
Additional Requirements
- Availability for occasional evenings and weekends for donor events and museum programs.
- Ability to lift up to 20 pounds during event setup and breakdown.
- Valid driver's license and reliable transportation.
Virginia MOCA strives for an inclusive work environment and actively embraces a diversity of people, ideas, talents, and experiences. We highly encourage individuals from racially and ethnically diverse backgrounds, individuals with disabilities, and other historically underrepresented groups to apply.