Associate Director of Philanthropy

Company: Seattle Children's Museum

Location: Seattle

Closing Date: 29/10/2024

Salary: £150 - £200 Per Annum

Hours: Full Time

Type: Permanent

Apply Now

Job Requirements / Description

POSITION SUMMARY

The Associate Director of Philanthropy manages individual, foundation, and corporate giving for the Museum as its primary fundraising staff position. They will build and manage a portfolio of donors and prospects to build ongoing support for the Museum. As the only current staff position dedicated to fundraising, they will also provide guidance and structure for stewardship and giving strategies at the Museum, including programs implemented by a variety of other non-development staff positions. This will require conceiving and implementing solicitation strategies for new and increased gifts; leading identification, writing, and submission of grant applications and reports; and identifying opportunities to connect prospects and donors with the programs and leadership of the Museum, leveraging their passions and interests to increase their giving. Building and cultivating relationships will be imperative to maintaining their portfolio, and they are responsible for meeting with donors in-person, making phone calls, stewarding donors, and achieving fundraising goals.

The Associate Director of Philanthropy also works frequently in project teams on interdepartmental projects that require multiple viewpoints to be successful. They are careful stewards of the Museum’s resources, including writing and managing budgets and vendor contracts. They embed the best practices and ethics of both development and/or museum/non-profit professionals in their work as they rebuild fundraising efforts at the Museum.

This role is an essential member of the administrative team focused on serving Seattle’s children and their adults through play-based learning experiences. Their development work supplements earned income to support Museum general operations, as well as programmatic and capital projects. Since reopening in April 2022, the Museum continues to rebuild all aspects of its operations, including setting ambitions to being a leader in the community and the field. Our small and growing team is building a mission-driven and values-centered organization dedicated to playful learning, children, and our community. We dream big and are committed to doing impactful work – this position will build and expand important funding streams and relationships essential to the Museum’s sustainability.

An ideal candidate will:

Be a creative, action-oriented, and strategic with demonstrated fundraising experience.
Demonstrate outstanding donor relations, customer service, attention to detail, and strong collaboration skills.
Have a proven record of meeting project and fundraising goals.
Be inspired by the mission and goals of the Seattle Children’s Museum and are eager to be a member of a growing mission-driven and values-centered organization.
Enthusiastically champion an approach that centers community, sustainability, access, and equity in their work.
Be a collaborative and respectful team member with excellent communication and interpersonal skills.

Duties & Responsibilities:

Plan development: Develop, implement, and lead organizational fundraising plan; create and implement stewardship plans, with support from the CEO and Board of Trustees; set and work toward strategic fundraising goals and benchmarks; use and lead diverse fundraising strategies to meet institutional financial goals (such as campaigns, sponsorships, annual fund, events); conceive of and implement strategies for gift solicitation and donor engagement.
Oversee and nurture donor portfolio: Build, cultivate, and sustain a portfolio of active and prospective donors and use strategic moves management to nurture relationships; collaborate with staff, board members, and community volunteers as appropriate to maximize philanthropic outcomes.
Manage the Museum’s grant-writing initiatives: Research and identify potential grants that support Museum projects and needs; collaborate with Museum staff, partners, and consultants to plan, write, edit, and submit grant applications; track deadlines; manage relationships with program officers; and track, plan, write, and submit grant reports with support from colleagues.
Develop donor strategies: Create and implement strategies for donor recognition, growth, and engagement that also align donor interests with institutional priorities.
Prospect development: Continually identify individuals and organizations as new donor prospects; prepare tailored solicitation proposals.
Collaborate for major gifts: Partner with Museum leadership staff, team members, board members, and consultants to build out a more robust major gifts program.
Ensure donor stewardship & engagement: Maintain and enhance long-term relationships with donors and prospects through proper stewardship; strategize, plan, and track donor engagement events and opportunities and collaborate with colleagues to develop implementation plans.
Utilize and maintain systems and records (digital and physical) to track development activities and coordinate with colleagues, including a record management and report generation with a donor management database system (SCM currently uses Altru).
Strategize, draft, and edit written fundraising pieces, such as appeal letters, donor acknowledgements, or other fundraising collateral.
Support team and mission: Work collaboratively within the SCM team to grow support, uphold the mission and values, and contribute to a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace; participate actively in team meetings, staff trainings, and Museum-wide projects; cross-train to gain first-hand experience of our mission in action, as well as providing occasional front-line support in the Museum.
Track, interpret, and utilize relevant data to inform decisions, allocation of resources, and strategic adjustments.
Maintain current knowledge of professional best practices, trends, and ethics related to museum/non-profit fundraising.
Represent the Museum and its mission in the community.
Provide excellent customer service for internal and external stakeholders.

Required Qualifications:

3-5 years of experience in fundraising or development work in the museum, cultural, or non-profit field, including securing gifts, meeting goals, and donor stewardship – or equivalent experience
Excellent writing/editing skills (development of content and/or adding spark to content provided) including the ability to generate original writing for grants or solicitations
Excellent interpersonal and verbal communication skills
Comfort and demonstrated experience with CMS or donor management software (ex: Altru), as well as standard workplace software (especially Microsoft Office suite)
Demonstrated experience successfully managing projects, including ability to lead and track project components, set and track progress toward goals, and manage multiple concurrent projects and deadlines.
Comfortable using data to inform and adjust strategy
Ability to work both self-directed and collaboratively in a fast-paced environment

Desired Qualifications:

Passion and commitment to arts, culture, children, and/or education
5+ years fundraising or development work in the museum, cultural, or non-profit field
Knowledge of the Greater Seattle Area philanthropic community
Exceptional skills in fostering relationships, establishing trust and rapport with diverse individuals, and engaging in skillful conversation with tact and sound judgement
Demonstrated experience with donor research, cultivation, and stewardship
Demonstrated experience with grant research, writing, and reporting
Experience working with board trustees and other community volunteers
Excellent customer service skills

Benefits:
In addition to its salary, this position’s compensation package currently includes the following benefits:

Medical, dental, and vision insurance
Flexible spending account
Short-term disability, long-term disability, and life and AD&D insurance
15 days paid time off annually (increasing incrementally after year 2), paid sick and safe leave (1 hour for every 40 hours worked), 12 paid holidays annually (10 observed, 2 floating), bereavement leave, and jury duty leave
ORCA commuter benefit
Professional development opportunities
Staff discounts on Museum offerings

Physical Working Conditions:
The working conditions described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of the job, with or without reasonable accommodations.

Frequent: Sitting (at desk, at a computer, in meetings, making phone calls); typing on keyboard, looking at a computer screen, and reading.
Often: Walking (to office in center of Seattle Center campus, within office, and to occasional meetings/events around town); standing (during events or meetings); and other movements such as bending over, reaching for items, and organizing.
Occasional: Wearing a face mask (in alignment with current Museum infectious disease protocol), kneeling, using a radio, speaking loudly in crowded spaces (ex: Museum events), lifting 20-30 pounds. Also occasional travel within town or less-frequent long-range travel (could include sitting on planes, trains, or in cars for extended periods).

TO APPLY Submit both a letter of interest and resume, via email, to:

In your letter of interest: Let us know how you can help the Seattle Children’s Museum meet our goals; align with our mission and values; and serve our purpose through this position.

Hiring Process:

Hiring team will begin reviewing applications November 4, 2024
Candidates selected for interview will be asked to provide three references and samples of relevant work.
Hiring process will include a round of initial screening conversations by phone, followed by two-rounds of interviews with staff and possibly board members. Final candidates will be asked to complete a reference check.

Our job descriptions include a general overview of qualifications, not a mandatory or comprehensive list. Data shows that women and BIPOC candidates more frequently do not apply to a job because they don’t feel that they meet all of the qualifications listed. If you meet some of the requirements, believe in our mission, and share our values, we encourage you to apply.

Seattle Children’s Museum values inclusivity, equity, access, and respect in all that we do – as a staff, with collaborators, and with our visitors. SCM is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and we do not discriminate based on age, creed, disability, gender identity, marital status, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, veteran or military status, or any other protected class. We are committed to building a welcoming and inclusive workplace, and are actively building a team of passionate people with diverse backgrounds, identities, and perspectives. Applicants with diverse experiences are especially encouraged to apply.

ABOUT US

The Seattle Children’s Museumis a mission-driven institution with a forty-five-year history, making a fresh start in 2022 and a building a dedicated team. We are located at Seattle Center, with 18,000 square feet of exhibit and program space. Working collaboratively, this energized museum staff develops programs and procedures for the practical implementation of the Museum’s core values, mission, and purpose. Together we welcome all visitors, create high quality exhibits and programs that foster play-based learning, and grow the museum’s reach, producing lasting impacts for the region’s children and families.

Our mission is to engage children, and the people who care for them, in playful, creative, hands-on exploration and discovery.
Our aim – through the impact of ourexhibits, programming, and partnerships – is to foster a region where children and their caregivers are supported by and nurture a community where children thrive.

Our goals :

Set the stage for children from birth to 10 years old to use play to learn through engagement, interactions, physical challenges, and hands-on experiences.
Build lifelong learning and curiosity and develop competency in content (literacy, STEM, arts, culture, civics), life skills (language, physical, cognitive, social, emotional, creative thinking), understanding of our world, and connections to the Pacific Northwest and our community.
Create and maintain museum spaces, events, and programs that are make SCM an accessible, inclusive, and diverse community gathering place for ALL of our region’s kids and families.
Build community both between children, adults, and the wider community, as well as supporting the larger regional network helping children flourish.
Create and renew exhibits and programs that have justice, equity, inclusion, diversity, visibility, access, and anti-racism principles built-in.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $75,000.00 - $85,000.00 per year

Benefits: