Careers

Type: Full time

About Western Spirit Museum

Western Spirit Museum tells the story of the North American West through its visual culture.

As one of the nation’s leading museums, we bring the diverse stories of the North American West to life for audiences of all ages through nationally significant collections, award-winning exhibitions, educational initiatives, scholarly research, and dynamic public programs.

As the Museum enters an exciting period of growth—including a major expansion, ambitious exhibition initiatives, and an increasing national profile—we are seeking an accomplished Director of Development to help shape the next chapter of our success. This is an exceptional opportunity for an experienced fundraising professional to build meaningful relationships with donors, corporate partners, foundations, and community leaders while advancing an institution with tremendous momentum and impact.

Position Summary

The Director of Development is the Museum’s lead front-line fundraiser and relationship builder, responsible for growing philanthropic support that advances the Museum’s mission, collections, exhibitions, educational programming, research, scholarship, and public engagement.

Working closely with the CEO, Board of Trustees, Development Committee, and senior leadership, the Director will cultivate and steward a portfolio of individual donors, identify and develop new philanthropic prospects, expand corporate sponsorship opportunities, and inspire investment in the Museum’s future. The Director will play a central role in strengthening a culture of philanthropy while helping secure the resources needed to support the Museum’s continued growth, major expansion, and increasing national visibility.

The ideal candidate is an energetic, strategic fundraiser who thrives in building authentic relationships, enjoys engaging donors in meaningful conversations, and is equally comfortable making solicitations, developing fundraising strategy, and representing the Museum throughout the community.

Essential Functions

• Serve as the Museum’s primary frontline fundraiser with a focus on major individual gifts, board-supported prospect development, donor cultivation, stewardship, and corporate sponsorships.
• Build, manage, and grow a portfolio of individual, corporate, and foundation prospects through active cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.
• Partner with the CEO, Board of Trustees, and Development Committee to identify, engage, and solicit leadership donors and prospective supporters.
• Develop compelling philanthropic opportunities that support exhibitions, collections, educational programs, research, scholarship, public programs, capital initiatives, and strategic priorities.
• Lead annual giving and major gift strategies while identifying opportunities for campaign and planned giving development.
• Coordinate donor communications and impact reporting that clearly demonstrates how philanthropic support advances the Museum’s mission.
• Represent the Museum at community events and cultivate relationships that strengthen its growing regional and national reputation.
• Track contributed revenue within the company database (Blackbaud Altru) including database gift entry, pledged gifts, and progress toward specific projects, campaigns & appeals.
• Acknowledge Individuals, Corporations, and Foundations for donations, in-kind contributions, and grants, using mailed or digital communications.
• Work closely with Operations department to track program and exhibition KPI’s for reporting on the impact of grant and other contribution support.

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Minimum of five years’ comprehensive experience in a non-profit, preferably in a museum, cultural arts institution or corporation in Arizona.
• Demonstrated success in soliciting individual donors, major or planned gifts with a track record of building donor relationships and success in closing gifts in a six-figure range.
• Demonstrated success in building a solicitation calendar and communication plan that supports annual giving patterns.
• Value diversity and inclusion, and the ability to work across teams and engage a variety of stakeholders.
• Exceptional strategic, analytical, organizational and decision-making skills with high attention to detail.
• Enthusiastic self-starter, highly competitive with an ability to engage in self-evaluation regarding leadership, performance, and professional growth and work independently with moderate supervision.
• The ability to be flexible and make thoughtful independent decisions in a fast-paced environment.
• Persuasive and articulate communicator and active listener with strong written and presentation skills.
• Excellent relationship-building skills, both externally and internally, and the ability to effectively represent the Museum in all venues.
• Proficient in the use of Microsoft Office (Word, Excel. Power Point, Outlook), and CRM databases is required.

Work Schedule

The work schedule is Monday through Friday, 9:00am – 5:00pm. Additional work hours may be necessary, including evening and weekend hours due to special events and programs scheduled at the Museum or in the community. The responsibilities and required interactions of this position are not conducive to virtual work arrangements. This person must reside relatively near the Museum.

Physical Mental Sensory Demands

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those that a Director of Development encounters while performing the essential functions of the role:

Climate controlled art museums with display galleries, standard offices, museum shops, and other non-public spaces. Work is performed primarily indoors and occasionally outdoors at the Museum, however there will be occasions where work is performed outside the Museum in public spaces such as companies, restaurants, event venues, private homes, offices and meeting rooms.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to receive oral and written instructions in English and to clearly communicate in English in person, over the telephone, through email and through other electronic means. The employee is required to move about their work area, between galleries and storage areas, ascend and descend stairs; and stand and/or sit for extended periods of time. The employee is occasionally required to lift, drag and/or move up to 15 pounds unassisted. The employee is required to identify, observe, and assess visually and comply with Museum health and safety-related protocols.

Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable qualified individuals with different abilities to perform the essential functions to the extent the Western Spirit may do so without undue hardship. The term “qualified individual with a disability” means an individual who with or without reasonable accommodation can perform the essential functions of the position.

Salary

The salary range for this position is $85,000 – $95,000 based on experience.

Benefits

The Museum provides a comprehensive program of benefits that includes:

• Paid time-off and holidays
• Medical, dental & vision insurance
• Short Term/Long Term Disability insurances
• Retirement Plan

Interested Applicants

We are committed to an inclusive workplace and actively seek to employ a diverse group of people who embody our organizational values. We welcome and encourage individuals of all backgrounds to apply and are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, color, disability, ethnicity, familial status, gender identity and/or expression, genetic information, marital status, national origin, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, veteran status, or any other protected status.

Please send a resume and cover letter addressed to Shannon Barrett, Director of Human Resources at sbarrett@westernspirit.org. Submissions will be reviewed and considered as received.