Job Listing: Donor Relations Associate / Senior Donor Relations Associate (VMFA)

Donor Relations Associate or Senior Donor Relations Associate (Salaried, Exempt) 

The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts Foundation seeks a qualified candidate to fill the role of Donor Relations Associate or Senior Donor Relations Associate in the Office of Advancement commensurate with experience. The selected candidate will support the office in executing all programs and events for the Advancement Office (approx. 100 events a year) and will assist with all donor stewardship efforts. As such, this position requires frequent evening and occasional weekend hours.  

Essential duties and responsibilities include the following. Other related duties may be assigned.  

• Help create, plan and execute all events for the Advancement office, including exhibition openings, general cultivation and stewardship events, campaign cultivation and stewardship events, and programs associated with membership and annual giving.  

• Help manage stewardship and benefit delivery for museum donors including exhibition sponsors, planned giving donors, donors of art and other key groups.  

• Help to ensure that donor relations activities are inclusive and support efforts to diversify the museum’s member and donor base.  

• Provide coordination and support for other periodic fundraising events, including galas, as well as events supporting The Council of VMFA, Canvas Advisory Committee, and other special groups as needed.  

• Support event RSVPs within Raiser’s Edge NXT, Zkipster, and other RSVP tracking platforms.  

• Support the museum’s Member Travel Program, specifically website updates and managing the design and distribution process for electronic Member Travel and Member Program marketing communications.  

• Work closely with the Manager of Advancement Communications to develop a schedule for upcoming emails ensuring they do not conflict other museum messages.  

• Communicate with Director’s Office about Development activities and coordinate regarding board activities as required.  

• Support the activities of the Director of Donor Relations as needed.  

In addition to the duties referenced above, additional responsibilities of the Senior Donor Relations Associate include the following:  

• Serve as project lead on events, stewardship and benefit delivery for exhibition sponsors, planned giving donors, donors of art, and other key groups.  

• Serve as project lead for budget tracking within the donor relations team.  

• The Senior Donor Relations Associate must demonstrate initiative, sound judgment, and the ability to manage projects independently while anticipating needs, solving problems, and advancing priorities with minimal supervision. 

• Serve as project lead for invitation and publications process for all Advancement events from design concept/language to mailing, including pulling the lists from Raiser’s Edge NXT and checking their accuracy.  

• Manage the collection of data and the preparation of exhibition stewardship reports, and assist with the preparation of other reports as needed including annual endowment reports and ad hoc reports.  

• Serve as technology lead for event management software, iPads, envelope printer and other tools and technology. Maintain an in depth understanding of all event management platforms utilized by the Donor Relations team and make recommendations for updates to procedures as needed.  

• Ensure that Donor Relations procedure documents remain up to date with current practices.  

Requirements  

Minimum Qualifications:  

• Ability to represent The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts with a high degree of professionalism  

• Consistently demonstrate superior organizational skills and attention to detail  

• Ability to work without supervision and to organize, prioritize, and successfully execute multiple concurrent tasks. The ideal candidate will anticipate needs and act accordingly and perform with a high degree of initiative.  

• Demonstrate excellent interpersonal, verbal, and written communications skills  

• Use of tact, diplomacy, and discretion with museum donors and staff  

• Flexibility with work hours with the ability to work frequent evenings and occasional weekends  

• Proficiency in Word and Excel  

• Ability to handle challenging situations diplomatically and maintain collaborative working relationships  

• Ability to maintain strict confidentiality,  

• Maintain a high level of performance under pressure  

• Excellent responsiveness and customer service skills  

 Preferred Qualifications:  

• Previous experience in a museum, educational, or other nonprofit setting  

• Professional experience in Development, Donor Relations, or a related field  

• Experience with fundraising event planning and implementation  

• Experience working with volunteer leaders in an organization  

• Experience with Raiser’s Edge NXT or similar database  

Hiring Range:

$52,000 - $68,000 annually  

Special Requirement:  
Selected candidates must pass a criminal history background check.  

Applicants are strongly encouraged to apply by 11:55 pm on Monday, October 12.  To apply, please submit the following to recruitment@vmfa.museum:  

• Brief cover letter  

• Resume  

• Writing sample that does not exceed two (2) pages. Sample may include, but is not limited to donor communications, stewardship reporting, or topic of the candidate’s choosing.   

• Names and contact information (phone and email) for three professional references  

Experience a world-class art museum with hometown hospitality. The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts houses a remarkable permanent collection of more than 50,000 works of art from almost every major world culture. 

We’re open 365 days a year and general admission is always free.