The Hunter Museum of American Art collects, preserves, and presents American art and connects the community through inspiring educational and visitor-focused experiences for all.
The Development Manager is a vital member of the Development Department, working collaboratively to manage and advance the museum’s membership program, handle logistics, and execute successful cultivation and fundraising events, which includes the museum’s flagship fall and spring fundraisers, and to manage the museum’s programs designed to cultivate and engage new individual donors and corporate support. The Development Manager must excel at working with a variety of affinity groups, donors and corporate supporters to design and implement strategies for increasing financial support for the museum.
Key Duties and Responsibilities
1. In collaboration with Executive Director and Director of Institutional Advancement, help craft an annual development plan, including budget, to retain and grow museum membership, to execute successful fundraising events, and to identify, cultivate, solicit, and acknowledge major donors, corporate sponsors, and grant support.
2. Implement the plan accordingly, including:
a. Membership:
i. Work with key museum staff and board to grow membership, including Chairman’s Circle, and develop and execute membership acquisition and development strategies of all types
ii. Manage membership program including the membership database, correspondence, files, retention and recruitment efforts, relationship building and member events planning, budgeting, coordination, and implementation
iii. In consultation with Director of Institutional Advancement, take lead in planning and coordinating all member events, including but not limited to exhibition opening receptions, member previews and parties, and monthly Chairman’s Circle cultivation events
iv. Maintain budget and diligently track expenses and income related to all aspects of the membership program
b. Corporate sponsorships and grant support:
i. Develop and manage detailed annual calendar for corporate sponsorship solicitation, including promotional opportunities for corporate sponsorships
ii. Manage sponsorship acknowledgement and benefits fulfillment and all appreciation activities, including corporate partner appreciation weekends
iii. Maintain detailed annual calendar with grant application and activity reporting deadlines in coordination with necessary staff both inside and outside the Development Department
iv. Coordinate with grant writing staff and communications team to help ensure proper and timely acknowledgement and tracking of grantors in public facing materials.
c. Fundraising:
i. Work with Director of Institutional Advancement and volunteer committees to plan and implement high visibility fundraising events, such as the museum’s signature two-night gala fundraiser, Spectrum, including the management of day-to-day planning tasks and coordination of deliverables with vendors and other departments
ii. Manage event software OneCause, overseeing creation of event sites, ticket sales, silent and live auction lots, and bidder transactions.
iii. Maintain budget and diligently track expenses and income related to all aspects of fundraising
iv. Work with Director of Institutional Advancement to develop fundraiser and friend raiser events for additional museum constituents, including the museum’s young patrons’ group, and manage all associated activities, including but not limited to recruiting and managing steering committee members and volunteers and handling art selection, pick up, and/or other elements of event
3. Help to manage CRM Altru alongside Database Administrator, overseeing donor data input and running analyses of donor reports, including producing mailing lists, donor wall signage and other donor reports as needed
4. Responsible for ongoing aspects of donor stewardship, including gift acknowledgement letters, correspondence, and communications, including proper and timely sponsor acknowledgement, tracking of sponsor logo use, member and donor print pieces and online information
Key Requirements
· Bachelor’s Degree preferred
· Minimum of three years related experience required
· Microsoft Office skills including Outlook, Word, Excel, and Access
· Familiarity with CRM software (particularly Altru) and motivation to utilize new software tools.
· Previous supervisory/management experience
· Excellent verbal and written communication skills and the ability to work collegially with donors, volunteers, and staff
· Confidence with member and donor interactions and good customer service skills required.
· Impeccable organizational skills, attention to detail and a commitment to donor stewardship are required
· Possess a strong sense of urgency, priority, and follow-through
· Maintain absolute confidentiality and discretion with information at highest levels, work independently, demonstrate initiative, and anticipate advance planning
· Comfort working with a variety of affinity groups and donor bases.
· Valid driver’s license and operational vehicle (required to travel to/from company events).
Full-time, salaried (Starting at $50,000/year, compensation is based on qualifications and experience) (40 hours/week, Monday-Friday); must be able to work flexible schedule including evenings 2-3 times per month and occasional weekend events.
Please submit an application, resume, and cover letter on our careers site at https://recruiting2.ultipro.com/HUN1012HMOAA/JobBoard/df5cd41d-12aa-46e7-9abd-91b1ca4ad165/?q=&o=postedDateDesc.
Applications close on January 23, 2026.
