Description

ABOUT THE WALTERS ART MUSEUM

The Walters Art Museum is among America’s most distinctive museums, forging connections between people and art from cultures around the world and spanning seven millennia. Located in Baltimore’s Mount Vernon neighborhood, the Walters is free for all. The museum’s campus includes five historic buildings and 36,000 art objects.

Today, the Walters serves Baltimore and Maryland by embracing its role as educator and storyteller, using the collection as a vehicle of knowledge and cultural expression to support learning, dialogue, and community engagement. The museum is committed to public education, offering essential programs that help people to connect art to their lives. The Walters Visitor Promise aligns staff and volunteers across the museum to preserve and share the works in our care for future generations, partner with communities, and create welcoming, accessible experiences for visitors. The museum offers challenging and creative work opportunities by promoting collaboration, teamwork, and a culture that celebrates the diversity and inclusion of all. In December 2020, the museum finalized a set of multiyear diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion (DEAI) goals in alignment with the museum’s Strategic Plan and grounded in the following commitments: expand the histories the museum examines and shares; partner with our communities; and center equity, inclusion, and accountability in our culture and decision-making.

Overview of Role

Reporting to the Executive Director, the Senior Director of Development is responsible for creating and managing a fundraising plan and strategy for raising multi-year and annual operating, endowment, capital, and special project support for the Walters Art Museum from individuals, corporations, foundations, and government agencies. The Senior Director of Development works closely with the Board of Trustees and the Executive Director to identify prospects and steward relationships resulting in major gifts.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Leadership
  • Provide innovative, visionary, and strategic operational planning and leadership for all museum development activities.
  • Serve as an active and collaborative member of the museum’s leadership team.
  • Facilitate communication among development team members and between development and other museum departments to align the fundraising strategy with institutional goals and objectives.
  • Coach and mentor development staff to inspire existing donors to increase commitments effectively.
  • Assign, audit, and evaluate the portfolios of team members and provide support and guidance.
  • Align development department activities by creating an ambitious, comprehensive, written multi-year and annual development plan and calendar with clearly defined goals, objectives, timelines, and assignment of responsibilities. 
  • Create, manage, and monitor an annual development program budget and track progress through monthly and annual reports.
  • Oversee all development communications, both print and electronic.
  • Oversee and evaluate all processes and procedures related to museum fundraising, including but not limited to prospect identification, donor engagement, and stewardship activities.
  • Oversee the collection and storage of accurate donor data, including vetting policies and procedures for entering data, moves management, contact notes, and reports.
  • Ensure Gift Acceptance Policies and other development policies and procedures are current and in keeping with best practices.
  • All other duties as assigned.

• Fundraising and Stewardship
  • Identify and cultivate a development strategy that will successfully solicit major gifts from a diverse group of individuals, corporations, and foundations. Ensure high-quality and appropriate stewardship of donors at all gift levels, including donors of art and Legacy donors and planned gifts.
  • Increase support at all levels and develop effective strategies for inspiring new members, retaining existing members, and creating stimulating benefits and programming.
  • Steward and solicit gifts from the Board of Trustees.
  • Manage a portfolio of top donors and prospects and assist and support the Executive Director with stewardship and solicitation of gifts.
  • Prepare the museum for future campaigns by mapping out and executing a campaign strategy focusing on engaging diverse supporters and securing resources for strategic priorities for the short, medium, and long-term sustainability of the museum.
  • Serve as staff liaison for the Development Committee of the Board of Trustees.
  • All other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Job Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree preferred.
• Minimum of seven years of progressive leadership experience in fundraising for a nonprofit organization; museum experience is highly preferred.
• Demonstrated knowledge and understanding of fundraising strategies, principles, and trends.
• Demonstrated experience with successfully developing and executing campaign plans.
• Demonstrated proficiency in the mechanics of fundraising from individuals and institutions.
• Demonstrated experience with planned giving.
• Demonstrated effective written communication skills.
• Demonstrated effective communication skills and ability to work with diverse constituents, both internally and externally.
• Demonstrated ability to be diplomatic and maintain confidentiality.
• Demonstrated commitment to the Walters’ mission and values.
•  Knowledge of the greater Baltimore-area philanthropic community is helpful.

Starting Annual Salary: $135K-$145K

The Walters Art Museum provides an excellent comprehensive benefits package that includes medical, dental, prescription, vision, subsidized transportation and parking, museum membership, short term disability, long term disability, life insurance, and FSA (flexible spending account), 457b retirement, and free professional financial management counseling.

All employees must be legally authorized to work in the United States. The museum does not sponsor work visas.