Senior Advancement Officer (Full-Time, Onsite) - MASS MoCA - North Adams

MASS MoCA seeks an experienced, self-motivated, high-impact fundraising professional with a proven record of successfully soliciting and securing individual gifts at the major and leadership gift level to join its growing Advancement team as it lays the groundwork for MASS MoCA’s next major capital and endowment campaign. Reporting to the Chief Advancement Officer and working closely with Director, Kristy Edmunds, the Board of Trustees, and fellow leadership staff, the Senior Advancement Officer (SAO) will be responsible for helping to significantly increase philanthropic support for MASS MoCA’s ambitious operational, programmatic, and capital goals through the creative development of the Museum’s major and planned giving programs and pipelines and the effective deployment of relationship-based fundraising, strategic moves management, and long-term stewardship practices. The SAO will be a senior member of the Advancement team, will supervise the Advancement Coordinator, and will personally oversee a portfolio of 100+ prospects and donors, deepening their connection to and support of MASS MoCA. 

Duties and Responsibilities

Donor Portfolio & Relationship Management:

• Qualify, cultivate, and maintain year-round relationships with a portfolio of 100+ individual donors/prospects, building immediate and long-term philanthropic support.
• Develop strategies to solicit and secure five-, six-, and seven-figure gifts, including preparing monthly status reports on each prospect.
• Provide support to the Director, Deputy Director, Chief Advancement Officer, and curators/programmers in coordinating cultivation and solicitation efforts.
• In collaboration with senior leadership, help establish a planned giving program and lay groundwork for future capital campaigns through early-stage prospecting and case development.

Solicitation & Stewardship:

• Serve as a primary fundraiser, engaging donors through face-to-face cultivation and stewardship activities.
• Create individualized engagement and stewardship plans, setting giving goals for each donor based on history, relationship strength, and giving potential.
• Help maintain and refine acknowledgment systems to ensure timely recognition of all major gifts.

Coordination & Documentation:

• Document all prospects, solicitation strategies, next steps, and follow-ups to ensure coordinated tasks across the institution.
• Regularly share updates with the Chief Advancement Officer, Director, and the Advancement team, ensuring everyone is aligned on key priorities and solicitations.
• Prepare letters, proposals, and reports for internal staff, trustees, advisors, donors, and volunteers.
• Provide day-to-day management and direction to the Advancement Coordinator, including guidance on event coordination, prospect research support, and donor database management.

Personnel Management:

• Supervise and manage the day-to-day duties and performance of the Advancement Coordinator. 
• Responsible for making critical decisions in personnel management including hiring and terminations, performance management, scheduling, mentoring, discipline and implementing institutional policies and procedures. 

Storytelling & Donor Engagement:

• Maintain continuous awareness of programmatic undertakings across all departments (including those associated with Director Initiatives). Collaborate with curatorial teams to stay knowledgeable about artists’ backgrounds, new work interests, and future projects.
• Excel at conveying MASS MoCA’s mission, history, and impact to inspire and cultivate prospective and existing donors.
• Help lead the development and execution of a travel program that provides opportunities for major donors to engage with and deepen their connection to MASS MoCA.
• Assist in leading major fundraising events, such as the annual benefit and auction.
• Develop a deep understanding of MASS MoCA’s mission and the core tenets of the 2024–2030 Strategic Plan to effectively convey the Museum’s future direction and impact to donors.

Qualities required for success:

• Exceptional interpersonal communication skills and a high level of emotional intelligence.
• Deep commitment to contemporary art and the ability to engage artists, collectors, and donors.
• Superb verbal and written communication—persuasive, confident, and outgoing.
• Strategic thinking with the ability to anticipate the needs of donors and museum leadership.
• Excellent follow-through and reliability.
• Flexibility in managing competing priorities and multiple tasks.
• Strong analytical skills, with the capacity to present data effectively and align efforts with institutional priorities.
• High standards of personal and professional integrity.
• Tact, discretion, and confidentiality in all donor interactions and internal communications.
• Demonstrated leadership or supervisory experience, including managing staff or volunteers, preferred.

• Six or more years of frontline fundraising experience in a fast-paced nonprofit environment.
• Proven history of soliciting five-, six-, and seven-figure gifts, meeting or exceeding revenue targets.
• Experience working in a major gift environment, preferably in the arts and culture space.
• Exceptional communication skills—writing, research, and interpersonal.
• Demonstrated ability to build and sustain donor relationships, representing the museum effectively to multiple constituents.
• Capable of functioning both independently and on a collaborative team.
• Willingness and ability to travel (regionally, nationally, and internationally).
• Comfort with numbers, budgets, and data for forecasting and strategy.
• Strategic mindset, balancing near- and long-term goals.
• Passionate commitment to the arts, with an appreciation for MASS MoCA’s mission.
• Track record of thriving in a complex, fast-paced environment.
• Current knowledge of fundraising best practices, tax deductibility, and reporting requirements.
  Familiarity with prospect research and philanthropic analytical tools.
• Experience using donor management software/CRM (Tessitura preferred).
• Prior supervisory or team leadership experience (managing or mentoring direct reports)
• This position may require extended hours, including occasional nights and weekends. Schedule will be determined by the manager. 
• This position is based onsite at MASS MoCA’s North Adams campus; regular in-person attendance is required.
• This job description is intended to describe the general nature of the role and the work being performed. It is not an exhaustive list of all responsibilities. The Senior Advancement Officer may be required to perform duties outside of their normal responsibilities, as needed.

MASS MoCA strongly encourages employees to be up to date with their COVID-19 vaccinations.

This is an exempt position with a minimum starting salary of $85,000 per year, commensurate with experience