Major Gift Officer

Job Position Summary

The Major Gift Officer is a full-time (40 hours per week), onsite position reporting to the Chief Advancement Officer.

The Major Gift Officer serves as a frontline fundraiser for the Museum’s annual, endowment, and campaign giving efforts. This position manages a portfolio of prospects and donors targeted for gifts of $50K or more. The Major Gift Officer will conduct in-person and, when necessary, virtual visits to identify, qualify, cultivate, solicit, and steward prospects capable of making a gift of five-, six-, and/or seven-figures. This position will collaborate with the Chief Advancement Officer (CAO), Museum leadership, trustees, and other members of the Advancement team to create and successfully execute strategies to expand the major gifts pipeline by initiating and developing relationships with those in a position to be philanthropic partners with the Museum.

Portfolio Development and Fundraising

• Conducts a determined number of prospect visits (in person or virtual) per month and either independently or with others solicits and closes gifts of five, six, and seven figures. Spends approximately 75% of the time working from the road.
• Qualifies new prospects for next steps and moves within the prospect pipeline and donor cycle.
• With the Senior Advancement Team, establishes a working portfolio of 100-125 prospects in various stages and qualifies, cultivates, solicits, closes, and stewards gifts, continuously moving prospects into and through the pipeline to maintain activity and to meet retention metrics.*
• Actively participates in regular prospect review and pipeline development meetings with the CAO and other Advancement Team members to determine and coordinate cultivation and solicitation strategies for prospects.
• Coordinates schedules with the other frontline fundraising work being performed by the CAO, the President and Executive Director, the Senior Manager, Giving and Donor Engagement, and/or other Museum and program leaders.
• Collaborates with the Advancement team to bring new prospects to file through recruiting and cultivation events, participating in public programs on and off campus, working with trustees and Advancement committee members, and other donors to gain introductions to new prospects and by developing other strategies to identify new prospects.
• Participates in Museum and Advancement events, on and off campus, to identify new prospects, cultivate existing prospects and steward major gift donors.
• Meets a set of prospect and donor activity metrics and adds data to Raiser’s Edge to report on progress against metrics and key performance indicators.

Donor Relations and Stewardship

• Tracks all prospect outreach, insights, notes, and information in Raisers Edge in a timely fashion. Prepares and files contact reports and follows effective prospect management system recording guidelines and Corning Museum of Glass standard recording procedures.*
• Reports visit results back to the CAO and Senior Advancement Team to provide a quick snapshot of meetings and to move prospects with the highest potential forward.*
• Collaborates with the Advancement Associate, Donor Relations and Research to prepare prospect briefings, gift agreements, gift intent forms and pledge schedules, and if appropriate, offers and obtains confirmation of recognition opportunities.*
• Works with the Advancement Team to ensure that major gift donors receive stewardship and Museum communications, invitations to events, and are continuously engaged and stewarded in preparation for the next gift.

General

• Actively and intentionally supports CMoG’s commitment to diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion.*
• Actively supports the Museum’s Advancement initiatives.*

Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree required.
• Minimum seven to ten years’ experience in nonprofit fundraising and/or at least three years working directly with individuals securing high five-figure major gifts; record of success securing six and seven-figure gifts preferred.
• Demonstrated experience using Raiser’s Edge or equivalent CRM database.
• Demonstrated knowledge of and experience with Microsoft Office Suite, MS Teams, and SharePoint.
• Demonstrated ability to think strategically and creatively about maintaining an active and consistent schedule of visits with rated prospects and involving the Museum’s senior gift officers when appropriate.

Skills and Abilities

• Respects and exemplifies the mission, vision, and values of the Corning Museum of Glass in all interactions with colleagues, staff, volunteers, and the public.
• Represents the Museum in a professional manner at all times.
• Adheres to all prescribed organizational and departmental policies and procedures.
• Appreciates cultural environments; interest in the arts and museums; experience at a complex nonprofit and/or arts and cultural institution preferred.
• Experience with planned giving is a plus.
• Ability to quickly learn, embrace, and communicate the vision, purpose, and plan for the Museum’s philanthropic objectives.
• Ability to represent the Museum in a professional manner.
• Ability to work independently, as well as in a team, with a track record of successful collaboration.
• High level of energy and self-directed initiative required.
• Positive attitude, proactive approach, and ability to establish productive internal and external partnerships.
• Excellent project management skills, including the ability to establish and monitor priorities and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Excellent interpersonal skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Some weekends and/or evenings are required; flexibility in hours necessary.
• Regional, domestic, or international travel, as needed.

Physical Demands and Work Environment

• The physical demands and work environment described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
• While performing the duties of this Job, the employee is regularly required to remain in a stationary position; operate/use equipment, communicate, occasionally detect/distinguish for tasting prior to and during events. The employee is frequently required to move about. The employee is occasionally required to ascend/descend or position oneself. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision and the ability to distinguish color. The ability to travel and all demands typically associated with travel while performing the duties of this job are requirements, which includes all modes of travel, overnight stays, related transportation, etc.
• The employee must occasionally move or transport up to 50 pounds.
• The work environment is usually indoors and climate controlled. There is occasional work related to outdoor events. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

Safety Responsibilities

The employee shall be fully acquainted with and comply with all safety policies and procedures of the Corning Museum of Glass.

Confidentiality

Maintain confidentiality of information related to the Corning Museum of Glass and employees that may be encountered, either formally or informally, during the normal course of business.

Salary

$100,000 – $125,000

How to apply

Email resume with cover letter, indicating which job you are applying for, to employment@cmog.org

or mail to Corning Museum of Glass, One Museum Way, Corning, NY 14830, Attn: Human Resources.

The Corning Museum of Glass is the foremost museum in the world dedicated to the art, history, science and technology of glass and glass-making. We seek dynamic individuals interested in helping us fulfill our mission: We inspire people to see glass in a new light. As a worldwide leader among museums, The Corning Museum of Glass strives to attract applicants with diverse backgrounds and ideas spanning across cultures, languages, beliefs, ethnicities, races, genders, and sexual orientations. We maintain a working environment that respects the differences among our employees, understanding that diversity strengthens us.

The Museum offers varied opportunities in many different areas for candidates who have the knowledge and expertise to join our professional staff of approximately 170 individuals.

Located in the beautiful Finger Lakes region of New York State, just a few hours from New York City, Washington, D.C. and Toronto, the area offers a variety of outdoor activities and cultural attractions. We offer full-time positions with excellent benefits as well as temporary positions in our peak summer season.

Advancement Department

The Advancement Department for the Corning Museum of Glass was established in late 2016, and in 2017 the Museum launched the silent phase of a capital campaign to raise funds to support the expansion and renovation of The Studio, the Museum’s school and residency center for artists working in glass. Fundraising for the capital project was the focus for the past seven years. The campaign and project came to successful completion in December of 2024. The current focus of the Advancement Department is to build a comprehensive and sustainable annual giving effort that will generate consistent contributed revenue for annual and future programming, including operating support. The Major Gift Officer will have the opportunity to play a key role in building a more robust major giving program as a frontline fundraiser and collaborator, helping grow a national and international base of support. This role offers a unique chance to make a significant impact on the Museum’s future while advancing your career in a dynamic and supportive environment.