Director of Development

The Brattleboro Museum & Art Center (BMAC) seeks an experienced, collaborative, results-oriented Director of Development to lead its fundraising efforts during an exciting phase of institutional growth. This is a public-facing role that includes personally identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding current and prospective major donors.

The ideal candidate will have a deep appreciation of the ways in which art and artists, art education, and arts organizations contribute to a vibrant and healthy society. They will embody the true meaning of philanthropy (i.e., “loving people”) and demonstrate a commitment to building authentic, lasting, philanthropic relationships grounded in shared values and trust. This role is best suited for someone who excels at both big-picture strategy and nuts-and-bolts implementation, public-facing ambassadorship and behind-the-scenes administrative work.

Reporting to the Director, the Director of Development will work closely with all members of BMAC’s staff and Board of Trustees, particularly the Board’s Development and Capital Campaign committees. They will also supervise a grant writer and one or more interns.

ABOUT BMAC

The Brattleboro Museum & Art Center (BMAC) is an independent, non-collecting, contemporary art museum in Brattleboro, Vermont, whose mission is to illuminate art and ideas in ways that inspire, inform, and connect people.

BMAC was founded in 1972 by a group of citizens committed to saving Brattleboro’s historic Union Station building from the wrecking ball. Originally a seasonal operation run entirely by volunteers, today BMAC is open year‐round, serving thousands of children and adults, locally and worldwide, through 15-20 exhibitions per year, dozens of public events, virtual tours and other online resources, and extensive education programs. An anchor of southern Vermont’s cultural life, BMAC has been widely recognized for its innovative approaches to community‐based engagement with the arts.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Fundraising Strategy & Leadership

• Develop and manage the implementation of annual and multi-year development plans aligned with organizational needs and priorities.
• Set clear goals for contributed revenue (i.e., membership and annual giving, major gifts, grants, sponsorships, special projects, and fundraising events) and craft the strategies and workplans required to achieve those goals.
• Provide leadership and direction to the staff, trustees, committee members, volunteers, and consultants involved in BMAC’s development efforts.
• Develop and communicate donor-centric cases for support grounded in BMAC’s mission, artistic vision, community impact, and long-term aspirations.
• Track progress toward fundraising goals and provide regular reports to the Director, Board, committees, and staff.
• Help build and sustain a strong culture of philanthropy across BMAC.
• Ensure that all individual and institutional supporters feel appreciated, informed, and personally connected to the museum.
• Provide strategic and administrative support to the Development Committee.

Major Gifts & Donor Engagement

• In collaboration with the Director and trustees, design, implement, and manage strategies to cultivate, solicit, and steward current and prospective major donors.
• Personally manage a portfolio of major donors and prospects.
• Prepare the Director, trustees, and others for major donor meetings, calls, events, and solicitations.
• Oversee systems for acknowledging major gifts, communicating impact, and deepening donor engagement over time.

Membership & Annual Giving

• Oversee BMAC’s membership and annual giving programs, focusing on acquisition, retention, upgrading, and meaningful engagement.
• Develop and oversee the implementation of membership appeals, renewal strategies, special campaigns, and donor communications.
• Strengthen pathways that move people from attendance to membership, from membership to deeper giving, and from general support to long-term investment in the museum.
• Analyze membership and giving trends and develop strategies for growth.

Foundation, Corporate, & Government Support

• Develop and manage BMAC’s foundation, corporate, and government funding calendar.
• Identify grant opportunities, develop proposals and reports, coordinating input from program and administrative staff and partners.
• Cultivate and steward relationships with foundation, corporate, and government funders.
• Serve as an ambassador of BMAC in the regional business community.
• Develop and manage sponsorship opportunities for exhibitions, programs, events, education initiatives, and special projects.
• Ensure that institutional funders receive meaningful recognition and clear, timely, and compelling communications about the impact of their support.

Capital Campaign

• In collaboration with the Director and the Capital Campaign Committee, design, implement, and manage the strategies and workplans needed to ensure success in BMAC’s current capital campaign.
• Personally manage a portfolio of capital campaign donors and prospects.
• Help ensure that the capital campaign strengthens rather than competes with annual giving.
• Provide strategic and administrative support to the Capital Campaign Committee

Donor Communications & Philanthropic Storytelling

• Design, implement, and manage impactful development-related messaging and communications, including individual and group updates and an annual report.
• Translate BMAC’s exhibitions, programs, educational work, artist relationships, and community impact into compelling philanthropic stories.
• Ensure that development-related communications are authentic, warm, persuasive, and grounded in gratitude.
• Help shape BMAC’s overall branding, marketing, and public relations strategies and ensure that development communications are aligned with BMAC’s mission, values, and priorities.

Development Events

• Provide leadership and hands-on support to the Board, committees, staff, and volunteers involved in donor cultivation, stewardship, and fundraising events, including the annual BMAC Gala.
• Ensure that fundraising events are financially successful, mission-aligned, welcoming, and reflective of BMAC’s identity and values.
• Develop event sponsorship materials, host committee strategies, auction or paddle-raise plans, and donor follow-up and stewardship activities.
• Identify opportunities to use exhibitions, programs, openings, artist talks, trips, and behind-the-scenes experiences to deepen relationships with current and prospective supporters.

Administrative Systems & Records

• Ensure timely and effective gift processing, acknowledgment, pledge tracking, and reporting.
• Ensure that donor and giving records are accurate, informative, and useful.
• Use internal and external data to inform development strategy and activities, including appeals, events, campaigns, and donor stewardship.
• Ensure that BMAC meets the highest standards for ethical fundraising practices and donor confidentiality.

QUALIFICATIONS

Experience & Education Requirements

• Undergraduate degree
• Minimum of five years of leadership experience in nonprofit development, preferably in the arts or education, including personal responsibility for major donor cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship

Required Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities

• Warm, outgoing, confident personal style; comfortable asking for support
• Thoughtful and attentive listener who enjoys meeting people and building authentic relationships over time
• Deep understanding and appreciation of the ways in which art and artists, art education, and arts organizations contribute to a vibrant and healthy society
• Ability to think strategically and translate strategy into effective action
• Demonstrated record of success in designing and managing development plans and systems resulting in contributed income growth
• Experience leading and inspiring teams, working collaboratively with a variety of stakeholders, including board members, colleagues, volunteers, and community partners
• Excellent organizational and planning skills, with the ability to prioritize and manage a variety of complex responsibilities simultaneously
• Superb writing, editing, and speaking skills, with the ability to translate BMAC’s mission, programs, community impact, and future plans into clear and persuasive cases for support
• Affinity for public speaking and organizational ambassadorship, as well as comfort working behind the scenes
• Comfortable in a role that requires both strategic leadership and nuts-and-bolts implementation
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, Google Workspace, and constituent database software required; facility with Little Green Light, Adobe Creative Cloud, and AI chatbots and agents preferred

CLASSIFICATION & COMPENSATION

• Job classification: Regular, exempt
• Schedule: Full-time (minimum 40 hours per week); evening and weekend hours regularly required
• Work location: At the BMAC office in Brattleboro, Vermont; some remote work is possible
• Starting salary: $100,000-$110,000
• Benefits: Partially subsidized (80%) health insurance, fully subsidized dental and vision insurance, contributions to a BMAC-sponsored SIMPLE IRA plan
• Vacation and paid time off: 14-16 paid holidays, 2 weeks of paid vacation (increasing to 5 weeks over time), 2 weeks of personal leave, and generous parental leave

HOW TO APPLY

To apply, please assemble the following items into a single PDF and send via email to office@brattleboromuseum.org with the subject line “Director of Development: [YOUR NAME]”:

• Cover letter highlighting relevant experience, skills, and accomplishments
• Resume or CV
• Names, email addresses, and phone numbers for three professional references (we will not contact your references without prior notice)
• At least one and up to three samples of development-related communications you have authored (e.g., appeal letter, case statement, sponsorship proposal, impact report), redacted as needed

We will contact you via email within three business days to confirm that we have received your application. If you do not receive the confirmation email, please call 802-257-0124 x101. Please do not call before three days have elapsed. Interviews will be conducted in person or via Zoom.

Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled.

The Brattleboro Museum & Art Center is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We do not tolerate discrimination or harassment of any kind. All employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, marital status, age, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical​​​ condition, pregnancy, genetic information, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or ​expression, veteran status, or any other status protected under federal, state, or local law.