Skowhegan seeks a creative and entrepreneurial Development Officer, Individual Giving & Events, to expand its base of support from individual donors through major gifts, council membership, and special events. An experienced and strategic fundraiser, the Development Officer will work closely with the Deputy Director, the Co-Directors, the Development Team, and the Boards to advance Skowhegan’s mission and the overall effective operation of its fundraising efforts. The position will report to the Deputy Director. The team is supported by an Assistant, Alumni Engagement and Foundations, a Development Fellow, and the Office Manager.
SKOWHEGAN’S MISSION
For nearly eight decades, Skowhegan has offered artists the opportunity to engage within an experimental framework based on the idea of sharing knowledge and skills within and among artists. The main program at Skowhegan is the School in Maine. During the nine-week Summer Program, participants working across all disciplines have the opportunity to live as a community of peers on our 350-acre campus in rural Maine. Participants devote time to their studio practices while participating in a collective learning process through a variety of skill-sharing and theoretical workshops, group and individual studio visits, performances, lectures, and reading groups. Based on a transversal open structure, Skowhegan creates a space in which the participants design the program's contents in full collaboration and alongside an international and distinguished group of residents and visiting artists who serve as faculty. In a continuously work-in-progress environment that prioritizes process and exchange, each individual’s practice influences the collective experience discussing what "making" means to artists. The School has its headquarters offices in New York. During the off-session it ensures that the School's mission is accomplished through different efforts and initiatives: by creating on-site and digital programs focusing on education; by creating community and facilitating engagement with former Alumni, faculty and collaborators; by establishing a robust philanthropic network that can ensure that the School and its various programs remain accessible to all in order to promote education and exchange.
RESPONSIBILITIES
● Identify, solicit, and steward individual donors for the Council program and major gifts, and develop strategies to support prospecting campaigns and donor engagement.
● Establish and nurture relationships with existing and potential partners, including the Boards.
● Prepare briefing materials and help conduct research for senior staff and the Development Committee to inform outreach and prospecting.
● Develop seasonal and annual strategies to meet and exceed fundraising goals.
● Track financial performance, prepare quarterly financial reports and fundraising projections, and monitor expenditures.
● Oversee the donor database and run reports; manage renewals and acknowledgments in collaboration with communications; create consistent, effective, and cohesive messaging for annual appeals and other fundraising engagements and events throughout the year.
● Participate in Awards Dinner and Council programming, from event conception to execution, including outreach, list management, and event production.
● Attend and assist with other Skowhegan programs as needed, including at least one annual visit to Maine in July for Trustees’ & Governors’ weekend.
● Support a culture of generosity at Skowhegan, ensuring fundraising is integral to all program successes.
● Other responsibilities as assigned.
REQUIREMENTS:
The successful candidate will bring a proven track record of success with individual donor cultivation and stewardship. They will have a demonstrated interest in the visual arts and in pursuing a career in nonprofits, and bring a high level of personal motivation, agency, and ownership of assigned projects and tasks to their work.
● Bachelor’s degree and four to six years of relevant donor or client-facing experience in a development role; experience with annual giving and/or membership and international
fundraising a plus.
● Passion for contemporary art and artists, experience working with artists.
● Superior communication skills, and ability to manage highly sensitive and confidential matters with diplomacy, tact, and discretion.
● Superior organizational skills and attention to detail.
● High EQ and interpersonal skills; comfort working with people of all ages and backgrounds.
● Financial, budget, and database acumen.
● Computer literacy and knowledge of Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams) and proficiency with design software, including Adobe Creative Suites and
MailChimp a plus.
● Available for evening work –4 times monthly; occasional weekend work and travel required.
Skowhegan is an equal opportunity employer. Skowhegan’s community is diverse, and we wish to foster that diversity in this workplace. Toward that end, Skowhegan does not discriminate against individuals in hiring, employment or promotion on the basis of race, religion, color, sex/gender, gender identity and gender expression, age, marital status, national origin, sexual orientation, citizenship, disability status, veteran or military status, political belief, pregnancy, genetic information or any other characteristic protected by law.
Position Type: Full-time, Non-Exempt.
Work Schedule: 40 hours per week. 4 days on site and 1 day remote.
Application Instructions / Public Contact InformationInterested candidates should send a cover letter and resume in a single PDF with the subject ‘Development Officer, Individual Giving & Events’ to jobs@skowheganart.org.
Application Deadline11/25/2024
