Full-Time
The Wende is an art museum, cultural center, and archive that preserves history and brings it to life through exhibitions, scholarship, education, and community engagement. The Wende reaches beyond the conventional walls of a museum in pursuit of international scholarship, artistic interpretation, community engagement, digital access, and experimental public programming.
The Donor Relations & Executive Engagement Manager is a highly relational, strategically minded professional who serves as a thought partner and proactive engagement support for the Executive Director. The ED has creative responsibility for the Wende’s overall resource development, spanning major donors, foundations, government, corporate, and planned giving, in partnership with others in the Wende’s network. This is not a traditional frontline fundraising role. The ideal candidate is a keen observer of human behavior and someone who listens deeply, anticipates needs, and generates meaningful, tailored ideas for how the Museum can cultivate and steward its most important funding relationships.
Inspired by the model of an exceptional executive assistant who combines emotional intelligence with development instincts, this person does not “dial for dollars.” Instead, they think strategically about people, including who donors and other funders are, what they care about, and how the Wende can relate to them in ways that feel genuinely personal and compelling. The position requires discretion, sophistication, and an ability to hold complex information about a wide range of stakeholders simultaneously. The position is well-suited to someone who has worked in development, the entertainment industry, executive support, or a related field and who thrives in an environment where no two days are the same.
Essential Functions and Responsibilities
- Develop and implement donor engagement strategies.
- Maintain donor records and CRM data integrity.
- Prepare executive briefings and donor correspondence.
- Coordinate donor cultivation events and VIP experiences.
- Conduct donor and prospect research.
- Manage development reporting and related administrative functions.
- Maintains strict confidentiality regarding donor records, financial information, board matters, executive communications, and other sensitive organizational information.
Thought Partnership & Executive Support
- Serve as a strategic advisor for the Executive Director on donor strategy, event concepts, board engagement, and institutional priorities.
- Bring ideas and recommendations to the ED proactively, including proposed event formats, approaches to cultivation, and creative ways to deepen donor relationships.
- Develop “blueprints” for how the Museum approaches specific donors and prospects, including tailored talking points, gift ask strategies, and follow-up plans.
- Anticipate needs across the ED’s schedule and relationships: prepare briefings, track important dates, and ensure the ED is always positioned to show up fully.
Donor Cultivation & Relationship Management
- Maintain deep, current knowledge of the Museum’s donor and prospect base, including personal preferences, interests, giving history, and relationship context.
- Identify and propose opportunities to invite VIPs and prospects to Wende events, exhibitions, and experiences that match their particular interests.
- Draft thoughtful, personalized donor correspondence, including thank-you notes, cultivation emails, and event invitations, on behalf of the ED.
- Conduct outreach to donors and prospects to share museum news, check in on relationships, and ensure no important connection goes dormant.
- Research prospective donors and institutions to identify alignment with Wende’s mission and advise the ED on approach.
Event Strategy & VIP Experience
- Take ownership of the vision and experience design for donor dinners, cultivation events, and VIP engagements, bringing proposals and creative concepts to the ED rather than simply executing instructions.
- Coordinate logistics for high-priority events and engagements in partnership with the Development and Events teams.
- Ensure that VIP and major donor experiences reflect the Wende’s distinctive culture and the individual preferences of each guest.
- Maintain gift and recognition protocols, including thoughtful, personalized gestures for key stakeholders (birthdays, milestones, etc.).
Grant Cycle & Development Operations Support
- Monitor the grants calendar and Instrumentl platform proactively, alerting the ED to upcoming deadlines, opportunities, and renewals.
- Coordinate with development staff to ensure the ED has all context needed ahead of funder meetings, site visits, and reporting deadlines.
- Track individual donor pipelines and next steps.
Development Administration and Data
- Serve as primary steward of all development department data, including comprehensive management of donor records, gift processing, interaction tracking, and communication preferences in the CRM system.
- Create and maintain new processes and provide recommendations for data management and tracking systems.
- Process donor acknowledgments weekly and manage development mailing projects as needed.
Qualifications
- Strong relationship management and interpersonal skills
- Experience supporting donor cultivation, stewardship, or executive engagement efforts preferred
- Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines
- Professional presence and ability to interact confidently with donors, board members, executives, and VIP stakeholders
- Ability to anticipate needs, exercise discretion, and manage confidential information
- Experience with CRM/database systems preferred
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office and Google Workspace
Other Duties
- Performs other duties as assigned consistent with the nature and level of the position.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in nonprofit management, communications, arts administration, business administration, or related field (or equivalent experience).
- Three (3) to five (5) years of progressively responsible experience in donor relations, development, executive support, nonprofit administration, hospitality, or related field.
- Experience using donor relationship management (CRM) software
- Strong relationship management and interpersonal skills
- Experience supporting donor cultivation, stewardship, or executive engagement efforts preferred
- Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines
- Professional presence and ability to interact confidently with donors, board members, executives, and VIP stakeholders
- Ability to anticipate needs, exercise discretion, and manage confidential information
- Experience with CRM/database systems preferred
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office and Google Workspace
Confidentiality
Maintains strict confidentiality regarding donor records, financial information, board matters, executive communications, and sensitive organizational information.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience working in a museum, cultural institution, educational organization, hospitality venue, or event environment.
- Knowledge of history, art, humanities, political science, or related disciplines.
Preferred Characteristics
- Highly proactive and resourceful
- Strong and relationship-building skills
- Polished and donor-service oriented
- Strategic thinker with strong follow-through
- Comfortable working in fast-paced and evolving environments
- Ability to balance professionalism, hospitality, and operational execution
- Strong attention to detail and organizational skills
START DATE: Open
SALARY: $100,000 $110,000
SCHEDULE: Full-time. This position regularly requires flexibility to work evenings, holidays, and occasional weekends to support donor events, exhibition openings, board meetings, and other museum functions. Occasional local travel may also be required.
Recognizing that this is an ongoing process, the Wende Museum is committed to continually increasing diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility, and sustainability. People of color, LGBTQIA+ people, people without formal education, and others who may have been marginalized by conventional hiring practices are encouraged to apply.
How to Apply
Submit a resume and brief cover letter in a single PDF attachment with the subject line “Donor Relations & Executive Engagement Manager” to [email protected].
