The Jewish Museum:
The Jewish Museum serves people of all religious, cultural, and ethnic backgrounds through world-class exhibitions ranging from ancient to contemporary. Founded in 1904 and located on New York City's Museum Mile, the Jewish Museum aspires to be the global leader at the center of Jewish culture.
The Museum maintains a unique collection of nearly 30,000 works of art, ceremonial objects, and media reflecting the global Jewish experience over more than 4,000 years. The Museum's thought-provoking, innovative, and intellectually stimulating exhibitions and education programs serve a wide range of audiences, including families, children and teens, students, educators, and visitors with disabilities. As an identity-based institution, the Museum plays an important role among cultural institutions, challenging all forms of bigotry and discrimination and promoting understanding among wide audiences and especially in these challenging times. The Jewish Museum invites applicants of all backgrounds to consider joining the Museum in its work.
The Jewish Museum is committed to creating an inclusive and welcoming environment for all. Integrity, collegiality, and excellence are central to the Museum's values. These values, along with an institution-wide commitment to Diversity, Equity, Access & Inclusion (DEAI), are embedded in the Museum's strategic plan.
The Position:
The Jewish Museum seeks a dynamic, strategic, and highly motivated Director of Individual Giving & Major Gifts to lead a transformational individual fundraising effort during one of the most exciting and pivotal moments in the Museum’s history. With the highly anticipated reopening of the Museum’s 3rd and 4th floors in October 2025—introducing the elegant new Salon event space and reimagined galleries—this is a critical time to expand and deepen philanthropic investment across all levels of giving.
The Director of Individual Giving & Major Gifts will manage all aspects of unrestricted individual giving at the Museum, from basic membership to high-level giving societies, while personally managing the solicitation of unrestricted and restricted gifts through the identification, engagement, cultivation, solicitation and stewardship of a portfolio of high net worth families and individuals. This position will expand and maximize giving across the institution by supervising the donor journey at all levels of individual giving, and through a combination of annual and special appeals, from giving societies to anniversary campaign fundraising.
This is an extraordinary opportunity for a seasoned front-line fundraiser with a track record of closing six- and seven-figure gifts and building high-performing teams. The Senior Director will lead the Individual Giving & Major Gifts vertical, encompassing all unrestricted individual contributions from entry-level members to principal gift donors. This role manages a robust personal portfolio of 100+ donors and prospects at the $50K –$1,000,000+ level, while also directly supervising a team responsible for major gifts, next-gen philanthropy, and membership growth.
Reporting to the Chief Development Officer and working closely with the Deputy Chief Development Officer, this senior leader will play a vital role in setting strategy, driving revenue, mentoring talent, and positioning the Museum to meet its most ambitious philanthropic goals to date.
Key Responsibilities:
Fundraising Leadership & Strategy
- Personally manage a portfolio of 100+ principal and major gift donors and prospects, focusing on cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of gifts from $50K to $1,000,000+
- Serve as a thought partner to the Chief Development Officer and Deputy CDO in developing high-impact strategies for multi-year giving and transformational philanthropy
- Design and implement creative and compelling opportunities for support tied to the reopening of the 3rd and 4th floors, institutional priorities, and the Museum’s long-term vision
- Lead prospect identification, qualification, and strategy development in collaboration with senior staff and lay leadership
- Oversee and grow the planned giving program in partnership with consultants and staff
Team & Program Management
- Supervise and mentor a team of 3–4 full-time professionals across membership, annual fund, and major gifts, plus interns and consultants as needed
- Oversee and continuously improve the donor journey across all tiers of giving—from first-time members to legacy donors
- Direct the planning and execution of a robust calendar of exclusive donor events, experiences, and cultivation opportunities
- Evaluate and evolve donor communications including mail appeals, email marketing, and website content to drive engagement and giving
Operations & Performance
- Implement and maintain a moves management system across the department to support donor tracking and pipeline development
- Monitor revenue performance, budgets, and progress toward ambitious fundraising goals
- Ensure accurate and timely entry of all donor and prospect data in Salesforce and other internal systems
- Prepare and present reports, analytics, and strategic recommendations to senior leadership and the Board
Executive & Board Partnership
- Support the Museum Director, Chief Development Officer, and Deputy Chief Development Officer on engagement strategies for Trustees and top donors
- Provide prospect strategy counsel and collaborate with colleagues across departments to maximize opportunities for philanthropic support
Requirements:
- 7–10+ years of experience in individual giving and major gifts fundraising, preferably in the arts, higher education, or Jewish communal life
- Proven track record of soliciting and closing six- and seven-figure gifts from high-net-worth individuals
- Strong management and mentoring skills with experience leading a high-performing team
- Deep understanding of donor cultivation and stewardship best practices; experience with planned giving is a plus
- Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to engage and inspire donors, leadership, and colleagues
- Superior writing and communication skills; comfortable developing and delivering compelling donor materials and presentations
- Mission-aligned with a respect for and familiarity with Jewish culture, values, and community
- Experience using Salesforce or comparable CRM tools; proficiency in prospect research tools and fundraising analytics
- Bachelor’s degree or equivalent required; advanced degree in nonprofit management, arts administration, or related field strongly preferred
- Willingness to travel domestically and internationally, and to work occasional evenings and weekends
Why Join Us?
This is a career-defining opportunity to play a leading role in the most ambitious phase of growth in The Jewish Museum’s modern history. You’ll work with a passionate team and a committed community of supporters to bring extraordinary programs, exhibitions, and spaces to life—while shaping the Museum’s future for generations to come.