Director of Major Gifts

Job description

POSITION OBJECTIVE

Reporting to the Chief Advancement Officer, the Director of Major Gifts is a creative leader seeking to grow a pipeline of major gifts donors to position The Phillips Collection for long-term sustainability as it begins its second century.

The Director of Major Gifts will lead the program, establishing and monitoring ambitious goals, and guide a mature and well-structured team to achieve these goals. Additionally, the Director will carry responsibility for securing and stewarding significant support from a personal portfolio of up to 100 current and prospective donors with $50,000+ capacity.

The incumbent will work collaboratively to identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward individual donors for the annual fund, endowment, exhibitions, restricted giving, and special initiatives, as well as planned giving, as part of a mature, high functioning Advancement department. They work closely with the Chief Advancement Officer to set strategic goals for the major giving pipeline, assist with Trustee solicitation and annual giving, with a keen awareness of how and when to pursue blended gifts of operating support, endowed funds, and bequests. The incumbent also oversees and approves the design, logistics, and marketing of the Phillips Travel Program, a vital component of the museum’s major giving program.

Additionally, the Director of Major Gifts will work with the planned giving team and Advancement department to cultivate an increasingly diverse and inclusive pipeline of prospective donors, evaluating and enhancing all aspects of individual fundraising so as to support the museum’s commitment to an affirming and inclusive institutional culture alongside a spirit of civic responsibility and welcome.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

Portfolio and Prospect Management

Cultivates, solicits, and stewards a personal portfolio of up to 100 current and prospective donors with $50K+ capacity

Supports the overall principal and major giving team effort to produce at least $2M in annual revenue through a strong relationship management program and multi-faceted prospect plans that promote leadership annual giving (Circles) as well as major giving oriented to exhibition, music, and program support

Oversees the implementation and marketing of the Circles program, including fulfillment of benefits, concepting of related programming, and approvals of collateral Oversees fundraising strategies and progress to goal for annual exhibitions and the Phillips Music series, including designing sponsorship, commissioning, and endowment opportunities in collaboration with the Curatorial team and Director of Music

Collaborates with the Director of Membership, as well as the Institutional Giving team, to ensure synergies and long-range/near-term strategies for Major Gifts pipeline development are being maximized

Collaborates with the Senior Planned Giving Officer, as appropriate, to cultivate and secure support from constituents whose relationship with the Phillips evolves over time to include planned gifts

Collaborates with Director’s Office, Curatorial, Education and Responsive Learning, Public Programs, and ICCR colleagues to design principal and major giving strategies, proposals, and casemaking that support the ambitions of the Strategic Plan and these functional areas

Oversees fundraising and marketing strategies and progress to goal for the Phillips Travel program, ensuring appropriate alignment with strategies to incentivize and grow major gifts support and participation in the Circles programs

Identifies and develops new prospects for The Phillips Collection through donor and staff connections, research, and database analysis, as well as in close collaboration with the Director’s Office, the Director of Advancement Operations, and the Prospect Researcher Serve as a departmental leader and specialist in the endowment giving sphere

General Management

Supervision and Operations

Lead a team of two major gifts officers to establish and achieve annual financial and relationship management goals, with additional support from cross-functional team members across the department

Ensure relationship management processes are up to date and smoothly executed for cultivation, acquisition, renewal, upgrade, and stewardship steps throughout the annual cycle of giving

Review and refine current mid-level and major gift benefits structure and oversee related communications and marketing strategies

Prepares annual major gifts budget for revenue and expenses

Participates in the following Trustee and volunteer committee meetings to ensure alignment and follow through on pipeline development: Advancement Committee, Gala Committee, and Governance Committee

Performs other duties as assigned

Events

Plans the calendar of annual major giving activities and events, in collaboration with the Events team

Works with the Gala Committee to solicit individual sponsorships and contributions for the annual fundraising Gala Represents The Phillips Collection at myriad internal and external events organized for donors and prospects, including Circles Member events, Phillips after 5, and Public Programs events at the NW Campus and THEARC, in order to support portfolio building

POSITION REQUIREMENTS & QUALIFICATIONS

Bachelor’s degree required

5+ years of Advancement experience in a not-for-profit environment, preferably in the arts and culture sector

Record of securing major gifts of $25,000 and above, ideally programmatic in nature alongside annual operating

Demonstrated ability to design and implement effective cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies for major donors

Collaborative, positive team player with high degree of personal initiative and accountability

Superlative written and verbal communication skills

Strategic, creative, curious, and organized thinker, skilled at managing multiple competing priorities

Knowledge of and passion for the arts, and especially the visual arts, strongly preferred

Experience with leading, managing, and mentoring colleagues, as well as interfacing with and soliciting Trustees and VIP constituents

Strong understanding of the fundraising landscape of the Washington Metropolitan area

Experience with sophisticated CRM essential, and Tessitura databases preferred

Experience with endowment, planned giving, and capital campaign fundraising a plus

Application deadline: September 29, 2026.

The Phillips Collection is an equal opportunity employer and we value diversity. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, national origin, age, physical or mental disability, genetic disposition or carrier status, marital status, veteran status, personal appearance, gender identity or expression, family responsibilities, matriculation, political affiliation, or any other category protected under applicable federal, state, or local law.

Employment at The Phillips Collection is at-will. At-will means that you may terminate your employment at any time for any reason with or without notice and that The Phillips may terminate your employment at any time for any reason.

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Who can apply

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