Development Manager

Please Touch Museum, the Children’s Museum of Philadelphia (PTM), was founded in 1976 and was the first children’s museum to focus exclusively on young children ages birth to seven. As a leading 21st-century children’s museum, PTM’s exhibits, Museum experiences and educational programs are developed to engage children and foster the intellectual, social and emotional skills necessary to be successful in the classroom and in life. PTM’s mission is to change a child’s life as they discover the power of learning through play. Every year the Museum welcomes a half a million visitors from the greater Philadelphia region, across the country and around the globe. The Museum is housed in Memorial Hall, a National Historic Landmark with over 100,000 sq. ft in total and 60,000 sq. ft of exhibit space.

About the position

The Development Manager is responsible for managing and maintaining the Museum’s fundraising operations, working closely with the Chief Development Officer to identify, cultivate, and secure funding from individuals, corporations, and foundations on behalf of the Museum. The Manager will provide administrative support to the Development team and oversee database management: recording donor interactions for the department, booking pledges and gifts, running reports and administrating stewardship of donors. Taking initiative, in collaboration with CDO and working across Museum departments, the Development Manager will be responsible for the organization and implementation of all fundraising and donor-related events.

Responsibilities

Lead all Museum individual giving campaigns in partnership with the Chief Development Officer (CDO).  This includes, but is not limited to, leading the Please Touch Museum’s urgent individual giving campaign scheduled for Summer to Fall of 2020. Specific tasks will include:

• Identifying potential donors from PTM’s Annual Fund and Membership and work with CDO to cultivate and solicit donors.
•  Managing a portfolio of individual givers and corporate supporters investing between $100 and $60,000+ in Please Touch Museum.
•  Working with CDO and Campaign committee for this initiative and stewarding this group.
•  Implementing a donor program strategy and comprehensive cultivation and stewardship plan for Please Touch Museum’s individual supporters. This includes an active schedule of personal interactions with donors including phone calls and visits to initiate one on one engagement and solicitation opportunities.

Responsible for managing and maintaining all technical aspects of the development operation.

•  Managing database systems and financial records. This includes donor acknowledgement letters and logging constituent interactions.
•  Leading all donor e-communications through Outlook and Constant Contact. Including the Museum’s quarterly e-newsletter Touchpoints and the Museum’s Annual Report.
• Creating timelines and budgets for all deliverables required by individual and corporate funders.
•  Leading internal collaborations with: Marketing, Exhibits and Museum Learning to facilitate the execution of funder deliverables.
•  Supporting department and committees with agendas, minutes, and monitoring/tracking deadlines.

Responsible for identifying, soliciting, and creating proposals for corporate sponsors. This includes writing letters of request and sponsorship agreements to secure institutional support.

• Work closely with the Chief Development Officer to develop fundraising strategies that integrate with Museum-wide initiatives.
• Conducts research to grow corporate sponsorship pipeline.
• Act as a project manager to ensure that marketing, program delivery, and sponsorship deliverables are met and written reports filed if appropriate.

Responsible for leading fundraising, cultivation, and stewardship events in collaboration with CDO and when appropriate: cross-departmentally.

• Design and implement all aspects of events in collaboration with CDO.
• Create budgets, timelines, and promotion/outreach plans, working in collaboration with other Museum departments.
• Identify and cultivate event committee for Imagination Ball, then assist and steward the committee members.
• Coordinate post-event tasks including the reconciliation of budget in conjunction with the finance department, evaluation, and recommendations for the following year.

Qualifications

• A Bachelor’s degree and minimum of 3 years working in a position of progressively responsible development experience.
• Must possess a strong working knowledge of the principles and practices of annual giving, corporate and foundation relations, and event management, preferably at an arts and cultural non-profit organization.
• This position requires a highly motivated, self-starter with demonstrated writing and organizational ability who enjoys finding creative ways to make a case for funding.
• Must be able take initiative, managing multiple tasks and meet deadlines without supervision.
• The successful candidate will demonstrate success in working with people and organizing committees focusing on achievable goals.
• Able to listen carefully to prospective donors, displaying a creative, problem solving attitude while maintaining a donor-centric fundraising philosophy and approach.