Manager of Donor Communications
About The Position
The Manager of Donor Communications serves as the principal writer and project manager for donor communications projects that support the museum’s annual fundraising priorities and multi-year fundraising campaigns. The Manager produces materials in a variety of media for delivery in digital and print formats, ensuring language, style, formatting, and the museum’s verbal identity remain consistent, while also adjusting syntax and voice when drafting communications assets for museum leadership or Trustees. Writing assignments include correspondence, fundraising menus, proposals, reports, e-blasts, intranet and web content, remarks and talking points, brochures, articles for the museum’s publications, and collaborative projects with partners across the Advancement Division. The Manager creates templates and usage guidelines for a range of correspondence to be used by others across the department, including acknowledgment letters, congratulations letters, condolence letters, acquisition and renewal letters, and other turnkey writing projects. The Manager is also responsible for providing editing and guidance to colleagues, in support of donor cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship activities.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree—English, journalism, creative writing, or arts major preferred.
- At least two years professional experience in business or technical writing, journalism, communications, media relations, or a related field.
- Knowledge of standard concepts, practices, and procedures related to the position, including expertise in use of English grammar, punctuation, and syntax.
- Use of best practices in letter writing and proposal development and ability to conduct research.
- Understanding of branding strategies for the museum and for specific projects.
- Ability to “ghost write” for executives and ability to learn subject-specific terminology for use in developing written materials and knowledge of when and how to use various channels of communication.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office required.
Nice To Haves
- Familiarity with Raiser’s Edge, Adobe Acrobat, and Photoshop is an advantage.
Responsibilities
- Write compelling, persuasive fundraising materials that support the museum’s strategic plan, inspire donors, motivate staff, inform the public, and engage the reader with the life of the museum.
- Coordinate messaging with staff and uphold the museum’s verbal identity standards and house style across the department.
- Serve as primary writer for the department, overseeing all assigned writing projects. Write and edit various materials with donor-centric copy for both internal and external audiences. Create content for publications/collateral. Review and edit materials, as well as usage guidelines, for Donor Engagement and other programs, including print and email invitations, reminder emails, and post-event emails, remarks and talking points, brochures, event programs, travel itineraries, letters, etc.
- Source materials for communications assets from various museum departments and working with subject matter experts in those departments to then review communications for accuracy.
- Manage all assignments/requests (up to 350-400/year) pertaining to Donor Communications, and function as default assignee for most writing and editing projects. The Manager may reassign projects to other team members including acknowledgment letters, congratulations letters, condolence letters, and select remarks or talking points; any assignments outside this scope may be delegated with the approval of the Director of Donor Engagement.
- Write all correspondence templates (solicitation letters, visit follow up letters, acknowledgment letters, condolence letters, congratulations letters, etc.) and update as needed (at least twice/year for some, and monthly for others such as Leadership Annual Giving renewals).
- Create support documents for Advancement staff that include talking points and slide shows; update cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship materials to be on brand in conjunction with the Director of Donor Engagement.
- Research and write select annual stewardship reports in partnership with Stewardship staff.
- Create correspondence for museum leadership.
- Shepherd ongoing projects including monthly museum updates for The Women’s Committee; articles and content for donor publications; web content; Annual Fund letters (in partnership with Membership); talking points for Board of Trustee and committee meetings; and others.
- Manage projects with Editorial and Graphic Design and freelance designers, in close collaboration with other team members.
- Perform other duties as assigned.
Benefits
- Free general admission to the museum for you and your immediate family
- Discounted guest tickets for admission
- Discounts on gift memberships
- Special staff tours and presentations from our curatorial and conservation teams
- Discounts at the museum restaurant, museum cafés, and museum retail and online stores
- Medical, dental, and vision benefits
- Fully paid short-term disability insurance, long-term disability insurance, and life insurance
- Health savings or flexible spending account program
- Retirement savings program with museum match
- Paid vacation, personal days, sick days, and holidays
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Manager
