Advancement Director

MATTRESS FACTORY · United States

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance

• Partner with the Executive Director to set, pursue, and achieve annual contributed revenue goals.
• Design and lead a comprehensive fundraising program spanning individual giving, membership, foundation and corporate support, government funding, sponsorship, and special events.
• Expand and diversify revenue by cultivating relationships with local and national foundations, corporations, and public funders.
• Build and steward a personal portfolio of major gift donors and prospects, working alongside the Executive Director and Board of Directors on cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.
• Develop and monitor the advancement budget, ensuring effective financial stewardship and a clear return on investment.
• Contribute to fundraising planning for the museum's 50th anniversary and related campus and capital priorities.

• Own the institutional funding calendar and strategy, ensuring proposals and reports are accurate, compelling, and submitted on time.
• Write and submit grant proposals and reports directly, grant writing at Mattress Factory is shared among the Executive Director, the Advancement Director, and the Development and Membership Manager, and this role is expected to carry a meaningful portion of that work.
• Coordinate assignments across that team, gather program content from colleagues across the museum, and maintain compliance with funder guidelines and deadlines.
• Cultivate and maintain direct relationships with program officers and institutional funders.

• Build and manage a comprehensive donor and prospect pipeline focused on local and national prospects.
• Generate individual, business, and foundation prospect lists; oversee research; and coordinate meetings and tours in collaboration with the Executive Director and Board of Directors.
• Ensure timely, personal, and meaningful stewardship of donors at every level.

• With the Executive Director and Artistic Director, spearhead Mattress Factory's donor travel program, leading one to two trips per year that take donors and supporters to unique arts destinations across the country such as museums, biennials, artist studios, private collections, and site-specific work that connects back to what we do here.
• Design each itinerary in partnership with the Executive Director and artistic staff, identifying destinations and hosts, securing behind-the-scenes access, and shaping an experience that is both memorable and unmistakably Mattress Factory.

• With the Executive Director, spearhead the museum's Advocate Dinners, regular gatherings at the museum that bring together donors, artists, community members, and supporters around a shared table.
• Connect these dinners to the museum's broader cultivation strategy, ensuring meaningful follow-up with attendees and a clear path from a great evening to deeper engagement and support.
• Champion a culture of belonging across the museum's donor and community programs, so that supporters experience Mattress Factory as a community they are part of, not an institution they give to.

• Lead and manage the museum's Annual Fund and other year-round fundraising initiatives.
• Provide fundraising leadership for the annual Garden Party, including sponsorship, ticket sales, and revenue goals, working in close partnership with the Senior Events Manager, who leads event logistics and production.
• Collaborate with the Senior Events Manager on private, special, and rental events to support and grow earned event revenue.
• Ensure fundraising and cultivation goals are built into museum events, openings, and public programs.

• Provide strategic direction for the museum's membership program, setting goals and growth strategies in partnership with the Development and Membership Manager, who leads day-to-day execution.
• Ensure membership serves as a healthy pipeline into annual and major giving.
• Support the development of premiere membership and patron groups and the engagement opportunities that sustain them.

• Provide strategic oversight of Mattress Factory's marketing, communications, and public relations, supervising the Marketing Manager who leads day-to-day execution.
• Ensure marketing strategy aligns with the museum's mission, strategic plan, and earned and contributed revenue goals.
• Safeguard and evolve the museum's brand identity, ensuring consistent messaging and aesthetics across all channels.
• Oversee the museum's digital engagement strategy (website, social media, email marketing, and paid and earned media) and use performance data to refine campaigns and maximize impact.
• Serve as a spokesperson for the museum and help cultivate relationships with local, national, and international media.
• Develop and monitor the marketing budget to ensure effective allocation of resources.

• Supervise, mentor, and develop the Development and Membership Manager and the Marketing Manager, setting clear goals and supporting their professional growth.
• Manage departmental contractors, consultants, and occasional interns.
• Foster a departmental culture that is collaborative, accountable, creative, and generous.
• Maintain a detailed advancement calendar so that campaigns, appeals, deadlines, and events are executed on time and in coordination with one another.

• Collaborate as a member of the museum's Senior Leadership Team, with proactive input into decisions affecting Mattress Factory's annual and long-term operating plans, including the museum's strategic framework, program priorities, human and financial resource allocations, and holistic institutional communications.
• Serve as a senior staff advisor to the Executive Director, providing strategic counsel and insight to support decision-making and the achievement of organizational goals.
• Foster a spirit of collaboration and mutual respect across departments, valuing the knowledge and expertise of colleagues in exhibitions, education, events, visitor services, finance, and beyond.
• Partner with the Executive Director to keep the Board of Directors informed and engaged by helping to plan board and committee meetings, preparing advancement materials and dashboards in advance of each meeting, tracking fundraising progress against goals, and ensuring timely follow-up.
• Attend Board of Directors meetings and staff the Board's Advancement Committee, the Garden Party Host Committee, and other volunteer committees, reporting on fundraising progress, event outcomes, and campaign results.
• In collaboration with the Executive Director, help recruit, orient, and engage board members and volunteers in the work of advancement.
• Represent the museum publicly, building relationships with donors, stakeholders, community leaders, and cultural partners that advance the museum's mission.
• Other duties as assigned by the Executive Director.

• A collaborative leadership style that values listening, coaching, and shared decision-making.
• Exceptional communication skills, written, verbal, and public speaking, with the ability to engage a range of audiences clearly and persuasively.
• A creative thinker who embraces experimentation and takes thoughtful risks.
• Strong skills in research, budgeting, CRM/donor database management, and digital communication tools.
• Organized, detail-oriented, and excellent at time management.
• The ability to juggle multiple priorities effectively.
• Reliable and proactive, with a strong sense of personal accountability and follow-through.
• Able to work independently and drive projects forward with minimal oversight.
• A team player who thrives in a collaborative environment.
• Flexible and resilient, with the ability to adapt to changing circumstances.

• A minimum of 5 years of progressive experience in fundraising, development, or advancement, with demonstrated success securing major gifts, grants, and sponsorships.
• A bachelor's degree in nonprofit management, marketing, communications, or a related field — or equivalent experience.
• Demonstrated experience writing successful grant proposals and managing institutional funder relationships.
• Supervisory experience, with a proven ability to mentor and inspire staff while fostering a collaborative and inclusive workplace culture.
• Experience planning and executing high-profile fundraising events and campaigns; experience with donor travel, curated dinners, or other intimate cultivation experiences is a strong plus.
• Working knowledge of marketing, communications, and public relations sufficient to guide and support a marketing team.
• Experience working with and supporting boards and volunteer committees.
• A strategic thinker with outstanding interpersonal and communication skills.
• A collaborative and generous team member who values cross-departmental work.
• Passion for contemporary art and an understanding of the role of art in civic life and community engagement.
• A strong commitment to equity, diversity, accessibility, and inclusion.
• Experience in a museum, arts, or cultural organization is a plus.