Major Gifts Officer
Since our founding in 1901, the Toledo Museum of Art has earned a global reputation for the quality of our collection, our innovative and extensive education programs, and our architecturally significant campus. Thanks to the benevolence of its founders, as well as the continued support of its community, TMA remains a privately endowed, non-profit institution and opens its collection to the public, free of charge.
At the Toledo Museum of Art, we are dedicated to fulfilling our mission and our commitment to cultivating an organizational culture where every individual feels valued, inspired, respected, and empowered. We believe fostering such a culture requires everyone to work daily at positively enhancing the experience of our team members. We hope all interested in employment here will strive to elevate our mission and our culture!
The Toledo Museum of Art seeks a self-motivated Major Gift Officer to join the Development team. The Major Gift Officer is a senior frontline fundraiser responsible for developing and managing a portfolio of donors and prospects---including individuals, privately funded businesses, corporations, and foundations---with the capacity to give $25,000 or more in outright or planned gifts. This position plays a critical role in securing philanthropic investments to advance the Museum's mission, strategic initiatives, and long-term sustainability. The Major Gift Officer will cultivate and expand philanthropic support for TMA both locally and nationally, building relationships that strengthen the Museum's presence and impact beyond Toledo. In addition to managing their own portfolio, the Major Gift Officer supervises the gift officer team, ensuring alignment in donor strategy, stewardship, and engagement.
The ideal candidate is a strategic relationship-builder with deep experience in major and planned-giving, strong leadership skills, and a commitment to donor-centered fundraising in a cultural or mission-driven setting.
Key Accountabilities
Leadership & Team Oversight
- Supervise and mentor the gift officer team, fostering a collaborative, accountable, and mission-driven culture.
- Support team goal setting, progress tracking, and performance development/management.
- Align annual giving and mid-level donor strategies with major and planned giving pipelines to ensure a cohesive donor journey.
- Lead strategic growth of TMA's highest-level giving societies, including the Founder's Circle ($25,000), 1901 Society ($50,000), and The Libbey Circle (legacy giving society).
Major & Planned Gift Portfolio Management
- Manage a portfolio of up to 150 qualified prospects---including individuals, corporations, privately funded businesses, and foundations---with the capacity to give $25,000 or more annually.
- Develop tailored cultivation and solicitation strategies for donors in collaboration with senior leadership, curatorial, education, and community engagement teams.
- Create innovative, customized gift proposals that strategically align donor interests with TMA's mission and priorities.
- Lead sponsorship efforts for exhibitions, programs, and special initiatives, including proposal development, benefit/recognition negotiation, and fulfillment.