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Role: Director of Development
About Music Export Memphis
Music Export Memphis is a nonprofit export office for Memphis music. We create opportunities for artists who live here to showcase outside the city, growing their careers and enhancing our city’s reputation as a contemporary music mecca.
Founded in 2016, Music Export Memphis has put over $1 million into the pockets of Memphis musicians in the last decade including critical relief work during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our programs subsidize working artists and make sustainable music careers in Memphis a reality.
Our work culture emphasizes creativity, big ideas, and entrepreneurial thinking. We are a first-of-its-kind nonprofit in the United States – no other city has an organization like Music Export Memphis. We’re rewriting the rules programmatically, so we welcome outside‑the‑box thinkers operationally. Our team is small, which means we all wear lots of hats; however, we also fiercelyïc support boundaries and life balance. We work in music, so nights and weekends happen – but our flexible approach to PTO and remote work, as well as our commitment to ensuring essential functions are covered on vacations or holidays, mean that when you’re off the clock you can truly rest and recharge.
Music Export Memphis is not just an export organization or a grantmaker, but also a key connector and advocate in our music ecosystem. We are approached daily by musicians and organizational partners to be a point of connection to other players in the Memphis music scene and in the national and international music scenes. We endeavor to be that needed connector while also protecting staff boundaries and personal capacity.
A successful leader at MEM will be collaborative, creative, forward HR, entrepreneurial and adaptive, energized by the opportunity to build new processes and systems and make an outsized impact.
About the opportunity Music Export Memphis (MEM) seeks a passionate self‑starter to join its small but mighty ranks as the organization’s first‑ever Director of Development. This full‑time salaried position reports to the Executive Director and will work closely with the Board of Directors and the BOD Development Chairperson.
In 2026, Music Export Memphis will celebrate its 10‑year anniversary. All fundraising to date – gifts large and small, donor tracking, stewardship, corporate, major gifts et al – has been handled by the Executive Director and the Board of Directors. MEM is lucky to have incredibly passionate donors who care deeply about our city and its incomparable music and culture. The Director of Development will be responsible for formalizing and maturing development functions across the organization, with a focus on raising funds for a significant new program launching in 2027.
Duties for the Director of Development will include but are not limited to:
Building a robust corporate and sponsorship engagement strategy.
Creating or improving/formalizing processes for individual donor stewardship and cultivation, including development of giving tiers/circles and supporter benefits.
Identifying funding opportunities outside of Memphis including corporate and philanthropic.
Establishing and operationalizing a strategy around increasing major gifts.
Planning, organization repo, management, and execution of annual fundraiser (The Tambourine Bash) including securing sponsorships, in‑kind support, ticketing, and managing volunteers and VIPs.
Creating sponsorship assets, tiers and target list for MEM’s 2027 program launch, and partnering with the Executive Director to execute.
Working closely with the Board of Directors’ Development Chairperson and committee, including preparing reports for the committee and full board and presenting to the board directly.
Creating assets and documentation to support fundraising including sponsorship decks/proposals, grants, in‑kind letters, gift acknowledgement templates and more.
Must‑haves:
Experience with and knowledge of major gifts strategies.
Experience working directly with a CEO/Executive Director and board of directors.
Outstanding communications skills, both verbal and written.
Knowledge of Network For Good / Bonterra or similar donor CRM tool.
Love of music and passion for Memphis.
At least seven years of experience in nonprofit fundraising.
Nice to have, but not required:
Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) certification or in‑depth knowledge of fundraising processes.
Experience at a music, arts, or cultural nonprofit organization.
Salary and benefits This position is being hired as an 18‑month contract role (March 2026 – September 2027), specifically to support the launch of MEM’s new program in 2027. Our desire is to find a candidate who is an excellent fit for our organization, who will be successful in this role, and who we will transition to permanent hire following the end of the 18‑month contract.
Salary range: $65,000-80,000 annually
Employer contribution to healthcare
Extremely generous and flexible PTO policy, including two‑week office closure at year‑end
MEM employees work remotely 90% of the time, but you must be based in Memphis and available for in‑person team meetings 1-2 times weekly
Position mayស់ involve some travel
Interested candidates should send their resume and cover letter to: elizabeth@musicexportmemphis.org
#J-18808-Ljbffr
Music Export Memphis is a nonprofit export office for Memphis music. We create opportunities for artists who live here to showcase outside the city, growing their careers and enhancing our city’s reputation as a contemporary music mecca.
Founded in 2016, Music Export Memphis has put over $1 million into the pockets of Memphis musicians in the last decade including critical relief work during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our programs subsidize working artists and make sustainable music careers in Memphis a reality.
Our work culture emphasizes creativity, big ideas, and entrepreneurial thinking. We are a first-of-its-kind nonprofit in the United States – no other city has an organization like Music Export Memphis. We’re rewriting the rules programmatically, so we welcome outside‑the‑box thinkers operationally. Our team is small, which means we all wear lots of hats; however, we also fiercelyïc support boundaries and life balance. We work in music, so nights and weekends happen – but our flexible approach to PTO and remote work, as well as our commitment to ensuring essential functions are covered on vacations or holidays, mean that when you’re off the clock you can truly rest and recharge.
Music Export Memphis is not just an export organization or a grantmaker, but also a key connector and advocate in our music ecosystem. We are approached daily by musicians and organizational partners to be a point of connection to other players in the Memphis music scene and in the national and international music scenes. We endeavor to be that needed connector while also protecting staff boundaries and personal capacity.
A successful leader at MEM will be collaborative, creative, forward HR, entrepreneurial and adaptive, energized by the opportunity to build new processes and systems and make an outsized impact.
About the opportunity Music Export Memphis (MEM) seeks a passionate self‑starter to join its small but mighty ranks as the organization’s first‑ever Director of Development. This full‑time salaried position reports to the Executive Director and will work closely with the Board of Directors and the BOD Development Chairperson.
In 2026, Music Export Memphis will celebrate its 10‑year anniversary. All fundraising to date – gifts large and small, donor tracking, stewardship, corporate, major gifts et al – has been handled by the Executive Director and the Board of Directors. MEM is lucky to have incredibly passionate donors who care deeply about our city and its incomparable music and culture. The Director of Development will be responsible for formalizing and maturing development functions across the organization, with a focus on raising funds for a significant new program launching in 2027.
Duties for the Director of Development will include but are not limited to:
Building a robust corporate and sponsorship engagement strategy.
Creating or improving/formalizing processes for individual donor stewardship and cultivation, including development of giving tiers/circles and supporter benefits.
Identifying funding opportunities outside of Memphis including corporate and philanthropic.
Establishing and operationalizing a strategy around increasing major gifts.
Planning, organization repo, management, and execution of annual fundraiser (The Tambourine Bash) including securing sponsorships, in‑kind support, ticketing, and managing volunteers and VIPs.
Creating sponsorship assets, tiers and target list for MEM’s 2027 program launch, and partnering with the Executive Director to execute.
Working closely with the Board of Directors’ Development Chairperson and committee, including preparing reports for the committee and full board and presenting to the board directly.
Creating assets and documentation to support fundraising including sponsorship decks/proposals, grants, in‑kind letters, gift acknowledgement templates and more.
Must‑haves:
Experience with and knowledge of major gifts strategies.
Experience working directly with a CEO/Executive Director and board of directors.
Outstanding communications skills, both verbal and written.
Knowledge of Network For Good / Bonterra or similar donor CRM tool.
Love of music and passion for Memphis.
At least seven years of experience in nonprofit fundraising.
Nice to have, but not required:
Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) certification or in‑depth knowledge of fundraising processes.
Experience at a music, arts, or cultural nonprofit organization.
Salary and benefits This position is being hired as an 18‑month contract role (March 2026 – September 2027), specifically to support the launch of MEM’s new program in 2027. Our desire is to find a candidate who is an excellent fit for our organization, who will be successful in this role, and who we will transition to permanent hire following the end of the 18‑month contract.
Salary range: $65,000-80,000 annually
Employer contribution to healthcare
Extremely generous and flexible PTO policy, including two‑week office closure at year‑end
MEM employees work remotely 90% of the time, but you must be based in Memphis and available for in‑person team meetings 1-2 times weekly
Position mayស់ involve some travel
Interested candidates should send their resume and cover letter to: elizabeth@musicexportmemphis.org
#J-18808-Ljbffr