Director, Institutional Giving

About The Paley Center for Media

The Paley Center for Media is the world’s leading 501 (c)(3) nonprofit cultural institution whose mission is to preserve our media history and to explore media’s powerful shaping influence on our culture.

The Paley Center for Media owns the iconic, New York Paley Museum where media, sports, gaming, tech, and entertainment come together, and during the year, produces unmatched programs for the public and industry. On the public side, programs celebrate the very best of television, digital content, and interactive entertainment. On the industry side, the Paley Center convenes the most influential business leaders to explore and debate the most critical issues and opportunities within the industry while also fostering a sense of community amongst peers. Through its respected Paley Impact series, programs educate and explore how media impacts culture and shapes public discourse on important societal issues.

At the heart of the Paley Center sits the Paley Archive, which represents the largest public collection of its kind and is often cited as a national treasure, with over 160,000 programs spanning more than 100 years. This collection also serves as an incredible resource for K-12 educators and students nationwide that are served through its respected education classes.

Previously known as The Museum of Television & Radio, the Paley Center was founded in 1975 by William S. Paley, a pioneering innovator in the industry. For more information,
please visit paleycenter.org.

Scope

The Director, Institutional Giving (Director) will drive and scale the institutional fundraising program, leading and expanding the development of foundation, corporate foundation, and government funding. In order to meet budget goals, the Director is responsible for researching, recruiting, and closing continuing and new institutional giving sources for unrestricted and programmatic needs. The Director works closely with the Programming and Education teams to create compelling support positions for Paley Center programs and solicits funding. The Director is also responsible for stewarding and managing grants with government agencies. They will manage the implementation and maintenance of best practices and procedures and will assist with other Development projects as required.

The successful candidate will have high energy, be results-driven, creative and extremely organized with excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Direct Reports

Manager, Institutional Giving

Responsibilities

Develop strategies for approaching foundations, including identifying the most effective initial point of contact, leveraging board and staff connections, refining alignment between the foundation’s priorities and organizational initiatives, and advancing conversations toward the proposal stage

Lead the research, identification, cultivation, proposal development, and securing of unrestricted and program-specific funding from corporate foundations, private foundations, and government sources to support a range of initiatives, including innovative classes and educational programs for K–12 students and educators; dynamic public programs featuring panel discussions and screenings with leaders from the media and creative communities; and the ongoing preservation and digitization of The Paley Center for Media’s unparalleled archive, among other initiatives

Expand Paley’s base of support from foundations and government entities by developing prospect lists, detailed profiles, and briefing materials to support cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies

Oversee and orchestrate the strategic distribution of invitations for Paley events to foundation trustees and staff, including both current donors and prospective supporters

Maintains relationships with institutional donors and prospects to sustain existing funding and cultivate new support opportunities

Serve as the primary lead, both internally and externally, for evaluation, project management, contract administration, funding requests, and all related components necessary to successfully execute these initiatives

Work closely with Program staff to enhance opportunities for institutional funding

Write and manage the preparation of interim and final reports for funded programs and initiatives

Engage as a Paley Ambassador for social media initiatives by actively sharing Paley’s social media posts within one’s own networks, to amplify the organization’s reach and foster community engagement

Participate in other projects as assigned

Core Competencies

Our successful employees meet the following criteria:

High-energy, extremely organized, and highly efficient with proven ability to meet deadlines and budgets

Exceptional business writing skills and outstanding verbal communication

Strong leadership skills and ability to lead cross functional teams

Ability to take ownership of all tasks and manage simultaneously

Positive and professional demeanor with excellent interpersonal, administrative, and managerial skills

Ability to handle and prioritize multiple tasks while maintaining attention to detail

Resourcefulness, creativity, strong problem-solving, and research skills

Requirements

10+ years’ experience of demonstrated success in identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and renewing foundation, corporate foundation, and government support

Extensive knowledge of and relationships within the foundation community, preferably in New York and Los Angeles, as well as with national funders

Excellent knowledge of fundraising methodology, including prospect research, proposal preparation, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship

Experience in working with NYC or other high-profile municipalities with regards to funding

Demonstrated ability to juggle and prioritize multiple projects simultaneously and meet deadlines in a pressured and fast-paced environment

Thoroughness and attention to detail and ability to work independently

Superior interpersonal, writing and communications skills

Proficiency with CRMs and word processing, spreadsheets, and online resources and research tools

Strong understanding of the media, entertainment, sports, tech, and/or gaming industries

Demonstrated ability to work independently, prioritizing work and managing multiple, diverse, and competing priorities while meeting deadlines

Knowledge of city, state and federal funding sources and processes

Strong work ethic with desire and preference to work in-person as part of a cohesive, collaborative, high-energy, in-the-office work environment

Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university; master’s degree preferred

Bilingual fluency in Spanish a plus

Total Compensation Range:  $100,000 - $150,000

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY STATEMENT

The Paley Center for Media maintains a strong policy of equal opportunity in employment.  It is our objective to recruit, hire, and retain the most qualified individuals without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation or identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic or status protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.  Our equal employment philosophy applies to all aspects of employment, including recruitment, compensation, benefits, training, promotions, transfers, job benefits, and terminations.