Major Gifts Officer

Summary of Position
Tacoma Art Museum (TAM) seeks a dedicated Major Gifts Officer to join our Development team to help 
the Museum become the most community-centered art museum in the Northwest, and the leading center for NW 
art in the US. Reporting to the Director of Development, the Major Gifts Officer is responsible for 
managing TAM's development and stewardship pipeline of donors $1,000+ including consistently 
nurturing relationships with donors, engaging in donor communications, development strategy 
support, donor recognition, special projects, and builds mission awareness in the community. Along 
with its role in annual giving and specific project support, this position plays a leadership role 
in institutional major gift campaigns.

The ideal candidate will possess a passion for the arts and a commitment to fostering a culture of 
collaboration and giving within the Tacoma community. A deep understanding of development best 
practices and building sincere relationships is essential. Additionally, administrative and 
facilitation skills are important. Join us in our mission to promote art, education, and culture in 
Tacoma; inspiring trust, engagement, and generosity among our supporters.

Responsibilities
Donor Relations (~75% of time)

• Foster relationships and build rapport with individual major donors ($1,000+) and prospects of 
approx. 200 people and create in-depth stewardship strategies for donor portfolio of
approx. 100.
• Regularly connect donors with Executive Director and Director of Development
• Establish or meet provided goals for philanthropy including donor engagements, gifts, and more.
• Facilitates annual giving campaigns, co-leads large institutional campaigns, donor retention 
strategies, and moves management plans for members and donors.
• Participates in giving committees across the museum working with board members, community 
members, and more to make asks of $1,000+.
• Engage in prospect research.
• Other duties as assigned

Communications (~15% of time)

•  Works with various departments to gather and share stories from stakeholders and members for 
development and stewardship content.
•  Create and strategize community centered donor communications.
•  Grow quality and quantity of appeals, campaigns, renewal processes and more.

•  Work in partnership with development team members and various other department teams to promote 
philanthropy.
•  Other duties as assigned

Organizational (~10% of time)
•  Analyze reporting on donor giving history to support annual giving strategy.
•  Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications
•  3+ years of professional experience with donor cultivation and stewardship
•  Excellent verbal and written communication skills
•  Strong organizational and time-management skills
•  Ability to balance working in a team environment along with self-directed projects
•  CFRE credential preferred but not required.

Travel, Working Conditions, and Physical Environment
The essential physical requirements of this position include:
•  Must have reliable transportation to travel to and from donor meetings as needed within the 
South Puget Sound Region.
•  TAM operates with a four-day work week with standard business hours Tuesday-Friday 
7:30am-5:30pm. This position will have reasonable flexibility to manage their own schedule and work 
time around donor meetings, events, and internal meetings.
•  This position is a salary non-exempt position.
•  This position is union eligible.

About Tacoma Art Museum 

Tacoma Art Museum is a public-spirited institution that champions a dynamic and  

complex approach to exhibitions. The museum’s passionate staff are driven by the mission of connecting people through art, empowering visitors to create meaning with artworks through innovative interpretive and programming strategies. Named by USA Today as one of the “Top 10 Great Places to See Art in Smaller Cities,” the museum has developed a reputation for presenting art in a thought-provoking yet accessible manner with a strong commitment to Northwest art.  

Founded in 1935, TAM has strong roots in the community. Along with five other nearby museums and neighboring University of Washington at Tacoma, TAM anchors Tacoma’s lively downtown core.  

Located in the beautiful Pacific Northwest, Tacoma is known as the City of Destiny, a city that has always marched to the beat of its own drum. Close enough to Seattle to take advantage of everything a major metropolis offers, Tacoma is its own distinctly unique and actively engaged community with a clear love of the arts.  

Diverse individuals and families continue to invest in Tacoma for its charming historic neighborhoods, schools, parks, waterfront, and amenities. You’ll find the beaches and forests of Puget Sound ideal to bike, run, hike, and paddle – including the nearby Mount Rainier. In addition to sports, theater and other cultural offerings, Tacoma is home to a growing restaurant and pub scene that’s made national press. The thriving Tacoma Museum District lines the downtown core and showcases some of the nation’s best collections. Tacoma is a great place to call home. 

Tacoma Art Museum is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We strongly encourage applicants from members of groups underrepresented in careers related to museums and the visual arts.