Summary
Description
Associate Director, Development (Part-Time)
Organization: Maine Jewish Museum (MJM)
Location: Portland, ME (Hybrid / Flexible)
Position Type: Part-Time (20 hours/week)
Reports to: Executive Director, Dawn LaRochelle
Compensation: *$48,000 – $55,000 annually for 20hrs/week (commensurate with experience)
About the Maine Jewish Museum
Located in the heart of Portland, the Maine Jewish Museum (MJM) celebrates and honors the contributions and diversity of Maine's Jewish immigrants and their descendants. We serve as a vital cultural hub, offering contemporary art exhibitions, historical displays, and community programming.
MJM is currently experiencing a period of historic, transformative growth. Over the last three years, our community support has nearly quadrupled, elevating our annual operating revenue to over $800,000. Currently, over 90% of the Museum’s revenue is derived from annual giving, grants, and a growing individual major donor base.
Position Overview
The Associate Director of Development is a newly created, senior-level role designed to serve as a force multiplier for the Executive Director. As MJM transitions from reactive fundraising to a proactive, relationship-based model, this individual will play a critical role in expanding our donor network, retaining annual donors, and securing major gifts. This is not an administrative role; we are seeking a relationship-driven fundraiser who can help power the Museum’s next phase of growth. We are seeking a strategic development professional to help us sustain this incredible momentum and build the infrastructure needed for our next chapter.
The ideal candidate is a scout and cultivator, someone who excels at uncovering new philanthropic capacity and preparing the groundwork for high-level solicitations. You will spend most of your time in the community meeting with donors, and the rest building systems to ensure no relationship falls through the cracks. The role will be conducted primarily remotely, but proximity to Portland, ME, or within a reasonable travel distance will be important, with occasional evening or weekend hours to capitalize on Museum events as cultivation tools.
Core Responsibilities
Frontline Fundraising & Relationship Building (70%)
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Discovery & Cultivation: Proactively identify and engage prospective major donors outside of the Museum's current core network. Conduct an estimated 40-50 discovery meetings annually to qualify capacity and interest.
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Solicitation: Directly solicit and close major gifts and pledges of $10,000+.
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Stewardship: Develop and execute high-touch stewardship plans to ensure first-time and newly upgraded donors remain deeply engaged, directly combating donor attrition.
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Executive Partnership: Act as a strategic partner to the Executive Director. Prepare comprehensive donor briefings, research profiles, and strategic pathways so the ED can effectively close top-tier, transformational gifts.
Development Operations & Strategy (30%)
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CRM Implementation & Management: Lead the transition from disparate spreadsheets to a professional Donor Management System (CRM). Establish best practices for data entry, gift processing, and reporting.
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Annual Appeal Management: Serve as the project manager for the Museum's annual fund appeal, coordinating mailing lists, segmentation, and overall execution to ensure a cohesive and effective mass-fundraising campaign.
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Prospect Research: Utilize research tools and community knowledge to map overlapping networks and identify "hidden gems" in the Greater Portland philanthropic landscape.
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Pipeline Development: Build a sustainable, multi-year pipeline for major giving, moving donors predictably through the cultivation cycle.
Roadmap for Success in Year 1
To ensure absolute clarity and alignment, here is what a successful first 12 months will look like:
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Months 1-2 (The Foundation): Successfully choose and implement the new CRM system, migrate existing donor data, audit our top 50 donors to identify immediate opportunities, and establish a strong workflow with the Executive Director.
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Months 3-6 (The Listening Tour): Conduct 20+ discovery meetings to qualify prospects, identify capacity among current but under-engaged donors, and seek to identify new possible major donors.
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Months 7-12 (The Harvest): Shift focus to active major gift solicitations, closing Year 1 gifts and securing multi-year pledges, with an annual target of 40-50 meetings and 18-20 solicitations of $10,000+. This period of time will also likely include successfully project managing the execution of the annual fund appeal.
Desired Qualifications
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Experience: 5+ years of progressive non-profit development experience, with a proven track record of personally closing gifts of $10,000 or more. Experience with planned giving is a bonus.
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Systems Thinker: Experience selecting, implementing, or managing a CRM (e.g., Little Green Light, Bloomerang, Raiser's Edge, etc.). You understand that good data drives good relationships.
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Autonomy: A highly motivated self-starter who thrives in a flexible, part-time environment and can drive their own metrics and meeting schedules.
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Communication: Excellent communication skills, both written and oral; ability to engage and influence others via phone, email, and in person. Exceptional interpersonal skills and the professional gravity to act as a peer to savvy philanthropists, corporate leaders, and Board members.
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Mission Alignment: A genuine appreciation for art, history, and community building, with the ability to passionately articulate the mission of the Maine Jewish Museum.
Why This Role?
This is a rare opportunity for a seasoned development professional who desires the flexibility of a part-time schedule (20 hours/week), without sacrificing high-level strategic impact. You will be stepping into an organization with proven community buy-in, an engaged Board, a dynamic Executive Director, and the mandate to build a professional development shop from the ground up with a high level of autonomy.
MJM has a retirement fund for employees (including part-time employees) who have been at the Museum for at least a year, for which MJM matches up to 2%. Additional benefits include the ability to primarily work from home (or wherever one may choose with proximity to Portland, ME), paid time off, and professional development support. *For reference, the advertised salary of $48,000 – $55,000 annually for 20 hours/week would be equivalent to a full, 40hr/wk salary of approximately $110,000 annually.
To Apply
Please send a resume and a brief cover letter outlining your approach to major gift fundraising and why this part-time structure appeals to you to Executive Director of the Maine Jewish Museum Dawn LaRochelle at dlarochelle@mainejewishmuseum.org.
