Development Specialist, Corporate Giving

The Ministry of Awe is not exactly a museum. It is not exactly theater, technology, a gallery, a funhouse or a very unusual bank. It is an ever-evolving, six-floor immersive art experience created inside a historic Old City landmark and an invitation for visitors to reconsider what they value. 

Now that our doors are open, we are looking for a Development Specialist who can support the organization’s goals of expanding our corporate and institutional giving opportunities.

This person will lead the strategy and implementation efforts required to fundraise for ongoing organizational needs as well as special projects, initiatives and events that can be sponsored by outside donors for the Ministry of Awe. You will collaborate with executive leadership and marketing to lead pitches and proposals about an experience that is often difficult to explain into a story people and companies cannot resist discovering for themselves and will want to contribute to. 

The Role 

Reporting to the Interim Managing Director and working with other members of leadership, we are looking for a contracting consultant who specializes in these types of donations and gifts. 

You will work closely with Meg Saligman, Founder and Visionary Director, whose imagination, artistic leadership and original vision are inseparable from the MoA. Meg will continue to play an essential role in shaping the strategic direction, creative expression and storytelling of the brand.  

The right person will know how to translate that vision into clear, compelling proposals to pitch what makes MoA extraordinary while helping it reach a much larger audience to cultivate sustainable funding and long-term corporate and institutional donors.

What You’ll Be Responsible For 

Turn wonder into sponsorships and ongoing financial support. 

Develop and manage an integrated annual giving plan that builds a network of corporate partners, businesses and other institutions to make annual donations or ongoing contributions for various initiatives, projects.

Pitch an enticing opportunity donors want to support. 

Collaborate with Marketing to infuse MoA’s distinctive voice and visual identity across every public touchpoint into fundraising campaigns.

Create proposals worthy of the experience. 

Lead an editorial and proposal strategy that captures the energy of MoA without explaining away its mystery. Oversee campaign development, corporate marketing based proposals, institutional giving strategy and implementation tailored to custom requests and broader pitches.

Connect the inside to the outside. 

Work on-site with Marketing, Visitor Experience, Programming, Retail and Operations so that campaigns reflect what is actually happening in the building.

Capture the audience already at the door. 

Translate the audience we’ve gotten from corporate or institutional entities into ongoing contributions. Maintain relationships with these entities to build recurring sponsorships, annual tours, connecting into their specific interests, and develop other recurring models to expand the network of potential funders and partners.

Who You Are 

You have approximately 5-7 years experience in cultivating corporate and institutional donors, ideally within arts and culture, entertainment, attractions, hospitality, tourism, live experiences or other similar audience-driven organizations. 

This is a contracted (1099) opportunity with a fee range of $18,000-20,000. Contracting rate is commensurate with experience. Hours per week and duration of contract will be determined based on contractor’s availability and scope of work, but would range from 10-14 hours per week.  

You likely bring: 

Experience with identifying, researching and cultivating corporate sponsors, small grant gifting and business partners.

Relationship Management: Stewarding a portfolio of corporate donors through ongoing communication, impact reports, and tailored pitch decks and proposals. 

Donor Event Support: Coordinating corporate sponsorships for signature events, annual fundraiser events, special milestone events, VIP and/or private tours, and annual campaigns for end of year, rotating exhibits, the annual holiday show, and other seasonal events and activities.

Data & Tracking: Maintaining accurate donor records, proposal pipelines, and contributions using CRM tools and corporate giving application opportunities.

A Note About Fit 

The Ministry of Awe was not created through conventional thinking, and it will not be successfully supported through conventional thinking alone. 

We need someone who respects artists but is not intimidated by them. Someone who understands that “more creative” and “more effective” are not opposing instructions. Someone willing to get to know the experience so it makes for better pitches to prospective funders and partners.