About The Shed
The Shed is a new cultural institution of and for the 21st century. We produce and welcome innovative art and ideas, across all forms of creativity, to build a shared understanding of our rapidly changing world and a more equitable society. In our highly adaptable building on Manhattan’s west side, The Shed brings together established and emerging artists to create new work in fields ranging from pop to classical music, painting to digital media, theater to literature, and sculpture to dance. We seek opportunities to collaborate with cultural peers and community organizations, work with like-minded partners, and provide unique spaces for private events. As an independent nonprofit that values invention, equity, and generosity, we are committed to advancing art forms, addressing the urgent issues of our time, and making our work impactful, sustainable, and relevant to the local community, the cultural sector, New York City, and beyond.
About the Position
The Shed’s Major Gifts team is a central part of the Development department, responsible for identifying,
cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding individual donors who give at the $25,000+ level to support the organization’s annual operations. A key member of the team, the Major Gifts Coordinator will provide critical database and administrative support for Major Gifts activities to their Development colleagues as well as board members and Shed executive staff. At the heart of this position is the use of Tessitura, The Shed’s donor database, to drive the moves management process and improve the productivity and efficiency of the Major Giving effort.
As The Shed is still a very young organization, this is a unique opportunity to make a significant contribution to the organization’s stability and growth by helping to establish a renewable base of annual support. The Shed is a startup atmosphere in which projects and deadlines move and change quickly. The ideal candidate has exceptional attention to detail, excellent time and project management skills, and a roll-up-their-sleeves collaborative and flexible attitude. The Major Gifts Coordinator reports to the Director of Leadership Giving.
Key responsibilities include, but are not limited to
Becoming the Major Gifts team’s primary user of Tessitura, The Shed’s fundraising database, in collaboration with Development Operations colleagues
Supporting the development and implementation of a moves management approach to the Major Gifts
fundraising effort by carefully tracking all Major Gifts work in Tessitura, and generating weekly reports on status of donor outreach and stewardship tasks
Preparing research, reports and portfolios of prospects for The Shed Executive team, Board, and Major Gifts team on a regular basis
Promptly and accurately processing major gifts in collaboration with Development Operations
Drafting acknowledgements and early solicitation drafts as needed, in collaboration with Major Gifts Officers and Development Operations
Assisting with administrative duties for all aspects of The Shed’s Major Gifts program, including, but not limited to scheduling meetings, managing meeting agendas, handling ticket requests, and overseeing non-event-related mailings and materials distributions
Managing and distributing Google alerts of news about board members, donors, and prospects
Representing The Shed at special events including, but not limited to, cultivation events, member evenings, openings, and behind-the-scenes events with The Shed’s creative team
Welcoming donors and prospects for tours of The Shed
Maintaining a general awareness of philanthropy and trends within the NYC arts and culture community
Perform other duties as assigned by manager
Qualifications and Qualities
Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience
One to two years’ or more of nonprofit fundraising experience, preferably at an arts or cultural institution
Experience using Tessitura or similar fundraising database
Creative approach to finding and building tools that will increase the efficiency of the team
Excellent interpersonal skills, including the ability to communicate professionally, effectively, and discreetly with Board members, colleagues, and donors of all levels
Highly detail-oriented with superior organizational and time management skills
Ability to work collaboratively as part of a highly motivated, energetic team
Comfort in a new, rapidly growing organization that is working on developing policies, procedures, and fundraising goals
Ability to multitask, work well under pressure and in a fast-paced environment
Ability to work occasional early mornings, evenings, or weekends as needed
Enthusiasm for The Shed’s mission
Proficiency in Google Suite and Microsoft Office; Tessitura experience strongly preferred
Compensation
Compensation will be commensurate with experience. Please provide salary requirements with your application.
Application Process
Interested candidates should complete an application and submit résumé and cover letter in a single Word or PDF document saved as candidate’s first and last name through our Career Center page here. Only résumés and cover letters submitted in this format will be reviewed. No phone calls, please.
Please note: The Shed has adopted a Covid-19 vaccination policy to safeguard the health and well-being of our employees. As a condition of employment, Shed employees are required to be fully vaccinated for Covid-19, unless a reasonable accommodation is approved or as otherwise required by law.
The Shed is an Equal Opportunity Employer, committed to the goal of building a culturally diverse staff, and strongly encourages applications from minority candidates.
