Job Details

As the largest public arts institution in San Francisco, the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco (FAMSF) welcome more than 1.5 million visitors annually, present an ambitious schedule of more than 20 exhibitions per year, house a world-class collection of 151,000 important artworks, have a member base of 100,000 households, and have more than 1,000 donors.

FAMSF is seeking a Major Gifts Officer (MGO) to identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward donors giving $25,000+, including annual fund, restricted, and legacy gifts. Under the direction of the Senior Director of Membership and Individual Giving (SDMIG), the MGO will maintain a personal portfolio of approximately 150 current donors and qualified prospects.

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled. Priority will be given to applications received by Sunday, March 1, 2026.

Typical Duties and Responsibilities

1. Solicit and close individual, annual, and planned gifts of $25,000+; sell tickets and tables for special events; and secure, in conjunction with the CEO and Art Division, gifts of art.

1. With guidance from the Senior Director of Individual Giving, set, manage, and meet aggressive revenue targets.
2. Develop, implement, and track individual moves management plans for a portfolio of current, lapsed, and potential donors.
3. Leverage the expertise of cross-departmental colleagues by involving them in strategic donor meetings and solicitations.
4. Create donor/prospect briefings, proposal materials, and other major donor communications as needed for Senior Leadership.
5. Maintain an active level of written, digital, and verbal correspondence with the entire assigned portfolio of donors and document in Salesforce.
6. Serve as a visible representative of FAMSF on-site at the museums, in the community, and at donor events.
7. Identify and introduce prospects for planned giving.
8. Monitor and report on progress and ROI related to their portfolio.
9. Properly maintain and update donor records in CRM (Salesforce).
10. Other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university or the equivalent in verifiable work experience. A major in art history or another arts-related field is desirable.
• Work Experience: Five years of experience in fundraising or arts administration, with at least three years of frontline fundraising with verifiable success in major gift solicitation, annual giving, and planned giving. Fundraising in an arts organization and knowledge of the Bay Area philanthropic community are strongly preferred.

Skills and Abilities

• Must have knowledge of fundraising principles, techniques, and ethics. Experience in Bay Area fundraising is desirable.
• Must be a highly motivated, well-organized professional with a record of achievement in frontline fundraising.
• Must have a high level of initiative and responsiveness; has the ability to anticipate opportunities and challenges and take an active role in addressing them.
• Must have a proven record in identifying, cultivating, and directly soliciting major gifts.
• Must have a high level of tact and diplomacy to work well with donors, trustees, volunteers, and staff at all levels.
• Must have excellent listening, verbal, and written communication skills, including the ability to articulate FAMSF's story, mission, and impact in a compelling and persuasive way.
• Excellent writing and presentation skills.
• Must have the ability to establish and maintain positive working relationships with others, both internally and externally, to achieve the Museums' goals.
• Interest in art and art history preferred. Depth of knowledge in contemporary art is desirable.
• Proficiency in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Must have knowledge of fundraising software, preferably Salesforce.
• Ability to work occasional nights and weekends as needed for events.

Additional

Schedule: This position is eligible for a hybrid work schedule. Hybrid schedules are a minimum of 4 days a week onsite, with the understanding that schedules may change based on operational needs. The workweek is Monday - Friday, 8 hours a day, 40 hours per week.

Compensation: The benefits package includes medical, dental, vision, and 401(k), and paid time off. The annual salary range for this position is $110,000-$120,000. The final offer amount within this range will be based on experience and internal equity.

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled. Priority will be given to applications received by Sunday, March 1, 2026. We plan to launch the interview process in March.

If reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and/or to receive other benefits and privileges of employment, please contact Human Resources @ famsf.org.

COFAM is the Corporation of Fine Arts Museums and is the privately funded non-profit corporation which supports the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, a department of the City and County of San Francisco.

COFAM is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and is committed to a policy of nondiscrimination in all phases of employment in accordance with all federal, state, and local laws. Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Comprising the de Young Museum in Golden Gate Park and the Legion of Honor in Lincoln Park, we are the largest public arts institution in the City of San Francisco and one of the largest art museums in the United States. The de Young, designed by Herzog & de Meuron and located in Golden Gate Park, showcases American art from the 17th through the 21st centuries, international contemporary art, textiles and costumes, and art from the Americas, the Pacific, and Africa. The Legion of Honor displays a collection of over 4,000 years of ancient and European art including Auguste Rodin's The Thinker and houses the Achenbach Foundation for Graphic Arts in a Beaux-Arts style building overlooking Lincoln Park and the Golden Gate Bridge.