Vice President of Development

Genesee Country Village and Museum Vice President of Development

Reports to: President & CEO

Primary Function: Provide leadership and management for the Museum’s fundraising operation and staff.

Reports: Director of Development, Director of Membership and Corporate Sponsorship, and Development Coordinator

Genesee Country Village & Museum, located outside of Rochester, NY, is the country’s third largest living history museum and also includes a nature center and art gallery. GCV&M has embarked on a new strategic plan as we move towards our 50^th anniversary in 2026 that marks an exciting new chapter in the evolution of the Museum as a more engaging, relevant, and sustainable community asset and attraction.

The Vice President of Development has responsibility for the leadership, strategy, management, and implementation of all fundraising initiatives for GCV&M. This includes oversight of membership, annual giving, major gifts, corporate sponsorships, government and foundation grants, stewardship, event planning, and planned giving. The Museum’s current annual goals are $1.3 million in operating support and $400,000+ in restricted support. The Vice President collaborates with the President & CEO, staff, and Board in all development and fundraising endeavors to meet the goals that are set and is a visionary leader who can combine strategic thinking with hands-on implementation.

Responsibilities:

Major Gift and Planned Giving Program Management (50%)

• Oversee Major Giving Program, including setting annual goals for actions and solicitations and coordinating major giving prospect management with President & CEO, staff, and volunteers.
• Manage a portfolio of approximately 45 donors, and, with active participation of the President, staff and Board members/volunteers, cultivate and manage long-term relationships with individuals, corporations, and foundations for the purpose of securing gifts and grants to support the programs and mission of GCV&M.
• Coach staff and Board on identification and cultivation of prospective major gift and planned giving donors within their networks and on stewarding existing donors.
• Respond to planned giving leads and inquiries, provide resources, track results in the database, provide stewardship.
• Oversee the development and implementation of a planned giving program, including setting annual goals for membership, marketing and personal outreach, coordinating efforts with the Board, Executive Director and other staff and volunteers.

 General Development Management (25%)

• Lead and mentor the Development team; set clear goals, provide regular feedback, and foster professional growth.

• Prepare and monitor annual overall department budget. Establish revenue goals based on prospect pool and general operating and temporarily restricted fundraising priorities. 
• In partnership with staff, develop and manage a data-driven  comprehensive fundraising program that includes working with the team to set and reach goals for membership, annual giving, individual major gifts, planned giving, special events, foundation and government grants, and corporate sponsorships and memberships.
• Oversee print and electronic donor communications, stewardship, and donor recognition.
• Ensure accurate gift entry and quick, personal gift acknowledgement, and the administration of donor data.
• Oversee several annual fundraising special events with an emphasis on donor cultivation, acknowledgment, and net event income.
• Understand and deploy quality and process improvement techniques and utilize data-driven decision-making.

• In partnership with the Senior Leadership Team, design, manage, and guide campaign efforts as appropriate.

 Strategic Leadership & Board Support (25%)

Internally

• Provide development and donor strategy for the President, Board, and staff.
• Formulate, define, and interpret fundraising goals and donor-centered evaluative criteria to Board and staff. Provide regular status reports of projected and actual progress toward goals.
• Provide effective and inspiring leadership that generates dollars, volunteers, and advocates.
• Partner with the development and marketing staff to support Museum communications and the development of materials that have a direct impact on fundraising. Collaborate on the development of engagement materials; draft fundraising messages as needed.  
• Participate as an active member of the Administrative Team and other Museum-wide committees.

Externally

• Serve as an effective relationship builder and manager with donors
• Engage, communicate, and partner with Board and Development Committee members to establish fundraising and engagement goals, plans, and activities that help the Board provide support for the mission. Also serve as staff liaison for the Development Committee.  
• As appropriate, identify, recruit, train, and support volunteers to work in support of fundraising efforts.
• Represent GCV&M at community events, meetings, conferences, and other relevant forums.
• Shows respect to all internal and external customers regarding differences in backgrounds, lifestyles, viewpoints, and needs in areas such as race, gender, ethnicity, creed, sexual orientation, and others.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 8 years of direct fundraising experience in a nonprofit organization or equivalent experience in another field, including some supervisory experience.
• Demonstrated track record of securing funds through personal solicitation and experience with the principles and practice of major gift fundraising. Preference for experience in a comprehensive campaign and planned giving.
• Background in broad-based fundraising through membership, annual fund, or a combination highly preferred.
• Strong interpersonal and writing skills; organized, goal-oriented, creative thinker.

• Ability and desire to work in a team environment, managing multiple tasks simultaneously and collaborating inter- and cross-departmentally to plan and problem solve.

• Solid aptitude for working with databases, Word, Excel, and other e-resources are essential. Must be conversant with relevant technologies and how they can be used in support of communicating, engaging donors and volunteers, and managing and measuring results. 
• Proven volunteer management skills in support of development activities, including identification, engagement, training, stewardship, and support to ensure volunteers reach their full potential and achieve fundraising goals.
• Ability to work nights and weekends, particularly during the summer, and also to travel to meet donors.
• Commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace and in programming and support of the Museum’s mission, vision, and values.

Museum Overview: Genesee Country Village & Museum, located in Mumford, NY 25 miles outside of Rochester, is the largest living history museum in New York State. Our 68-building Historic Village, John L. Wehle Gallery, and Genesee Country Nature Center host nearly 100,000 guests each year on site, off site around the community, and online across the world. Learn more on our website. 

Salary Range: $95,000 to $110,000 based on experience and qualifications, plus benefits outlined below. 

How to Apply: Interested applicants should visit www.gcv.org/employment/ to apply and include both a cover letter and resume.

Job Benefits

Medical Insurance: We currently offer co-pay and high deductible health insurance options. Some plans offered provide 100% of employer paid premium for single plans.
Dental Insurance: We currently provide 50% employer paid premium for single dental policy
Life Insurance: We provide a 100% employer paid premium group life insurance policy of $50,000.
Membership: Family membership to the Genesee Country Village & Museum
Vacation: Four weeks of paid vacation (prorated based on hire date)
Sick Time: 1 hour of sick time accrues for every 30 hours worked
Holidays: Ten paid holidays