Job Opportunities
Position: Director of Individual Giving
Reports to: Chief Advancement Officer
Supervisor one team member: Development Associate and Database Administrator
In collaboration with the Chief Advancement Officer (CAO), the Director of Individual Giving drives individual fundraising revenue for the American Folk Art Museum (AFAM). The role focuses on four key areas: Major Gifts, the Annual Fund, Membership, and the Gala. The Director will manage a major donor portfolio, supervise the membership program, and oversee the strategic planning and execution of the Museum’s fundraising initiatives.
Key Responsibilities
- Major Gifts
- Build and manage a portfolio of 100-150 donors capable of giving $5,000 – $50,000+, achieving annual revenue goals tied to the fiscal year budget.
- Collaborate with Museum leadership in preparing and presenting funding proposals for exhibition and public program support to prospective donors.
- Actively cultivate prospects at networking events and facilitate introductions with the Chief Advancement Officer, Museum Director & CEO, and other Museum leadership.
- Annual Fund and Membership
- Supervise the Development Associate and Database Administrator, overseeing all aspects of the membership program including renewal campaigns and marketing of Advancement team initiatives.
- Oversee the development of print materials, digital campaigns, and social media strategies for two annual appeals.
- In collaboration with the CAO, design and execute a comprehensive long-term plan to grow the higher level AFAM patron group, moving donors from mid-to-major giving.
- Manage the income and expense budgets for membership and annual giving.
- Annual Gala
- Lead the strategic planning, fundraising, and execution of the Museum’s Gala and other Advancement events.
- With the assistance of the event consultant, manage event timelines, logistics, and revenue and expense budgets.
- Manage and execute targeted cultivation initiatives, such as curator-led tours, lunches, off-site lectures, and exhibition opening receptions.
- Generate comprehensive reports to evaluate campaign performance and analyze philanthropic trends across Trustees and individual donors.
- Other duties as assigned by the CAO.
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s Degree required.
- Minimum of 5-7 years of progressive fundraising experiences ideally in a museum, cultural and/or arts organization, with a proven track record of managing a personal donor portfolio and securing major gifts.
- Experience supervising staff and leading teams across multiple fundraising channels, including budgeting and financial oversight.
- Exceptional interpersonal and persuasive writing skills, with the ability to represent AFAM’s mission dynamically to donors, Trustees, and prospects.
- Highly organized project manager capable of handling multiple deadlines and maintaining financial integrity.
- Strong proficiency in Raiser’s Edge, MS Office, and Monday.com is highly preferred.
- A genuine passion for the Museum’s vision, with the flexibility to work evenings, and weekends for VIP events, openings, and tours.
Compensation and Benefits
The Museum anticipates a starting compensation of $90,000.00 – $100,000.00 depending on qualifications and experience. The American Folk Art Museum also offers generous benefits for all regular full-time employees.
The above statements of this job description contain the general duties and level of work performed by an employee assigned to this position. They do not claim to describe all of the functions of the position. The Employee may be assigned other duties, and the essential functions may change or be changed from time to time.
Please send resume and cover letter to jobs@folkartmuseum.org. No phone calls, please.
This senior management position is not eligible to be part of the UAW 2110 Union that represents many other Staff.
The American Folk Art Museum is located at 2 Lincoln Square in midtown Manhattan. The Administrative Office for the Museum is in Long Island City, Queens. The position requires in-person attendance several days per week in Queens.
Equal Opportunity Employer
The American Folk Art Museum provides equal opportunity to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, and any other category protected by Federal, State, and City employment law.
Position: Communications & Marketing Manager
Reports to: Director of Communications & Audience Development
The Communications & Marketing Manager will:
- Work hand-in-hand with the Director of Communications & Audience Development to develop and implement a comprehensive communications and marketing strategy to grow and engage AFAM’s audience via press, social media, and email marketing.
- Collaborate with colleagues in Curatorial, Learning & Engagement, Advancement, and other teams to develop ideas that will drive engagement with the Museum and support programming and development efforts.
- Support Director of Communications & Audience Development in managing media relationships, developing original story ideas, cultivating and pitching journalists and editors, and responding to media inquiries.
- Stay attuned to changes in the media landscape and aware of relevant opportunities to promote the Museum through listings, news stories, and reviews.
- Create compelling, on-brand organic and paid content for AFAM’s social media channels—including Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and LinkedIn—with a strong emphasis on short-form video.
- Lead partnerships with content creators, influencers, and others to extend the reach and relevance of the Museum to new audiences.
- Work closely with the Museum Shop on a social media strategy to increase sales and support seasonal shopping initiatives.
- Regularly report digital engagement metrics and insights into actionable data and knowledge for staff.
- Develop and ensure regular distribution of the Museum’s email campaigns via Mailchimp to promote exhibitions, programs, institutional announcements, retail initiatives, and fundraising campaigns.
- Serve as the primary internal liaison for website updates, coordinating content changes across departments and managing the Museum’s content management system.
- Perform other duties and special projects as assigned in support of the Museum’s communications, marketing, and audience engagement goals.
Desired Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in a related field and 2-4 years of experience in a communications, public relations, marketing, or social media position.
- Background in media relations, content planning and creation, and storytelling across different platforms.
- Proficiency in video creation and editing for social media.
- Working knowledge of social media management and content planning platforms (e.g., Later Social), email marketing platforms (e.g., Mailchimp), and website content management systems.
- Experience at a museum, non-profit, or within the commercial art world is a plus but not required. Candidates with experience from an array of backgrounds, such as luxury goods and consumer products, are also encouraged to apply.
- Familiarity with media relations, including drafting press releases, pitching stories to the media, and building relationships with journalists, is preferred.
Salary range: $55,000.00 – $60,000.00
The above statements of this job description entail the general duties and level of work performed by an employee assigned to this position. They do not claim to describe all of the functions of the position. The Employee may be assigned other duties, and the essential functions may change or be changed from time to time.
Please send a resume and cover letter to jobs@folkartmuseum.org. No phone calls, please.
The American Folk Art Museum is located at 2 Lincoln Square in midtown Manhattan. The administrative office and storage facility for the museum is in Long Island City, Queens. The position requires in-person attendance several days per week at our Queens location.
The staff of the American Folk Art Museum recently voted to unionize, and while the terms of the Union contract are currently being negotiated, your employment with the Museum will fall under the terms of that agreement, including the requirement for paying union dues.
Equal Opportunity Employer
The American Folk Art Museum provides equal opportunity to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, and any other category protected by Federal, State, and City employment law.
Volunteer Opportunities
Volunteers are vital to the success of the Museum, contributing countless hours to visitor services, education projects, administrative assignments, and special events. The Museum is always seeking energetic and committed volunteers interested in folk art and self-taught artists. While each opportunity requires specific skill sets, every qualified candidate must be dedicated, communicate effectively, possess basic computer skills—including familiarity with the internet—and have a valid email address.
To apply: Please complete the volunteer application form here.
If your skills and qualifications meet our immediate needs, you will be contacted for an interview. If not, your application will be kept on file and you will be contacted if an appropriate position becomes available. Only individuals authorized to work for the museum in the United States will be accepted into the internship program. The museum will consider expressions of interest in providing volunteer services to the museum from non-work-authorized individuals.
Internships
The Museum offers internships for college and university students, graduate students, and emerging professionals interested in museum careers. The goal of an internship is to provide practical experience as well as a general understanding of the role of an individual department within a larger museum setting. Academic internships are by semester or full year.
For general internship queries, send a résumé and cover letter to education@folkartmuseum.org, stating the departments you are interested in working in, the skills you bring, and how you hope to contribute to the department.
Fellowships
Visit the Fellowship page to learn about current opportunities.