Associate Director of Principal Gifts

https://farnsworthartmuseum.bamboohr.com/careers/58

Associate Director of Principal Gifts

Reports to: Chief Advancement Officer Classification: Full-time, Hybrid, Exempt

Position Overview

The Farnsworth Art Museum is at a defining moment in its history. We are seeking an elite, high-energy Associate Director of Principal Gifts (ADPG) to serve as a primary driver for our upcoming campus redevelopment campaign. This is a high-stakes, high-impact role designed for a seasoned professional who excels at navigating the complexities of principal-level philanthropy.

The ADPG will manage a premier portfolio of up to 50 prospects with the capacity to transform the museum through 6-to-8-figure investments. Beyond personal production, the ADPG will serve as a mentor and strategist, elevating the museum’s advancement culture and ensuring the success of the broader Major Gifts team. This is an opportunity to shape the physical and cultural landscape of one of America’s most respected regional art institutions.

Key Responsibilities

• Direct a high-priority national portfolio of 50 prospects, utilizing a sophisticated "moves management" system to advance donors toward transformative gifts.
• Lead the identification, cultivation, and closing of principal gifts ($1M–$10M+), aligning donor intent with the museum’s ambitious campus redevelopment plan and strategic directives.
• Conduct 75-90 prospect meetings annually to build meaningful relationships between HNW individuals and the Farnsworth. 
• Maintain a robust travel schedule to engage the Farnsworth’s prestigious national donor base.

• Directly manage and mentor a Major Gift Officer, providing the strategic oversight and professional coaching necessary to build a high-performing, sustainable fundraising pipeline.
• In partnership with the CAO, Director, and outside philanthropic counsel, synchronize individual solicitation strategies with the broader capital campaign timeline and goals.
• Foster a rigorous, donor-centric culture of excellence characterized by accountability, collaborative spirit, and intellectual curiosity.
• In coordination with the CAO, work closely with the Board to identify new donors as well as new potential Board members. 
• Attend cultivation and stewardship events, including evenings to engage with prospects and represent the Farnsworth. 

Qualifications & Skills

• 7–10+ years of frontline fundraising experience, with a deep specialization in capital campaign leadership and principal gift cycles.
• Documented success in personally securing gifts in the $1M–$10M+ range.
• Experience managing direct reports with a proven ability to elevate the performance of others through coaching and shared strategy.
• A deep, articulate appreciation for American art and Maine’s unique cultural heritage, with the ability to translate complex architectural plans into a compelling case for support.
• Mastery of data-driven fundraising via CRM systems (Altru) and the ability to leverage prospect research to uncover new high-capacity opportunities.
• Regular on site presence required.
• This position is hybrid/remote but must commit to being in Maine for June, July, and August each year. 

About the Farnsworth

Founded as a bequest of Lucy Copeland Farnsworth, the Museum opened its doors in 1948 in Rockland, Maine, with a singular mission to celebrate Maine’s role in American art. The Farnsworth’s primary purpose is to be a repository for American art objects related to Maine and a resource for all, including local and state residents, as well as tourists visiting from throughout the United States and abroad.

Throughout the Museum’s history, it has championed the unique role that Maine plays in the larger story of American art. The Farnsworth’s collection of approximately 15,000 works focuses on American art from the 18th century to the present, in all media, with a special emphasis on artists with deep connections to Maine. From purchasing works by a young Andrew Wyeth–becoming the first museum to do so–to collecting pieces by pivotal Maine artists such as Fitz Henry Lane, George Bellows, Rockwell Kent, Lynne Drexler, Lois Dodd, Daniel Minter, Ann Craven, and Jeremy Frey, the Museum has and will continue to represent the excellence of the arts in Maine. We are also broadening and diversifying collections to more fully reflect the breadth of Maine artists working today and the interests of our growing and multicultural audience.

The Museum also cares for two historic properties: the Farnsworth Homestead, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973, and the Olson House, joining the campus in 1991 and designated as a National Historic Landmark in 2011.

Welcoming approximately 75,000 visitors each year, the Farnsworth has a $58 million economic impact on the mid-coast and surrounding areas and has revitalized the creative capital of Rockland. It is the first art museum in Maine to receive accreditation by AAM.