Associate Director of Membership & Individual Giving

Job Description

Job Description

ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR of MEMBERSHIP & INDIVIDUAL GIVING

Full-Time | On-site

Canyon seeks a full-time Associate Director of Membership & Individual Giving to support the Chief Advancement Officer in launching Canyon's membership programs and individual giving opportunities, and support all fundraising activities for the organization.

About Canyon

Canyon is a new contemporary art space opening in 2027 on the Lower East Side of NYC, dedicated to exhibiting video, sound, and performance. Canyon will offer evening-focused hours, deeply considered hospitality, and state-of-the-art technologies to reimagine how visitors experience these art forms. Spanning approximately 40,000 square feet, the venue encompasses exhibition galleries, a 260-person capacity theater, a cafe and a full service bar and restaurant. Canyon will present two major exhibitions per year ranging from thematic group shows to solo presentations and retrospectives, alongside a year-round program of live events, performances, screenings, and community programming.

Position Summary

The Associate Director of Membership & Individual Giving is responsible for developing, implementing, and overseeing the launch and growth of Canyon's membership programs and individual giving. The Associate Director of Membership & Individual Giving reports to the Chief Advancement Officer (CAO) and is an integral part of the organization, working closely with the executive team, Visitor Services, and Communications. Opening in 2027 in the Lower East Side, Canyon expects to welcome hundreds of new members, donors, and thousands of visitors each year.

This position will play a key role on the founding advancement team and the launch of fundraising strategies. They will oversee the launch of and manage Canyon's membership program and individual giving opportunities, and support the CAO in coordinating and producing all advancement special events, including the annual gala, member events and exhibition openings, and cultivation and partner events.

Key Responsibilities

Membership & Individual Giving

• Implement, launch, and manage Canyon's membership program and related events, benefits, and stewardship programs
• Work closely with the Chief Advancement Officer to develop and execute strategies for annual appeals, campaigns, and individual giving programs
• Identify, cultivate, and solicit new members and donors, focusing on general membership
• Conduct prospect research, wealth screenings, and run reports of donor and prospect portfolios for team meetings, actions, and solicitations
• Act as rockstar CRM lead for advancement, tracking donors, prospects, and contacts
• Manage the gift processing, acknowledgment, and tracking process, and track department expenses and budgets, providing regular reports
• Liaise with and support Visitor Services team with membership sales and benefit comprehension
• Develop written communications and marketing materials for membership and advancement outreach, including annual appeal, mailings, solicitations, acknowledgments, events, proposals, and annual reports
• Collaborate with Associate Director of Digital Strategy on asset production, formatting, content, and list segmentation for member newsletters and social media

Special Events & Social Media

• Manage advancement's calendar of events, including membership events, donor stewardship and prospect cultivation events, the annual gala, and exhibition openings and program receptions
• Support the CAO in coordinating all fundraising event logistics and manage the budget, expense and income tracking for each event
• Manage member, donor, and VIP lists for all Canyon special events, external member or partner events, and organize cultivation events with Canyon's programmatic partners
• Coordinate and liaise with photographer for advancement special events; receive, archive, and share photography files with Communications team

General Administrative Responsibilities

• Book meetings, tours, and travel
• Lead member and prospect tours
• Support presentation and meeting preparation
• Work events that may take place outside of working hours

Required Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in a similar fundraising position
• Experience running membership programs, donor groups, and producing special events
• Knowledge of significant funders, leaders in philanthropy, social, and cultural circles in NYC
• Comfortable engaging with people, cultivating relationships, and facilitating solicitations
• Proficient in donor CRM systems, communications software, and ideally Adobe Creative Cloud or graphic design software preferred
• Experience with gift processing, member/donor benefit fulfillment, and communications
• Possess sound judgement, diplomacy, hospitality, and discretion in donor relations
• Proactive, creative, positive, and resourceful problem solver and communicator who takes initiative and anticipates needs in advance
• Highly organized and detail oriented
• Excellent verbal, written and communication skills

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in a museum, performing arts or cultural institution, and special events
• Passionate about deeply connecting with philanthropic individuals through performances, video and time-based media art, music, hospitality, and wide ranging audiences
• Proficient with Google Workspace and project management (Slack, Asana, similar)
• Proficient with CRM best practices and data entry, wealth screening and prospect research (HubSpot, Salesforce, Kindsight/iWave, Instrumentl, Mailchimp, zkipster, similar)
• Experience working in hospitality, customer relations, or start-up/early stage organizations

Compensation & Benefits Salary: $95,000–$105,000, commensurate with experience.

Canyon offers a comprehensive benefits package, including:

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• 401(k) with employer match
• Generous paid time off
• Tuition reimbursement
• Professional development opportunities

This is a full-time, on-site position. Benefits include medical, dental, and vision insurance; life, AD&D, long-term disability, and short-term disability insurance; a Health Savings Account or Flexible Spending Account; a 401(k) retirement account with a matching contribution; and tuition reimbursement. We are an equal-opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.