Director of Development

Department: Development
Reports to: Executive Director
Location : Onsite in Marfa, Texas

Overview
The Director of Development is an experienced fundraising professional and a key member of the Chinati Foundation's leadership team. Reporting to the Executive Director and working closely with the Chief Financial and Operating Officers, this role helps shape and sustain the philanthropic support that makes Chinati's work possible. Through thoughtful leadership and collaboration, the Director of Development builds meaningful relationships with individual donors, foundations, trustees, and other supporters, serving as a strategic partner in strengthening the organization's culture of philanthropy and advancing its mission.

This position oversees the full range of development activities, including individual, foundation, corporate, and government giving; major gifts and planned giving; fundraising campaigns and special events; donor stewardship and communications; prospect research; and development operations, reporting, and database management. In partnership with the Executive Director, Board of Trustees, and senior staff, the Director of Development develops and implements strategies to grow philanthropic support, deepen engagement with the organization, and communicate the significance and impact of Chinati's programs, collections, and ongoing stewardship of its site and mission.

General Duties and Responsibilities

Fundraising Strategy and Institutional Priorities

• Develop and execute a comprehensive fundraising strategy that supports annual and long-term goals, working closely with the Executive Director and Chief Financial Officer.
• Lead the Development Department in meeting agreed goals for annual operating support, capital gifts, and endowment contributions, balancing solicitation priorities and staff time across these needs.
• Maintain a written annual fundraising plan, calendar, and prospect pipeline with clear revenue goals, assignments, deadlines, and regular progress reviews.
• Work with senior staff and the Board of Trustees to set fundraising priorities that support Chinati's strategic and preservation plans and align with its vision, ethos, and history.
• Effectively communicate and collaborate with other departments.
• Perform other duties as necessary to ensure effective functioning of the organization.

Development Operations and Leadership

• Produce regular reports, evaluations, and forecasts on Chinati's fundraising for the Executive Director, senior staff, and Board of Trustees, assessing revenue, donor retention, and progress toward agreed goals.
• Directly supervise, mentor, and evaluate Development staff and manage the work of consultants and other outside professionals within the approved staffing plan and budget.
• Ensure accurate donor records in the CRM, timely gift acknowledgments, donor recognition, documented donor contacts, pledge schedules, and organized departmental files. Maintain donor confidentiality and appropriate access to records. Establish written procedures and cross-training to support continuity.
• Reconcile fundraising records with Finance and review revenue forecasts regularly, distinguishing gifts received, outstanding pledges, and prospective support. Coordinate gift agreements, donor restrictions, and complex or planned gifts with the Executive Director and Chief Financial Officer.
• Set staff priorities, hold regular departmental meetings, provide constructive feedback, and remain accountable for the department’s work, including activities delegated to staff or consultants.
• Model collaborative leadership by stepping into operational or administrative duties when circumstances require.
• Prepare development sections of board materials, annual reports, and funder communications.
• Build and manage the development department budget; track expenses throughout the fiscal year.

Donor Cultivation and Board Engagement

• Take a central role, alongside the Executive Director, in identifying and cultivating prospects, soliciting and closing gifts, and stewarding donors.
• Serve as the Development staff liaison to the Board of Trustees and support the Executive Director and trustees in identifying and cultivating prospective board members.
• Represent Chinati at donor and foundation meetings, events, and visits and tours, communicating its mission and needs with knowledge, care, and professionalism.
• Maintain an active donor portfolio and coordinate the Executive Director's and trustees' fundraising participation through briefings, solicitation plans, documented next steps, and timely follow-up.

Annual Giving, Membership, and Events

• Lead fundraising and donor cultivation events, including the Chinati Weekend benefit, coordinating planning and delivery with colleagues and outside professionals. Establish revenue and expense goals and evaluate results.
• Manage event budgets, sponsorships, and in-kind support.
• Produce compelling solicitation materials for annual appeals and fundraising campaigns, working with colleagues to convey Chinati's mission, programs, and preservation needs accurately.
• Lead membership acquisition, renewal, and stewardship; annual and year-end appeals; and benefit fundraising, coordinating donor communications and recognition with colleagues.

Grants

• Serve as the primary internal point of contact for grants, aligning proposals with institutional priorities, coordinating programmatic and budget information with appropriate staff, and reviewing proposals and reports before submission.
• Maintain the institutional grants calendar and ensure timely, accurate reporting to foundation and government funders.
• Identify new foundation, corporate, and government funding prospects aligned with Chinati's mission.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in art history, arts administration, nonprofit management, business administration, communications, or another related field, or equivalent professional experience; advanced degree or professional certification (CRFE) strongly preferred.
• 7+ years of progressively responsible nonprofit fundraising experience, including at least three years leading fundraising programs and supervising staff at a director level.
• Demonstrated track record of identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding major gifts ($10,000+), ideally in an arts, cultural, or museum setting.
• Knowledge of (or ability to acquire) the Texas philanthropic landscape.
• Experience building development departments and establishing organizational systems, workflows, policies, and procedures.
• Demonstrated experience with financial management and data analysis, including setting and tracking progress against fundraising goals, using data to inform strategy, administering grant-funded programs, and reporting to leadership and the Board.
• Commitment to hands-on leadership and adaptability in a small, mission-driven organization.
• A strategic approach to fundraising with excellent attention to detail.
• Superior written and verbal communication skills.
• Familiarity with Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, and Adobe Creative Cloud.
• Comfortable working independently with donor CRM systems, fundraising data, and donor tracking.
• Conversational fluency in Spanish and/or other languages is preferred.

Terms
This is a regular, full-time, exempt, onsite position in Marfa, Texas with some travel required. Regular work hours are 40 hours a week, Monday to Friday. Other weekend, holiday, and evening hours are required as needed.

The compensation for this role is $95,000 to $105,000 per year. Chinati provides a generous benefits package including health, dental, vision, and life insurance plans, paid time off and an employer sponsored 403(b) retirement plan. Chinati is a qualified employer for the public service loan forgiveness program.

EOE Statement
The Chinati Foundation is a proud equal opportunity employer and considers all applicants for all positions without regard to age, color, national origin, ethnic origin, citizenship status, disability, race, religion, creed, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, pregnancy, genetic information, familial or veteran status, unemployment status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law in its employment policies. In addition, Chinati will provide reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities. We strongly encourage individuals of all backgrounds to apply. Applicants must be authorized to work for an employer in the U.S. Unfortunately, we are unable to sponsor visas at this time.

About The Chinati Foundation/La Fundación Chinati
In 1986, the artist Donald Judd (1928-1994) established The Chinati Foundation/La Fundación Chinati in Marfa, Texas, as a site for the permanent installation of large-scale works of art. It was Judd's goal to bring art, architecture, and land together to form a coherent whole, and for a select group of artists to present work according to their own intentions. As an artist-created and artist-centered foundation, Chinati's mission is to care for its collection and present it to a broad public; to build community and support artists through public programs, artist residencies, educational activities, and exhibitions; and to steward the architecture and the land that Judd conceived as integral to Chinati.