Director of Philanthropy in Honolulu, Hawaii at Honolulu Academy of Arts

A cover letter is required. It should briefly address your experience leading and developing fundraising teams, securing major gifts, and advancing philanthropic strategies.

Job Summary:

The Director of Philanthropy (“DoP”) is the senior leader responsible for the strategy, execution, and performance of the Honolulu Museum of Art’s philanthropy program. Reporting to the Chief Advancement Officer (“CAO”), the DoP leads and develops the frontline fundraising team, strengthens donor strategy and moves management, and drives philanthropic revenue in support of the Museum’s mission, campaign priorities, and long-term sustainability.

As a hands-on fundraising leader, the DoP manages a focused portfolio of major and leadership-level donors and prospects while guiding significant cultivation and solicitation efforts across the team. They set portfolio and pipeline standards, strengthen qualification and moves management practices, and ensures fundraising activity is strategic, measurable, and results oriented.

As HoMA advances its campaign, the DoP leads the Major Gifts phase and translates campaign strategy into coordinated frontline execution. The DoP also expands planned giving and complex and blended gift strategies, strengthening the team’s ability to identify and advance sophisticated philanthropic opportunities in partnership with the CAO, Advancement Services, Finance, and appropriate professional advisors.

The Honolulu Museum of Art:

Opened in 1927, the Honolulu Museum of Art is a home for art and education created for the benefit of the entire community. Founder Anna Rice Cooke envisioned a museum that would bring people together through the power of art and “the deep intuitions that are common to all.” The museum was conceived of as a place of meaningful exchange and dialogue, celebrating the diverse artistic and cultural traditions of Hawai‘i’s multi-ethnic population. From this founding intention grew the museum of today, with a worldclass encyclopedic collection of more than 55,000 works of art, representing a stunning breadth of places and eras, from all corners of the globe and from the ancient past to the present day.

To learn more about HoMA, please visit our website.

Minimum Qualifications

• A bachelor’s degree or an equivalent combination of education and relevant professional experience.
• Ten years of progressively responsible fundraising experience.
• Demonstrated success cultivating, soliciting, and securing significant major and leadership gifts, including advancing donors toward increasingly sophisticated giving opportunities.
• Experience effectively managing, coaching, and developing multiple staff members, with the ability to build accountability, confidence, and performance across a team.
• Strong background in fundraising strategy, pipeline and portfolio management, revenue forecasting, and data-informed decision-making.
• Excellence with written and verbal communications and interpersonal and relationship management skills.
• Proficiency in CRM systems.
• Demonstrated experience identifying and advancing planned, non-cash, complex, or blended gift opportunities and coordinating appropriate internal and external expertise.
• Honesty, integrity, sound judgment, and a commitment to ethical fundraising and effective follow-through.

Desired Qualifications

• Experience leading major gift fundraising within a comprehensive or capital campaign environment.
• Proficiency integrating planned giving into major gift, campaign, or broader fundraising strategy.
• CFRE certification or progress toward certification.
• Experience with Tessitura.
• Experience in a museum, arts and culture, higher education, or other complex nonprofit environment.
• Hawaiʻi fundraising or community experience preferred; candidates from other markets should demonstrate success establishing relationships, credibility, and philanthropic networks in a new community.
• Understanding of and dedication to advancing the Honolulu Museum of Art’s identity, vision, and values.

Essential Duties

• Philanthropy Leadership & Revenue Growth
  • Leads the strategy, execution, and performance of HoMA’s integrated philanthropy program across annual, major, corporate and foundation, and planned giving.
  • Maintains and advances a strategically focused portfolio of major and leadership-level donors and prospects, personally leading significant cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship opportunities.
  • Provides strategic leadership for institutional giving, ensuring corporate and foundation fundraising is aligned with Museum priorities, campaign strategy, and broader philanthropic opportunities.
  • Establishes clear fundraising goals, portfolio standards, and performance expectations and is accountable for progress toward individual and team revenue objectives.
• Major Gift Strategy & Campaign Execution
  • Leads the development and execution of HoMA’s major gifts strategy, building a pipeline of qualified prospects and donors capable of increasingly significant support.
  • Drives the Major Gifts phase of the campaign, translating campaign strategy into coordinated cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship activity across the frontline team.
  • Leads prospect strategy and portfolio reviews, reinforcing disciplined qualification, moves management, upgrade strategies, and timely solicitation planning.
  • Partners with the CAO on campaign execution, principal- and leadership-level gift strategy, and the highest-priority donor opportunities while providing hands-on fundraising leadership across the team.
• Team Leadership, Coaching & Performance
  • Supervises, develops, and evaluates fundraisers, establishing clear expectations, accountability, and performance measures.
  • Provides hands-on coaching, mentoring, and strategic guidance to build the fundraising skills, confidence, and effectiveness of a developing team.
  • Builds a consistent culture of donor-centered strategy, disciplined moves management, collaboration, and continuous improvement across the philanthropy team.
  • Partners with the CAO on hiring, onboarding, talent development, performance management, and succession planning and serves as an experienced fundraising leadership resource across Advancement.
• Planned, Complex & Blended Giving
  • Owns the fundraising strategy and growth of HoMA’s planned giving program, integrating legacy giving into major gift, campaign, and broader fundraising strategies rather than treating it as a separate channel.
  • Identifies and advances opportunities for planned, non-cash, complex, and blended gifts that may combine current, campaign, endowed, and deferred support.
  • Coordinates with Advancement Services, Finance, legal counsel, and donors’ professional advisors as appropriate to develop and execute sophisticated gift opportunities while ensuring sound documentation and administration.
• Cross-Functional Partnership & Donor Experience
  • Partners across Advancement and with Museum leadership and program colleagues to ensure coordinated donor strategy, engagement, solicitation, and stewardship.
  • Leads coordination across membership, annual giving, institutional giving, major gifts, and planned giving to strengthen donor progression and create clear pathways toward deeper philanthropic engagement.
  • Supports the CAO in preparing fundraising forecasts, pipeline analysis, and strategy for Museum leadership, trustees, and the Advancement Committee; helps equip trusteesand institutional leaders for effective donor engagement; and upholds leading practices in stewardship, donor confidentiality, and ethical fundraising.
• Demonstrates a commitment to fostering cultivating, and preserving a culture of inclusivity, diversity, equity, and accessibility through respectful communication and cooperation with others,continuous training, and the modeling of inclusive behaviors.
• In partnership with HR, supports the leadership team in ensuring equitable experiences, strengthening inclusion acumen and promoting a culture of belonging that embraces the contributions of all staff.
• Other duties as assigned.

Compensation

The Honolulu Museum of Art is committed to practicing salary transparency. The range for this position is $130,000 per annum to $150,000 per annum. Please note that pay range information is a general guideline only. Many factors are taken into consideration when setting pay, including education, experience, the external labor market, and internal equity.

This opportunity includes a generous benefits package, including but not limited to:

• Fully covered medical, dental, and vision insurance for employees.
• 12 paid holidays.
• 15 days of vacation accrued in the 1st year, increasing to 20 days in the 2nd year.
• 15 days of sick leave accrued annually.
• Group retirement plans with employer matching after 12 months of service.
• Shop, Museum Café, and Art School discounts.
• Onsite parking provided.

Working Conditions and Atmosphere:

Work takes place onsite in an office environment. General office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. with flexible scheduling as appropriate. Ability to operate general office equipment including computers, copiers, printers, etc. Ability to lift, carry, push, pull, up to 25 pounds of general office material or equipment. Ability to work some evening and weekend hours.

The employee must be able to fulfill all Essential Duties with or without a reasonable accommodation. This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive list of all activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required of the employee. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change, or new ones may be assigned, at any time with or without notice.

EEOC Statement:

HoMA is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing equal opportunity for all employees and applicants. HoMA recruits, hires, trains, promotes, compensates, and administers all personnel actions and benefit programs without regard to race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, including pregnancy and gender identity and expression, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, reproductive health decisions, marital status, arrest and court record (except as legally applicable), citizenship, credit history, military and veteran service, victim of domestic violence or sexual abuse victim status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

The statements contained herein describe the scope of the responsibilities and essential functions of this position but should not be considered an all-inclusive listing of work duties and requirements. Individuals may perform other duties as assigned, including work in other areas to cover absences or relief to equalize peak work periods or otherwise balance the workload.

HoMA maintains a policy of nondiscrimination in all employment practices and decisions, ensuring equal employment opportunities for all qualified individuals. This applies to both HoMA employees and applicants for employment with the Museum. Any form of harassment of any employee because of any protected status is prohibited.

HoMA welcomes people from all backgrounds and walks of life, and this is reflected in our diverse community of employees. We encourage applications from candidates across a wide variety of backgrounds, including, but not limited to, people of all races and ethnicities, people with disabilities, women, veterans, and all members of the LGBTQ community.