Major Gifts Senior Advisor (Fractional Position)

Dec 8

Boston Public Art Triennial
Boston, MA

Anticipated Start Date: 02/02/2026

Description

The Major Gifts Senior Advisor is a fractional leadership position that plays a pivotal role in advancing The Triennial’s three-year campaign by building, stewarding, and advancing high-impact relationships with major donors. The role focuses on aligning philanthropic investment with The Triennial’s bold vision, ensuring sustainable support for Triennial 2028, annual public art commissions, and the annual Public Art Accelerator, a skill-building and grant program.

The Major Gifts Senior Advisor provides strategic input and leads the execution, ongoing refinement, and portfolio-level implementation of the 3-year campaign strategy created by the Executive Director. They are responsible for two portfolios: a primary portfolio of donors and prospects capable of giving $100,000-$500,000, and a secondary pipeline of donors and prospects in the $25,000–$99,999 range who have strong upgrade potential. This position embodies The Triennial’s values of being bold, open, and sharp, and is deeply committed to advancing artistic excellence and equity in the public realm.

The role reports to the Executive Director and works closely with the Operations & Finance Director, Development Manager, Development Coordinator, Board of Directors, and Development Committee. The Advisor commits to at least one day per week in The Triennial’s office, with a flexible schedule of up to 25 hours per week, including occasional evenings and weekends. Job Mission Build and execute a robust program of individual philanthropy that contributes at least $3.2M of The Triennial’s $5M annual operating budget, strengthening long-term sustainability and supporting a vibrant, open, and equitable public art city.

Responsibilities

Strategy & Leadership

Provide strategic input to the Major Gifts Strategy (developed by the Executive Director). Lead its execution and ongoing refinement. Support funding priorities across Triennial cycles (2028, 2031), annual commissions, the Public Art Accelerator, and general operations. Collaborate with Senior Leadership, the Board, and advisors to track progress and pivot approach as needed.

Portfolio Management & Stewardship

Directly manage a portfolio of 30–50 primary donors ($25,000-$99,999) and high-capacity prospects ($100,000+). Provide personalized stewardship and cultivation that encourages long-term relationships, upgrades, and renewed support. Re-engage and strengthen relationships with legacy Triennial 2025 donors.

Donor Development & Prospecting

Identify and cultivate new major gift prospects in partnership with the Executive Director, Board members, and Development staff. Lead the Development team in building and strengthening the secondary pipeline ($25,000–$99,999). Participate in solicitations, donor visits, and strategic stewardship outreach.

Internal Alignment & Mentorship Align (but do not oversee)

Major Gifts efforts with Corporate and Institutional fundraising strategies led by the Development Manager to ensure cohesive outreach and messaging. Work with the Development staff to integrate major gifts with annual giving, patron programs, and broader development efforts. Mentor and support the Development Manager and Coordinator in major gifts best practices, strengthening internal leadership capacity.

Communications & Donor Experience

Contribute to high-level donor communications, including proposals, impact storytelling, recognition strategies, campaign messaging, and custom stewardship touchpoints. Ensure messaging reflects The Triennial’s brand voice, values, and style guidelines.

Operations, Data & Reporting

Partner with Development staff to ensure accurate, up-to-date records in Salesforce, including donor moves, proposal tracking, and acknowledgments. Monitor progress toward goals and, with the Operations & Finance Director, provide insight into pipeline health, opportunities, and risks.

Requirements

Key Behaviors

Candidates who exhibit the following qualities will thrive in this role:

Energized by innovation and change
Persuasive, confident, and relationship-driven
Self-directed, decisive, and solutions-oriented
Poised, patient, and diplomatic across diverse settings
Deeply committed to advancing equity and inclusion in the arts

Metrics

The Major Gifts Senior Advisor is successful when:

Annual individual giving goals are achieved (e.g., $3M+ in 2026, $4M+ in 2027)
A qualified pipeline of at least 25 new $25,000+ prospects is developed annually, with 8–12 advanced into six-figure conversations
The 3-year Major Gifts Strategy is reviewed and refined quarterly in partnership with the Executive Director 85% of legacy Triennial
2025 major donors are successfully re-engaged for Triennial 2028 through renewed or increased commitments
Long-term donor relationships show measurable growth and retention

Salary Range and Employee Benefits

$100,000-112,000

How to Apply for this Job

Please email a cover letter and resume to jobs@thetriennial.org with the email subject line: “Major Gifts Senior Advisor (Fractional Position)”.

About the Organization

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