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COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS
Aperture will be offering a salary of $70,000–$75,000, depending on experience, along with excellent medical, dental, life, disability, and retirement plan coverage. Our staff also have generous vacation, sick leave, and personal days, access to a variety of cultural institutions, and a creative, professional, and collegial work environment. Aperture seeks to build a diverse and inclusive workforce and welcomes all applications, regardless of gender, race, sexual orientation, cultural background, disability, age, or religion. Diversity, equity, and inclusion are at the heart of our strategic thinking, and reflected in the selection of artists and writers that we publish, the engagement programs we present, and our ongoing work to diversify our staff and board.
POSITION SUMMARY
Aperture seeks a Membership & Individual Giving Manager to lead Aperture’s membership program, manage a portfolio of individual donors across Aperture’s membership and patron programs, run the annual fund appeal campaigns, and serve as Aperture’s primary stewardship lead across all individual giving levels. Reporting to the Director of Development, the Manager works closely with Development staff on major gift activity, mid-level prospect activity, and CRM and reporting. This role is central to building a welcoming, engaged, and sustainable community of supporters around Aperture’s programs, publications, and new home.
ABOUT APERTURE
Aperture is a nonprofit publisher that leads conversations around photography worldwide. From our base in New York, Aperture connects global audiences and supports artists through our acclaimed quarterly magazine, books, exhibitions, digital platforms, public programs, limited-edition prints, and awards. Established in 1952 to advance “creative thinking, significantly expressed in words and photographs,” Aperture champions photography’s vital role in nurturing curiosity and encouraging a more just, tolerant society. Aperture is preparing to open its new permanent home at 380 Columbus Avenue on the Upper West Side of New York City later this year—situated across from the American Museum of Natural History and steps from Central Park. Designed by award-winning architecture practice LEVENBETTS, the new 10,000-square-foot space will serve as a hub for public programs, exhibitions, the Aperture bookstore, and reimagined publishing operations. This opening represents a significant and historic moment for the organization.
PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES
Membership & Individual Giving (65%)
• Lead and grow Aperture’s membership program, with a focus on growing the program in connection with Aperture’s new building.
• Plan and execute annual membership drives and outreach for membership renewals, in coordination with marketing and design.
• Manage a portfolio of members and patrons from the $100 to $1,000 levels.
• Steward and renew portfolio members through personalized letters, emails, hand-written notes, and phone outreach.
• Conduct upgrade outreach where appropriate, including phone calls, personal event invitations, and in-person touchpoints at events on- and off-site.
• Manage the annual fund as two integrated appeal campaigns (mail and/or email): copywriting, list segmentation, design coordination, mail-house logistics, and follow-up.
• Serve as Aperture’s primary stewardship lead across all individual giving levels: draft and send personalized acknowledgments, milestone communications, and bespoke stewardship outreach for mid- and major-level donors outside the portfolio.
• Identify candidates within the portfolio for upgrade to mid-level or higher; hand off to appropriate staff for cultivation when appropriate.
• Serve as the primary member-facing point of contact; respond to inquiries by phone and email; deliver personalized member service befitting a smaller, higher-touch program. • Coordinate timely fulfillment of member benefits such as gifts, publications, and event access.
• Support cultivation activity led by the Executive Director, Director of Development, Senior Development Officer, and Director of Sales and Outreach.
Events (25%)
• Plan and manage logistics for member-only events (previews, salons, cocktails, studio visits, and behind-the-scenes programming) including events activating Aperture’s new building.
• Support the annual gala through member and donor list generation, RSVP tracking, day-of stewardship, and post-event acknowledgment, and other duties, as assigned.
• Manage budgets and production timelines for member-facing and cultivation events.
• Coordinate small-scale cultivation gatherings as assigned.
• With the Director of Development and other staff, conceive new cultivation opportunities tied to publications, exhibitions, and Aperture’s new building that deepen relationships and expand the organization’s donor community.
Administration (10%)
• Prepare briefing materials and meeting prep in collaboration with senior development staff ahead of donor meetings.
• Maintain accurate moves management records in coordination with Development Operations.
• Partner with Development Operations on reporting against membership and annual fund budget lines.
• Maintain accurate, current donor and member records.
• Contribute to department planning, calendars, and process documentation.
• Other duties as assigned.
DESIRED SKILLS & QUALIFICATIONS
• 5 years of experience on a development team, preferably in a cultural nonprofit, with a focus on membership and/or individual giving.
• Proven track record of stewarding and renewing individual donors and members; experience cultivating, stewarding, and upgrading donors.
• Strong relationship management skills; able to connect authentically in person, by phone, and in writing.
• Excellent writing, editing, and proofreading skills.
• Strong project management skills with the ability to manage multiple initiatives simultaneously.
• Highly organized, detail-oriented, and deadline sensitive.
• Comfort with CRM databases (Salesforce preferred).
• Discretion and good judgment in handling confidential donor information.
• Excellent interpersonal skills; able to collaborate effectively with senior leadership, colleagues across departments, and external vendors.
• Competency with Microsoft Office Suite.
• Knowledge of and enthusiasm for photography and the visual arts.
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience.
• Ability to do occasional evening and weekend work outside of standard business hours for events and donor activities.
TO APPLY Using the link below, please send a resume and thoughtful cover letter in one PDF attachment and describe how your skills and experience meet the qualifications.
Membership & Individual Giving Manager Application
Applications are due by June 19. NO CALLS, PLEASE. Only applicants who meet our requirements for this position will be contacted. If you have any questions, please contact [email protected].