Jenny Gilbert Email & Phone Number

Concord, Massachusetts, United States

Experienced fundraising professional committed to driving the museum's mission forward through grants management, donor cultivation, fundraising events, and philanthropic strategy implementation.

Waltham, Massachusetts, United States

Primary representative to artists, students, instructors, patrons, and the community, steering organizational direction and operations. Drive annual planning and budgets, financial oversight, team development, and stakeholder relations. Lead active solicitation of contributions, manage donor relationships, and strengthen relationships with community organizations.

Cambridge, Ma

Lead staff member responsible for the overall management of the fundraising program for the Friends of Mount Auburn Cemetery. As part of the organization’s Executive Leadership Team, provided direction and guidance to the staff and Trustees of Mount Auburn in achieving the fundraising objectives for the organization. The program includes annual fund, major gifts, grants, communications, and events. Oversaw prospect research, cultivation, solicitation and stewardship of targeted leadership and planned gift prospects and donors. Managed and motivated a staff of three.

Cambridge, Ma

Oversee fundraising for the Friends of Mount Auburn Cemetery raising between $900,000 - $1,300,000 annually. Initiatives include foundation and government grants, annual fund, individual giving, communications, and donor events. Cultivate relationships with new and existing individual and institutional donors. Manage and mentor a staff of two. Work with a board committee to provide leadership and development strategies to increase revenue 5-10% annually. Build new strategic partnerships to raise awareness and revenue.Cultivated a partnership with Lesley University around urban ecology research and education. Since 2018, raised more than $100,000 in grants and individual gifts for the program.Envisioned Mount Auburn’s artist-in-residence program, the first in the U.S. at a historic cemetery established in 2014. The program, which supports the creation of new work by a contemporary artist inspired by his or her in-depth experience at the Cemetery, has attracted increased press, new audiences, and funders.Led the effort to receive a $92,000 Institute of Museum and Library Services Museums (IMLS) for America Grant in 2013, making Mount Auburn the first historic cemetery to receive this prestigious federal funding.Grant writing and management responsibilities included since 2012; grants received in the range $250,000 - $500,000 annually.

Greater Boston Area

Responsible for developing and maintaining a successful corporate, foundation, and government solicitation program. Identified prospects, designed and initiated strategies, and produced materials, proposals, and applications. Developed a portfolio of corporate and foundation prospects and donors in support of the Conservatory's Leadership Gift Initiative.

Greater Boston Area

Lead staff member responsible for meeting Historic New England’s $1.5 million in revenue goals for government, foundation, and corporate funding. Developed annual grant strategy and funding requests for five diverse program areas in the organization: historic properties, collections, preservation services, library services, and educational programming. Conducted prospect research and qualification, engaged program officers, authored proposals, wrote budgets and final reports. Worked closely with the leadership team to coordinate and execute cultivation and stewardship of prospects and donors.Helped to raise the match requirement for the Preservation Maintenance Fund Challenge Grant, leveraging $1.2 million with $515,000 in grant monies for historic preservation in 2010 and $535,000 in 2012.Identified, cultivated and raised funds from new sources, bringing $160,000 in new monies for the organization.

Worked to realize major gift commitments for Lesley University and the Art Institute of Boston. Worked with Annual Fund and Alumni Relations staff to help develop strategies to increase alumni participation in annual giving. As part of overall fundraising efforts, wrote successful grants to the IMLS, National Endowment for the Arts, MASS Humanities, and the New England Foundation for the Arts.

Managed all aspects of annual giving program. Created solicitations, including direct mail and personalized correspondence to individual donors and corporations. Wrote grants for historic preservation, horticulture, wildlife and sustainability, and public programming. Researched and matched projects to funders, developed and wrote budgets and proposals, and submitted interim and final reports. Increased grant revenues by 60% over a two-year period.

Managed all museum operations with staff of ten, volunteer corps of fifty, and an annual budget of $400,000. During ten years at the NEQM, participated actively in the development of the creative economy of Lowell. Successfully implemented numerous initiatives, including bi-annual citywide Lowell Quilt Festival with revenues in the range of $80,000. Oversaw renovation and expansion of museum shop by introducing quilting fabric, supplies, and classes. This expansion, and the introduction of new product, resulted in a 30% increased in revenue. Regularly reported to the Board of Directors on staff, finances, and facilities.Worked with commercial fabric companies to license reproduction fabrics based on quilts in the museum’s collection, raising $10,000 annually. Developed a donor program with New England Quilt Guilds, raising $30,000 annually.Wrote multiple grants for exhibitions, community partnerships, and general funds.Worked with the Board of Directors, staff, volunteers, and key constituents to create a five-year strategic plan, creating a dynamic vision for the future of the museum.

Responsible for the installation of five-six annual museum exhibitions covering various facets of historic and contemporary quilts. Curated numerous original exhibits and coordinated rentals from other organizations. Managed all aspects of artistic programming, including written materials, lectures and gallery events. Oversaw the acquisition, conservation, storage, preparation, and exhibition, of the museum’s collection of more than 350 quilts and related materials. Offsite lectures included “African American Quilts: from Historical to Innovative,” at the Museum of Fine Arts Boston in 2005, and “Preferred Taste in New England Quilts,” at Sotheby's Institute in 1997. Authored The New England Quilt Museum Quilts: Featuring the Story of the Mill Girls, published by C&T publishing in 1999. The book was the first comprehensive catalog of the museum’s collection, and won 1ST Place from the New England Museum Association Publications Awards in the “Books over $10” category in 2000.

Ma, Art History

The focus of my studies was American art and material culture.

Ba, European Studies, French

Education record