Meet the Man Who Revitalized the Louvre’s U.S. Donors

Thomas Moore III didn’t set out to become the executive director of one of the country’s most prestigious nonprofit arts patronage groups. But by the time the American Friends of the Louvre began searching for a new leader in 2023, the board already knew the answer: One of the youngest people in the room was also the one who understood its future.

“I was honored and kind of shocked,” Moore, now 36, recalled with a chuckle. 

Today, he leads AFL with a blend of donor‑development expertise and lived experience that he believes is helping reshape who feels welcome in elite arts philanthropy. His tenure marks a cultural shift for the organization and one that centers diversity, transparency, and meaningful engagement rather than exclusivity, which has boosted fundraising efforts. 

Previously, AFL could resemble a private club for Americans who donated to and raised money for the Louvre in exchange for perks like special access to exhibitions, he said. It  was elite, insular, and reserved for those already in the philanthropic fold, according to Moore. He saw that as a missed opportunity.

Laurent B. Chevalier

“We do such cool things,” Moore said. “Why is it a secret?”

In recent years, he has embraced social media, broadened membership tiers, and redesigned AFL’s New York gala to ensure it felt vibrant rather than obligatory. He refused to cover the Rockefeller Plaza’s Rainbow Room’s iconic dance floor — a choice that reduced table revenue — and opted for a live band over a D.J. A night of dancing appeals to more people than the idea of being planted at a dinner table for hours, he said. The gala now sells out with a waitlist, drawing guests ranging from 18 to 94.

The transformation of the gala event is indicative of the many ways that Moore has been changing American Friends of the Louvre and extending its reach, according to board chairman Christopher Forbes. Forbes was among the group’s founding members when it launched in 2002 and worked closely with former executive director Sue Devine. 

“He has brought in a lot of new, young members, which is great because Sue and I had worn out our Rolodex,” Forbes said. 

Moore also produced quick results when it came to fundraising and bringing on highly skilled new staff members, Forbes said. Moore shadowed Devine before she transitioned out of the executive director role in 2023. The two worked together to identify a potential major donor, and Moore secured the gift the following year after meeting with the donor several times. AFL landed a separate $5 million gift shortly after Moore’s official appointment in 2024. Those gifts were the largest in the history of the group. In most recent years the group brought in $1 million to $3.5 million a year in contributions. In the fiscal year ending in June 2024, under Moore’s leadership, it received $6.5 million, according to its informational tax return. Moore’s hands-on approach to engaging with members and funders has “reaped enormous benefits” during his brief tenure, Forbes said. 

But Moore is quick to frame achievements as collective wins. Since taking over in 2023, he  expanded AFL’s team from two to four full-time employees. He also added a second part-time position. Moore wanted to hire staff who were curious, collaborative, and fellow Francophiles. He promoted transparency, including pushing back against hierarchical traditions that kept staff out of decision making.

“I don’t believe in the top‑down model,” he said. “We can all sit around the table.”

Growth Despite Upheaval

Already Moore has faced challenges. In recent months his leadership has been tested by changes at the Louvre, including a brazen daytime robbery in October, the resignation of president Laurence des Cars in February, and the appointment of Christophe Leribault. As questions emerged among AFL members, Moore approached the moment with characteristic directness.

“As the leader of this organization, I have a responsibility to keep donors informed and engaged,” he said. “Transparency and direct communication are central to how I lead.”

In the days following the Louvre’s transition, Moore and his team spoke directly with board members and key supporters, providing context and answering concerns. Their primary request, he said, was simply a clearer understanding of events. AFL also issued a statement to donors, reaffirming stability and alignment with the museum.

Despite the leadership shift in Paris, Moore said AFL’s momentum remains strong. Membership increased by more than 30 percent in the second half of last year, with new members joining across all tiers. The organization also secured several new six‑figure commitments during that period.

He points to strong, ongoing collaboration with the Louvre on initiatives such as the “Adopt a Bench” campaign, which allowed donors to have their names inscribed on benches in the museum’s Tuileries Garden, as well as major contributions toward the €50 million, or roughly $57 million, effort to establish a new curatorial department for Byzantine art and culture. None of these projects, he emphasized, have slowed.

Patronage groups can play a vital role with arts and cultural institutions, helping them raise funds and providing recommendations for how to best engage with visitors. In exchange, their members receive benefits such as greater access to exhibitions, events, and artists. In the United States, groups that raise money for European arts and cultural institutions are relatively rare, and the American Friends of the Louvre is among the most successful, said Brett Egan, president of the DeVos Institute of Arts and Nonprofit Management. However, more European cultural organizations are trying to establish U.S. fundraising arms as government subsidies become more fragile in Western Europe, he added.

Since 2002, AFL has raised $70 million to support the museum. 

Building Trust and Relationships

Moore grew up traveling between New York and Paris and discovered the group when he tired of standing in hourslong lines to see pieces like the Mona Lisa. He first became a young patrons member and later co‑chair of the group. He joined the board at age 31.

But he did not take a linear path to his leadership role. He once imagined working in finance, then law, before realizing both environments left him uninspired. However, growing up in a Black Christian household, tithing and volunteering were big parts of Moore’s upbringing, and that sparked an interest in nonprofit work and leadership. After exposure to major-gift fundraising through friends and acquaintances, he found the role appealed to him. It wasn’t because of its transactional nature but because of its psychology, said Moore.

 “I rarely talk about money,” he said. “It’s about building a real relationship.”

Fundraising positions at organizations such as the National Academy of Design and New York Road Runners solidified his confidence in choosing the profession. Moore found mentors through his membership in the Association of Fundraising Professionals. Those mentors  encouraged him to remain in a field where people of color are underrepresented, particularly in high‑level fundraising roles. Over time, he became a mentor himself, helping young professionals navigate salary barriers, institutional culture, and doubts about belonging.

Because major gifts hinge on trust, Moore argues that donors respond when organizations lead with humanity and take the time to build relationships. Donors give because they feel known, not because they’re asked quickly, Moore said. And while he sees artificial intelligence and virtual meetings as generally useful tools, he cautions against overrelying on them in fundraising. Video meetings can’t replicate what you learn from being in someone’s home or community, according to Moore. And relationships can’t be automated, he added.

“I can tell when emails come from AI,” he said. “And I don’t like it.”

Building a Pipeline of Donors

Creating opportunities for genuine, in-person interactions is an effective strategy for arts fundraisers, Brett Egan of DeVos Institute said. They must be adept at identifying an individual or entity they believe has the potential to make a transformational gift and really nurture that relationship, he said. The majority of arts and culture nonprofits do not need thousands of new donors, they need dozens of new major funders, according to Egan. 

“The goal is to never stop,” he said. “You need a pipeline of conversations and relationships that can mature organically in their own time, and hopefully you as a fundraiser are never reliant on any gift coming in on a specific timeframe.”

Avoiding an overreliance on the timing of major gifts is important to Moore who is focused on sustainability, not only for AFL’s donor pipeline but for the staff who make its work possible. Retention is a priority, and so is fair compensation within a sector infamous for its low wages, he said. Retention directly impacts revenue, and leaders must pay competitively and create workplaces where people want to stay, Moore said. Most major gifts take at least 16 months to secure, and most major gift officers leave after two years, he noted. 

“There’s no real incentive for people to stick around in many places,” he said. “I want to change that.”

For now, Moore is focused on deepening the progress already made: building donor relationships that last, cultivating younger and more diverse supporters, and ensuring AFL’s mission resonates beyond traditional patron circles.

“I feel blessed,” he said. “I get to be in these spaces and shift mindsets.”