Job Description

The Director of Advancement is a member of the school’s administrative team reporting to the Head of School. The Director of Advancement is responsible for developing and maintaining active and productive relationships with board members, donors, and administration. The Director of Advancement is chiefly accountable for developing and implementing a strategic and robust fundraising and Annual Giving plan. 

Annual Giving  

• Contribute to the development and implementation of the yearly plan for the annual fund, including approaches to prospective new donors; preparing and managing the implementation of the solicitation calendar. 
• Assisting in planning and implementing cultivation efforts, through phone calls, donor mailings, and securing and preparing for funder visits. 
• Identify and implement strategies for securing increased support from current donors and from new donors. 
• Design, draft, and update proposal templates and supporting materials; customize request letters; complete application forms; follow up on proposals by phone and through correspondence. 
• Prepare year-end tax letter and other reports such as an annual report to donors; track and ensure compliance with reporting requirements. Maintain advance list of financial budgets and reports needed from accounting. 
• Track progress and outcomes of annual/special requests to donors/prospects. 
• Works with Head of School to ensure accurate listings of donors in the annual report. 
• Develops recognition opportunities for partners and sponsors. 
• Performs other duties as needed. 

Fundraising  

• Designs, implements and manages all fundraising activities, capital campaigns, special projects, and other school-related solicitations. 
• Manage all strategies and activities for donor cultivation, solicitation, and relations.
• Maintains all donor information as well as record all donations received.
• Develops and maintains contact with grant proposals for foundations and corporations. 

Alumni Relations  

• Act as chief liaison between alumni and School. 
• Build relationships with key volunteers to support alumni and parent programs throughout the year. 
• Maintain and update alumni database. 
• Assist in the developing of strategies to market events to alumni, focusing on engaging new segments of the alumni population (including social media and electronic platforms). 
• Create an annual alumni schedule of events with Development. 
• Manage communications to alumni and parents relating to events. 
• Attend monthly campus event committee meetings. 
• Oversee in the planning and execution of alumni events including arranging venues, catering, décor, program, volunteers and planning timeline and scripts. 
• Develops and executes plans to enhance relationships with 20+ prospective and current donors in personal portfolio to increase their loyalty and overall giving. Respects confidentially and carefully documents relationship progression. 
• Y1, make at least 15 unique young donor visits. Each visit is defined as one that creates opportunities for ongoing dialogue. (25 in Y2) 
• Y1, make or cause to be made a minimum yield of 10 gifts solicitations per year. (15 gifts in Y2) 

Board of Trustees Relations  

• Works with the Development Committee of the Board of Trustees and the Head of School to develop strategies to initiate and meet aggressive fundraising goals. 
• Develops fundraising training for Trustees and other leadership volunteers. 

Advancement Office Infrastructure  

• Creates office systems to support all Advancement projects and operations. 
• Coordinates advancement research activities. 
• Manages the pledge reminder and acknowledgement programs. 
• Maintains the database of all records, files and gift processing as well as donor and gift record-keeping. 

General Responsibilities  

• Keep abreast of information about best practices and donor trends. 
• Network through events, outreach staff, supporters, and major donors to gain access to corporate and private foundations and to enlist key stakeholders’ assistance in the solicitation process. 
• Respond to funders’ inquiries for general and fundraising information.
• Manage yearly development calendar. 
• Create and keep current electronic repository of text approved for use in grant applications and reports. 
• Prepare reports to fulfill grant obligations; effectively demonstrating to funders that their investments in MSW are yielding high impact results. 

Audiences  

• Businesses 

• Year-long sponsors 
• Event sponsors (i.e.: Camp, Field Trips, Adventure Trips, AMS Conferences, etc.) 

• Individuals 

• Current families/grandparents 
• Alumni families/grandparents 

Physical – On the job at least 80% of the time, the employee must:  

• Bend 
• Squat 
• Stand 
• Sit on the floor 
• Walk unassisted for one mile 
• Push/pull 
• Carry/lift up to 50lbs. 

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