Director of Development

The Director of Development serves as the lead fundraiser for City Garden Montessori School and is responsible for achieving the school's annual fundraising goals through major gifts, foundation and corporate partnerships, donor stewardship, and strategic advancement planning. The DOD manages key donor relationships, leads fundraising strategy, partners closely with the CEO and Board of Directors, and supervises a Development & Communications Manager. We’re seeking a frontline fundraiser with significant experience cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding individual donors. Our ideal candidate is also a development generalist who is equally comfortable creating a multichannel advancement strategy and executing thoughtfully on that strategy. Key Responsibilities Major Gifts & Donor Relations Manage a portfolio of approximately 50–75 major donor and prospect relationships. Develop and implement individualized cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship plans. Conduct donor meetings, site visits, and stewardship activities throughout the year. Prepare and lead major (4-5 figure) gift solicitations in partnership with the CEO and Board members. Identify opportunities to increase donor retention and upgrade giving levels. Proactively conduct discovery work to uncover new individual prospects. Develop and execute the annual fundraising plan. Establish annual fundraising goals and key performance indicators. Monitor fundraising performance and adjust strategies as needed. Build a sustainable pipeline of major gift prospects. Foundation & Corporate Giving Oversee foundation and corporate fundraising strategy. Develop relationships with key institutional funders. Collaborate on grant proposals, reports, and stewardship activities. Ensure timely submission of all grant and sponsorship opportunities. Support Board fundraising efforts and engagement. Build a development committee to assist with donor identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship. Provide coaching and tools to help Board members manage donor relationships. Partner with volunteer leaders and ambassadors to expand City Garden's network. Leadership & Management Supervise and support the Development & Communications Manager. Foster strong systems, accountability, and collaboration across advancement functions. Work closely with school leadership to identify compelling stories and funding opportunities. Qualifications Bachelor's degree required. 5+ years of progressive fundraising experience, and ideally some experience directly managing development staff. Demonstrated success securing 4-5 figure major gifts. Energized by heavy discovery and prospecting work. Strong relationship-building and interpersonal skills. Excellent written and verbal communication abilities. Experience working with donor databases and fundraising CRM systems. Passion for educational equity and Montessori education. Success Measures During the first year, success will include: Achieving annual fundraising goals. Increasing the number of donors giving $5,000+ and $10,000+. Establishing clear donor portfolios and moves-management practices. Building a reliable fundraising pipeline and reporting system. Goals over the next four years will include: Growing and strengthening City Garden’s Annual Fund campaign (currently bringing in $960K in gross revenue). Partnering with the CEO to plan and execute a multi-year campaign to raise funds to support capital improvements, purchase of the Early Childhood Education Center, teacher salary increases, and an endowment. Playing a key role in implementing City Garden’s new strategic plan in partnership with the CEO, Board, and other key stakeholders. Compensation This position offers a salary range of $95,000-$110,000 and robust benefits including medical, dental, pension (vested after five years), school admission preference (discounted preschool and before/after care), and 21 days annually of Personal Time Off, in addition to federal holidays and school breaks. This position will be on site, with the possibility of some work being performed remotely, upon agreement with supervisor. About City Garden Montessori School Mission and Vision City Garden redefines education by centering children in an excellent, inclusive Montessori model that honors the humanity and potential of every learner. We nurture the whole child in partnership with families and cultivate a community where children and adults learn, grow, and build meaningful relationships. We envision a St. Louis strengthened by thriving children, connected families, and a reimagined community: where lifelong learning and equitable opportunity are the norm, relationships across difference are foundational, and young people grow as compassionate, critical thinkers who help shape a more just and inclusive future. We achieve our mission by combining the Montessori Theory of Development, rigorous state standards and an Anti-Bias, Antiracism (ABAR) framework in an intentionally diverse school setting. #J-18808-Ljbffr