Chief Advancement Officer

Chief Advancement Officer

Loyola Blakefield - TOWSON, MD 21204

Overview

Salary Range $160,000.00 - $180,000.00 Salary/year Level Senior Education Level 4 Year Degree

Description

Title: Chief Advancement Officer

Status: 12-Month, Full-Time

Department: Advancement

Reporting to: President

Availability: Summer 2026

Compensation: $160 – $180K (commensurate with experience and qualifications)

Benefits: Medical, Dental, Vision, Paid Leave, Tuition Remission, and other benefits offered (certain benefits are available upon meeting eligibility criteria, including minimum service requirements).

Organization Description:

Loyola Blakefield is a Catholic, Jesuit, independent school for boys in grades 6 – 12. Loyola is inspired by the life and instruction of St. Ignatius Loyola and the Society of Jesus. The ideal candidate must support Loyola Blakefield's mission of forming young men who strive to embody our "Profile of a Graduate at Graduation." We strive to form young men who are Religious, Loving, Academically Competent, Open to Growth, Committed to Diversity, and Committed to Working for a Just World.

Our students come from all walks of life and so do our teachers and staff. As such, we actively seek to recruit and retain faculty and staff reflective of the diverse backgrounds and experiences of our student body. Through inclusive hiring practices, we ensure a community of connection and belonging where everyone can thrive.

Profile:

The Chief Advancement Officer (CAO) leads mission-driven fundraising, constituent engagement, and advancement team leadership in support of Loyola Blakefield's Catholic, Jesuit mission and holistic educational philosophy. The CAO oversees donor cultivation, annual giving, campaign readiness and execution, endowment growth, and philanthropic stewardship, ensuring advancement efforts reflect Loyola's values of ethical stewardship, access, affordability, and lifelong service. The CAO also provides strategic leadership and supervision for a team of advancement professionals, fostering a collaborative, high-performing, and mission-centered culture across multiple functional areas and direct reports. In partnership with school leadership, the CAO helps strengthen Loyola Blakefield's philanthropic culture and advance its mission and strategic priorities within the broader community. Endowment & Capital Campaign Leadership (Men for Others Campaign)

• Provide strategic leadership for Men for Others: A Campaign for Faith, Learning, and Service, a comprehensive campaign advancing toward public phase (Summer 2026).
• Lead campaign execution to grow endowment in support of access, academic excellence, and long-term sustainability.
• Partner with the President, Board, and campaign leadership to secure transformational and planned gifts, including six- and seven-figure commitments.
• Oversee campaign planning and transition to public phase, aligning messaging, volunteer engagement, and fundraising priorities.
• Align campaign priorities with institutional goals, including financial aid, faculty support, student experience, and campus advancement.
• Ensure development operations, systems, and prospect strategies support campaign performance and reporting.

Major Gifts & Donor Engagement

• Cultivate, solicit, and steward high-level donors and prospects, including leadership gifts of $5,000+ and major gifts of $50,000+.
• Develop and manage a robust pipeline of prospects across alumni, parents, grandparents, and friends of Loyola Blakefield.
• Expand participation in key giving programs, including the Greater Glory Scholarship Program.
• Engage the global Loyola community through travel and relationship-building initiatives.

Board Relations & Volunteer Engagement

• Serve as staff liaison to the Board's Development Committee and support other committees as needed.
• Collaborate with Board members, senior leaders, and campaign volunteers to advance fundraising priorities.
• Build and strengthen volunteer structures to support campaign execution, annual giving, major gifts, and fundraising events.

Development Operations & Strategy

• Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing advancement team, setting clear expectations, fostering collaboration, and supporting professional growth across multiple direct reports and functional areas.
• Provide oversight of all advancement functions, including annual giving, major and planned gifts, alumni relations, stewardship, and campaign management.
• Strengthen prospect development through effective moves management, research, and wealth screening.
• Leverage data analytics to enhance donor engagement and pipeline growth.
• Oversee planning and execution of donor engagement activities, campaign events, and special initiatives.
• Develop and implement creative strategies to strengthen the Loyola Fund, major gifts, and planned giving programs in support of campaign priorities.

Financial Coordination & Stewardship

• Partner closely with the Chief Financial Officer and Business Office to reconcile development gift data.
• Collaborate on scholarship and endowment stewardship to ensure proper fund management and reporting.
• Establish, review, and maintain fundraising and gift policies.

Communications & External Relations

• Communicate engagement and fundraising objectives to internal stakeholders and engage them in achieving fundraising goals.
• Represent Loyola Blakefield at local, regional, and national events, including Jesuit Schools Network (JSN) programs and Archdiocese of Baltimore initiatives; actively participate in professional networking, industry training, and relevant conferences to advance institutional priorities and best practices.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree (MA/MBA) preferred.
• Minimum of 10+ years of progressive leadership experience in advancement, fundraising, or related fields, preferably in a secondary school or higher education environment.
• Demonstrated success in securing major gifts and leading comprehensive fundraising efforts.
• Strong leadership presence with the ability to build teams, engage volunteers, and drive complex initiatives.
• Deep commitment to the mission of Loyola Blakefield; familiarity with Catholic, Jesuit apostolates strongly preferred.
• Excellent communication, organizational, and analytical skills; detail-oriented and self-directed.
• Proficiency in development systems and tools, including Microsoft Office and Blackbaud Raiser's Edge.