PHILANTHROPY OFFICER - BEGINNING JULY 2026

PRIMARY ROLE

De La Salle High School seeks a dynamic, mission-driven, relational, and results-oriented Philanthropy Officer to advance the school's mission of educating young men and transforming lives through the power of philanthropy. Reporting to the Vice President for Advancement, the Philanthropy Officer will build meaningful relationships with alumni, parents, grandparents, and friends whose generosity strengthens the student experience and ensures De La Salle remains accessible and thrives for future Spartans. The Philanthropy Officer is responsible for developing and executing a comprehensive fundraising strategy focused on identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding donors capable of making leadership annual gifts and major philanthropic commitments.


The Philanthropy Officer will develop and manage a portfolio of approximately 100-150 alumni, parents, grandparents, and friends with the capacity to make five, six, and seven-figure commitments in support of annual operations, tuition assistance, endowment, capital priorities, and other strategic initiatives. This role will also play a significant part in advancing De La Salle's comprehensive capital campaign-the most ambitious fundraising effort in school history-by helping inspire transformational investment in the future of the school.


This is an exceptional opportunity for a high-performing advancement professional to help grow a culture of philanthropy across De La Salle's most engaged and generous community members.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Philanthropic Engagement and Fundraising Leadership

• Develop authentic, long-term relationships with alumni, parents, grandparents, and friends of the school.
• Support and help lead fundraising efforts connected to De La Salle's comprehensive capital campaign, including donor strategy, cultivation, solicitation, stewardship, and campaign engagement activities.
• Develop plans to expand Leadership Giving tiers ranging from $1,965 to $25,000+.
• Foster deeper engagement among annual leadership donors that inspire increased philanthropic commitment for major gifts.
• Secure funds for operations, scholarships, endowments, and capital projects.

Donor Portfolio Management

• Manage 100 to 150 leadership and major gift prospects.
• Personally secure five, six, and seven-figure donations.
• Partner closely with the President, Vice President for Advancement, volunteer leaders, and colleagues to develop thoughtful cultivation and solicitation strategies for the school's most significant prospects.

Relationship Building & Stewardship

• Connect with alumni, parents, grandparents, and community leaders.
• Re-engage lapsed donors and design personalized stewardship journeys.
• Demonstrate philanthropic impact through recognition and transparent reporting.

Operations & Database Management

• Maintain accurate moves-management metrics in Blackbaud Raiser's Edge NXT.
• Identify new donors through research, networking, and events.

QUALIFICATIONS

Required

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent professional experience.
• Minimum 5 years of successful fundraising, sales, business development, or relationship management experience.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and manage sensitive information.
• Ability to travel locally and work occasional evenings/weekends.
• Passion for De La Salle's mission.
• Demonstrated success in closing significant gifts, investments, or revenue opportunities.
• Strong understanding of donor pipeline development and relationship-based fundraising.
• Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.
• High emotional intelligence, professionalism, and executive presence.
• Strong organizational skills with attention to detail.

Preferred

• Experience in Catholic schools, independent schools, higher education, healthcare, or nonprofit advancement.
• Experience with campaign fundraising, planned giving, or endowment fundraising.
• Familiarity with donor databases such as Raiser's Edge, Salesforce, or similar CRM systems.

SALARY RANGE
$120,000 - $140,000 per year
12 months, full-time, exempt salaried position

BENEFITS
• Health Insurance • Dental insurance • Vision Insurance • 403(b) • 403(b) matching • Employee assistance program • Flexible spending account • Life insurance • Professional development assistance •