Associate Director of Annual and Leadership Giving

Job Description

Job Description

Job Title: Associate Director of Annual and Leadership Giving
Accountability: Reports to the Director of Advancement
Compensation: $120 - 125k
FLSA Status: Exempt, Full-time

Job Summary
The Associate Director of Annual and Leadership Giving plays a key role within the Advancement team, building relationships and securing resources to support Athenian's mission. With a focus on achieving Annual Fund goals while upgrading donors and developing a major gift pipeline, this position is responsible for identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding leadership-level donors, as well as Annual Fund donors at all levels. The position reports to the Director of Advancement and collaborates with all members of the Advancement department, board members, and volunteers to engage the Athenian community and achieve fundraising goals.
Fundraising Strategy and Activity

• Develops and implements strategies to increase participation among all constituencies (parents, alumni, friends, grandparents, etc.), increase giving year over year, and retain donors, with a focus on leadership-level Annual Fund donors (donors who give $5,000+ annually).
• Manages a portfolio of leadership-level donors and prospects, ensuring engagement with face-to-face meetings, virtual meetings, phone calls, and special events.
• Helps build a major gifts donor pipeline by conducting 1:1 meetings to qualify new families and returning donors for leadership-level Annual Fund giving and/or major gifts.
• Works with Director of Advancement to set professional goals annually with respect to revenue, number of meetings, number of qualifications, closed gifts, and other key performance metrics.
• Tracks results in annual giving activity monthly, comparing our data to Annual Giving trends.
• Performs evaluation of annual giving efforts after campaigns and at fiscal year-end.
• Works with Director of Advancement to generate a comprehensive Annual Fund plan for the coming fiscal year and owns the execution of the plan.
• Identifies potential donors through active participation in the school community, prospect research, and strategic outreach (in-person and virtual).
• Cultivates donors and prospects through personal visits (virtual and face-to-face), events, and ongoing communications.
• Solicits donors and prospects through targeted multi-media appeals and campaigns (online, print, text), meetings (face-to-face, virtual, or phone), events, and through volunteer outreach.
• Stewards donors through personalized touchpoints, updates, events, and recognition in the Annual Report.
• Prepares board members, senior leadership, volunteers, and advancement staff for donor interactions and events by providing prospect and/or donor briefs that include research, goals, and key talking points.
• Collaborates with the Director of Advancement and the Communications Team to develop Annual Fund communications and collateral to promote a culture of philanthropy.
• Works with Director of Advancement to strategize and launch an annual Senior Family Gift Campaign and manages execution of the campaign.
• Maintains accurate and timely records of donor interactions in Raiser's Edge (RE) to track engagement and inform strategy.
• In collaboration with the Director of Advancement and Head of School, drafts cases of support for the Annual Fund, the Senior Family Gift Campaign, and other Athenian giving opportunities, as needed.
• Stewards Endowment and Renewable Scholarship donors by assisting the Director of Advancement with the creation of endowment and renewable scholarship reports annually, conducting in-person visits, and generating personalized messages to ensure continued support.

Partnerships, Collaboration, and Volunteer Management

• Assists in the identification and cultivation of prospective volunteer leaders, including Annual Fund Ambassadors and Senior Family Gift Campaign members.
• Recruits, manages, and stewards Annual Fund Ambassador and Senior Family Gift Campaign volunteers, ensuring their effective participation in peer-to-peer solicitation efforts.
• Partners with the Advancement Services Manager to analyze Annual Fund fundraising progress, as well as create and review donor lists for the Annual Report & Fall Magazine, as needed.
• Collaborates with the Communications team to develop compelling giving-related content, donor stories, and impact-focused materials for use across media.
• Works closely with the Advancement Team on volunteer development, donor cultivation, and stewardship initiatives.
• Helps the Advancement Services Manager prepare and review monthly reports for the Advancement Committee.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree and 3–5+ years of full-time work experience in advancement/development, with demonstrated frontline fundraising success a plus.
• Proven track record of fundraising success.
• Preferred candidates will have experience independently managing donor relationships and making face-to-face, leadership-level asks.
• Preferred candidates will have fundraising experience in an academic environment.
• Cultural competency based on experience and professional development in diversity work.
• Strong written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills to effectively interact with a wide range of constituents.
• Demonstrated volunteer management background, with the ability to work closely with high-level decision makers, trustees, and other top-level volunteers.
• Knowledge of Raiser's Edge fundraising software and/or other fundraising software needed.
• Must be able to meet deadlines, balance multiple projects, be detail-oriented, and have excellent communication skills.

Work Environment and Physical Demands

• Some evening and weekend commitments required.
• Frequent talking, listening, walking, sitting, and standing.
• Ability to perform multiple concurrent tasks and function in a fast-paced work environment.
• Must be able to travel safely and comfortably across a large campus for a variety of events and meetings, often several in a workday.
• Must be physically able to assist, when necessary, with event set-up and breakdown, including lifting up to 30 lbs.
• Local travel is required; candidates must have access to reliable personal transportation to attend off-site meetings, events, and donor visits.

Additional Responsibilities

• Stay current on industry best practices through professional development and ongoing evaluation of fundraising strategies.
• Participate in Advancement team projects and contribute to a collaborative and innovative work environment.
• Actively engage in the life of the school, fostering a culture of philanthropy within the Athenian community.
• Other duties as assigned.

Community Responsibilities

• Attend and participate in School-sponsored staff professional development activities.
• Assume responsibility for one community activity: phone relief, parking lot or carpool pick-up, etc.
• CPR/AED trained and certified — must have up-to-date certifications in both cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and proper operation of a defibrillator (AED).

NON DISCRIMINATION COMMITMENT

The Athenian School is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to basing judgments concerning the employment of individuals upon their qualifications and abilities. The School is firmly committed to equal employment and advancement opportunities for all employees and applicants in all areas of employment. The School does not discriminate on the basis of an individual’s sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, race, color, national origin, ancestry, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status, military or veteran status, genetic characteristic or genetic information, physical or mental disability, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

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