Director of Leadership and Planned Giving

Company: St. Paul's School
Location: Lowell
Posted on: July 17, 2021

Job Description:

The Director will provide experienced senior leadership for the School’s Leadership and Planned Giving program and be responsible for the management, vision, goals, coordination, and results.

The Director serves as a key advisor to the Chief Advancement Officer (CAO) in developing plans and strategies to achieve fundraising aspirations for campaigns and initiatives. In close partnership with the CAO, the Director will lead the development of comprehensive engagement and solicitation strategies for donors with the capacity to provide significant support to the School. The Director will focus on developing sophisticated solicitations that integrate outright facility and endowment giving, annual unrestricted giving, and charitable giving through estate plans.

While managing a portfolio of relationships with existing and prospective donors, the Director supervises the work of the Leadership and Planned Giving fundraisers to maximize engagement and philanthropic support. The Director provides in?house charitable gift and estate planning counsel to Advancement colleagues to raise philanthropic support through gifts, bequests, life income gifts, and other forms of planned giving.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities include the following. Others may be assigned at any time at the discretion of the employee’s supervisor.

Prospect Management and Solicitation

• Responsible for the leadership, management, vision, goals, coordination, and results of the Leadership and Planned Giving programs.
• Trains, mentors, assesses, and manages staff toward exceptional fundraising performance.
• Leads prospect management meetings that supports strategy for School priorities.
• Uses data and metrics to drive decision-making, solicitation activity, and results.
• Creates and ensures implementation of thoughtful, multi-step plans that deepen relationships with all core prospects for a comprehensive campaign.
• Establishes a robust program to significantly expand the identification and qualification of alumni and parents, refreshing the pool of donors to support the School.
• Creates a process to review and develop re-engagement strategies for previous School donors who have grown distant.
• Manages a portfolio of high worth potential prospects through the identification, qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship cycles.
• Forges relationships with a diverse population that will lead to major gift solicitations.
• Meets with prospects in-person and virtually. As necessary, coordinates the involvement of administrators and faculty to advance engagement toward philanthropic support. Manages appropriate visits to the grounds.
• Finds opportunities to engage prospects in the life of the School and work towards solicitations that align with the donor’s interests and the School’s top priorities.
• Establishes and maintains relationships with volunteers, alumni/ae, parents, and friends who may be able to assist with prospect strategies.
• Works closely with the CAO to engage members of the Board of Trustees who are the School’s key ambassadors and greatest champions in supporting the mission of St. Paul’s School.

Planned Giving Program

• Serves as the primary point and strategic coordinator for the School’s planned giving efforts.
• Works closely with all Advancement staff to engage with alumni, parents, and friends of the School to expand solicitations to include planned giving components for greater impact.
• Provide in?house charitable gift and estate planning counsel and expertise, especially as it relates to current and pending legislation, tax, and technical developments which affect charitable and planned giving.
• Develops marketing initiatives to raise the visibility of the program and secure planned gifts commitments that will help fulfill the School’s long?term financial
• Designs the planned giving component of the next campaign.
• Stewards and expands the School’s planned giving program through personal relationships with members of the SPS
• Conducts off?site visits (individuals and groups) to advance potential planned giving prospects through the identification, qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship
• Works closely with the Director of Advancement and the Director of The SPS Fund to coordinate the solicitation of annual giving donors who are also targeted planned gift
• Oversees program development and membership growth in The Hargate

Communications Responsibilities

• Works closely with the School’s Communications and Marketing Department for a variety of materials to support fundraising objectives. These will include, but are not limited to, marketing materials and cases for support on fundraising initiatives, messages and story development related to fundraising priorities, annual marketing and communication plan for planned giving, development of Advancement’s presence on the School’s website, etc.
• Articulates and implements strategies for communicating with donors: draft and customize School correspondence, proposals, and other written materials for all assigned prospects.
• Communicates and advocates for the urgent needs of the School to assigned prospects.
• Develops collegial and productive relationships with colleagues in the Advancement Office and throughout the St. Paul’s School community.
• Commits to serving the needs of a diverse population.

Supervisory Responsibilities:     Leadership Giving Officers and an administrative assistant.

Qualification:

The successful candidate will have excellent communication and social skills, as well as the capacity to organize meetings, events, and communication with good humor, skill, and efficiency. The successful candidate will be a team-player and collaborator, eager to support the work of others and to pitch in when needed, even if outside this job description. The successful candidate will have experience building a modern fundraising operation, with strategies for engagement beyond direct fundraising.

This position is a full-time, full-year senior administrative position. The successful candidate will engage fully in the life of the school and be able to represent the current School with credibility, positivity, and energy to the external world. As a point person for events and communication, the successful candidate will be required at times to speak on behalf of the School and represent the School’s policies, practices, and philosophies in positive, constructive ways. The successful candidate will also have the maturity to deal respectfully with dissonance and challenges to the School. Top communication skills and good personal judgment are requirements.

The successful candidate will show the ability to develop effective relationships and excellent rapport with alumni, and to interact with them on a professional and social basis with ease and comfort. Above all, the successful candidate must be earnestly dedicated to the mission of St. Paul’s School.

Frequent travel both within and outside of the United States is required.

Skills & Knowledge: 

• Ten+ years of development experience, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience, including significant and successful planned gift fundraising with a proven track record of high-level solicitations.
• Experience in development at an independent secondary school, college, or university setting is preferred.
  • Successful experience working with volunteers and advisory boards to engage and solicit alumni, parents, and friends.
• Excellent communication (written and verbal) skills. Ability to communicate faculty, administrators, trustees, and donors. Ability to present complex information in a clear and compelling manner in writing and in person. Ability to document meetings and write briefings.
• Ability to synthesize and analyze data (primary and secondary sources) to analyze information and develop effective strategies.
• Demonstrated commitment to diversity and inclusivity and to serving the needs of a diverse and inclusive community with diplomacy and tact.
• Demonstrated ability to create, foster and work within an environment of collaboration.
• A passion for excellent customer service and commitment to exceptional quality. Ability to coach the team in all aspects of their work.
• Initiative, resilience, and entrepreneurial spirit.
• A high level of integrity and an extraordinary work ethic.
• Ability to work independently and handle multiple priorities and deadlines simultaneously.
• A strict adherence to confidential policies is required.
• Proficient in MS Office. Willingness and ability to learn additional applications as needed.
• High degree of organizational skills with the ability to be flexible and multi-task with accuracy.
• Ability to follow verbal and written directions, always maintain a professional demeanor and restraint, including stressful situations.
• Bachelor’s degree is required.

Physical Demands:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• While performing the duties of this job, would occasionally be required to stand, walk, sit, reach with hands and arms, climb or balance, stoop or kneel, talk, and hear, and use fingers and hands to feel objects, tools, or controls.
• Specific vision abilities required include close vision, distance vision, depth perceptions, and the ability to adjust focus.
• Must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.

Work Environment:

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Typical of a normal office, some exposure to outdoor elements.
• Primarily Monday through Friday, regular business hours; however, the expectation for the engagement with school life and travel for meetings and events will necessitate occasional longer hours and weekend responsibilities.

Candidates should submit a cover letter, resume and three (3) professional references directly to the School’s search consultant, Debbie Andrews, at deborahtandrews@comcast.net

St. Paul's School is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and has a strong commitment to the principles of diversity. St. Paul's School does not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, ethnic origin, disability or sexual orientation, and complies with applicable laws for the protection of civil rights.

Experience

• 10 year(s): Ten+ years of development experience, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience, including significant and successful planned gift fundraising with a proven track record of high-level solicitations.

Education

• Bachelors or better

Keywords: St. Paul's School, Lowell , Director of Leadership and Planned Giving, Other , Lowell, Massachusetts