Director of Annual and Planned Giving

Employment Opportunity: Carolina Day School seeks a dynamic and energetic individual for the position of Director of Annual & Giving. As a member of the Advancement Office, the Director of Annual & Planned Giving provides leadership and supervision to all areas of the annual giving program, overseeing and coordinating the program’s logistics, volunteers, and strategies for solicitation, cultivation and stewardship of annual donors, with a specific focus on increasing Leadership Circle level giving and participation. This position works closely with all members of the Advancement Office team, Marketing and Communications Office, Board members on the Advancement Committee, and reports to the Director of Development & Community Relations to set and achieve mutual goals such as acquiring new donors, renewing previous year and lapsed donors and building a pipeline of potential leadership volunteers, and major and corporate sponsorship donors. This position requires significant collaboration with team members, faculty, parents, alumni, and other external constituencies.

Interested candidates should send resume, cover letter, and fundraising writing samples (please collate into a single (1) PDF document) to smullins@carolinaday.org.

RESPONSIBILITIES INCLUDE:

• Oversee and manage all aspects of the annual giving program, including goal setting and program development, team organization and timeline planning, mailings, phonathons, volunteer recruitment and cultivation, financial and fundraising metrics and benchmarking, strategic planning, new initiatives and one-to-one and one-to-many solicitation strategies, reporting to the Director of Development & Community Relations and in coordination with other Advancement and Marketing and Communication team members. 
• Manage the segmented goals and messages within the annual fund efforts, particularly for Current Parents, Faculty & Staff, Alumni, Loyalty Club, and Community Partners (business donors).
• Lead the creation and implementation of both a yearly business plan and a long-range plan for the annual giving program as a part of the overall development and advancement operations’ strategic planning process.
• Lead efforts to enhance the culture of philanthropy through messaging, branding and marketing of annual unrestricted giving, throughout all correspondence, solicitation materials and scripts, print and online media, acknowledgements, regular communications and reports.
• Work closely with the Director of Alumni and Rising Alumni Relations to strengthen alumni engagement, from both a fundraising and friend-raising perspective. 
• Work with the Director of Development and Community Relations to strengthen and manage an early-stage planned giving program. 
• Work closely with and take direction from the Director of Development and Community Relations to create portfolios and perform ongoing analysis of fundraising progress to inform strategy and develop and execute benchmarking projects involving peer schools. This includes year-to-year stats, donor to donor analysis, and pyramids.
• Organize and manage the annual Parent Committee for the Annual Fund.
• Assist in  the production of the Annual Fund’s portion of the school’s Annual Report.
• Coordinate with Marketing and Communications on all website communications for all aspects of giving.
• Organize and execute annual stewardship events for Leadership Circle donors.
• Coordinate and manage special gift efforts in various constituencies, including but not limited to alumni, parents, parents of alumni, employees, grandparents, Community Partners, etc.
• Engage in all aspects of the donor gift cycle: identify prospective donors; initiate contacts with potential donors; move potential donors toward solicitation and closure; and maintain stewardship expectations with the goal of consistently renewing the donor-base.
• Work collaboratively and cooperatively with the staff in other divisions and lead volunteers to fulfill CDS’s mission, helping to determine and meet its fundraising goals.
• Work closely with the Director of Alumni Relations and in coordination with the Director of Development & Community Relations on the creation of a Senior Family Gift Effort, with a specific focus on senior student engagement.
• Create a Reunion giving program including goal setting, letter writing and solicitations. Develop and/or assist with a Young Alumni Giving program which includes the creation of philanthropy education programming and relationship building with current students.
• Attend Alumni Association Board Meetings when appropriate to support fundraising efforts.
• Other duties as assigned.

Essential Qualifications:

• A Bachelor’s degree.
• 3-5 years of job-related experience in a nonprofit (preferably a school setting) working directly in Annual Fund and/or fundraising 
• Demonstrated fundraising results with a focus on  growth in year over year performance.
• Understanding of variable data and segmentation as it relates to impactful messaging to various constituencies.
• Excellent interpersonal, verbal and written communication skills.
• Excellent organizational skills, attention to detail and ability to meet deadlines.
• Demonstrated track record as a self-starter, a creative thinker and an action-oriented fundraiser with a sense of urgency and passion for implementing strategies and tactics.
• Demonstrated proficiency in Microsoft Office suite (Word, PowerPoint, Excel, etc…), Google Suite programs and other possible software and online programs.
• Proficiency in fundraising software, preferably Raiser’s Edge.
• Ability to work independently and within a team.
• Willingness and ability to work both traditional and non-traditional business hours. Some night and weekend work and local travel are required for this position.

 Preferred Qualifications

• Advanced degree and/or fundraising certifications.
• Demonstrated experience in various aspects of development, such as prospect identification and qualification, face-to-face solicitation; annual giving program management, event planning, and data analysis and metrics is strongly preferred
• Experience in drafting and implementing strategic “change” plans, with clear objectives, goals, tactics, and benchmarks.
• Experience running annual fund operations.
• Experience with Raiser’s Edge.
• Track record in managing and motivating volunteers in a nonprofit and/or educational environment.
• Experience with moves management and/or comprehensive campaigns

Carolina Day School is an Equal Opportunity Employer and we strongly encourage candidates of color and candidates with diverse backgrounds to apply.

           CDS admits students of any race, color, religion, sexual orientation, national and ethnic origin, or handicap to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities of the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, scholarship programs, athletic and other school administered programs.

Americans with Disability Specifications

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, the employee is occasionally required to stand; walk; sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel objects, tools or controls; reach with hands and arms; climb stairs; balance; stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl; talk or hear; taste or smell. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by the job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.

Work Environment:

Work environment characteristics 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, the employee is exposed to weather conditions prevalent at the time.

The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.