The Academy of the Holy Cross is accepting resumes for a Director of Annual Giving.
The Academy of the Holy Cross, a Catholic College preparatory school sponsored by the Sisters of the Holy Cross since 1868, is dedicated to educating young women in a Christ-centered community which values diversity. The Academy is committed to developing women of courage, compassion and scholarship who responsibly embrace the social, spiritual and intellectual challenges of the world.
All faculty and staff must demonstrate a commitment to the Core Values of the Academy: community, Catholic identity, academic excellence, educating the whole person, tradition, diversity, leadership, single-sex education, environment, and communication.
The Director of Annual Giving is responsible for directing and managing the school's annual fund and for conducting analytics on the school's database of donors, prospects and constituents. The position reports to the Director of Philanthropy and Stewardship.
The Director of Annual Giving is charged with developing and implementing strategies for securing annul financial support for the mission of the school from alumnae, parents (current and past), friends and foundations.
The annual fund is comprised of multiple, personalized solicitations throughout the school year, strategically timed and focused. Solicitation strategies include use of direct mail, social media, phone and personal visitation. The specific approach to different profiles of constituents must be based on information derived from the analytics performed. While the focus of this role is Annual Giving, the Annual Fund Director contribute to other advancement and development initiatives including corporate sponsorships, grant-writing, and major gifts
The Director of Annual Giving is also responsible for working with other members of the advancement team to ensure proper data entry, gift acknowledgement, ongoing updating and management of the school's database. It also includes working closely with the President and Director of Advancement to identify/move prospects into the major gift cycle, manage the annual fund budget and assist as needed in special advancement projects.
PRINCIPAL RESPONSIBILITIES:
Determine the best, most effective strategy for annual fund success based on the school's needs, history of giving, electronic screening results and in-depth analytics
Create the annual fund plan for the year complete with timelines and objectives
Create and manage the budget for the assigned areas of responsibility
Write all annual fund solicitation copy
Work with appropriate staff and/or vendors to ensure smooth production of all annual fund operations
Work with the database manager to send letters of acknowledgement to annual fund donors
Perform in-depth analytics on the school's database of constituents and donors, to assess results and identify prospective major gift prospects
Research and identify foundation grants
Work closely with the President and Director of Advancement to ensure a coordinated approach to major gift prospects
Work independently and be self-motivated in initiating contacts with annual fund donors and prospects
Provide the results of analytics to the Director of Advancement to assist in the maximization of the school's philanthropic potential
Compile statistics and provide regular, periodic reports on the progress of the annual fund and other related areas of focus (i.e., percentage of giving, cost of each mailing, results of each mailing, etc.)
Assist in creating the annual development plan for the school
Attend Advancement Committee Meetings as necessary.
Experience
Five - ten years' experience in non-profit fundraising
Skills:
Excellent research and analytical skills required
Must have excellent written and oral communication skills
Ability to meet deadlines and achieve objectives
Ability to work with others within the department and school
Ability to work with vendors (printers, mail house, etc.) to achieve desired results
Must be proficient in Raiser's Edge Database Software
Must have strong work ethic, excellent organizational and follow-through skills, flexibility and high energy and a willingness to coordinate efforts with others
Must have strong interpersonal skills
Must be able to work evenings and weekends as required
Must possess a personal belief in and commitment to the missions, goals and objectives of the school
Must have a high level of integrity in dealing with confidential information
Must have attention to detail
Must possess an optimistic and positive attitude
Must be self-motivated and a self-starter
Must be creative, passionate, respectful, kind, sophisticated and have perseverance
The Academy of the Holy Cross, is a private, Catholic high school (grades 9 - 12) for young women located in Kensington, MD. The college preparatory program reflects a holistic approach to education by fostering the intellectual, physical and moral development of the students. The school is sponsored by the Congregation of the Sisters of the Holy Cross and has been in continuous operation in the Archdiocese since 1868.