Position: Advancement Associate for Alumni Engagement 

Department: Advancement 

Reports to: Director of Advancement 

Date Written: April 2024 

Status: Exempt 

Salary: $60,000-$82,000 

To apply send a cover letter and two letters of recommendation to Director of Advancement, Lindsay Newlove, lindsay_newlove@cate.org.

Summary 

Cate School Advancement: Cate has a long history of philanthropic support from alumni, parents, and friends. Cate’s Advancement office is the fundraising, volunteer management, parent relations, and alumni relations center of the School. The Advancement office manages all aspects of fundraising, including the endowment, capital, planned giving, and annual giving to provide necessary dollars for institutional priorities. 

Position Purpose 

The Advancement Associate will be a key member of the Advancement team, building relationships between and among Cate's decades of alumni. Though focused on alumni engagement, this is a position with great potential for growth in all aspects of Advancement. 

The Advancement Associate will collaborate with Advancement staff and volunteers and will be responsible for meeting a portion of Cate’s annual fund budgeted goal, which in 2023-2024 is $2.75M, and is expected to grow each year. They will aim to meet or exceed annual goals of 33% alumni participation and increase the average alumni dollar raised per year. 

The Advancement Associate will be the primary liaison between alumni and Cate School and is responsible for alumni activities including volunteer management, alumni programming, and communications. Working closely with the Advancement team, they will be expected to provide innovative strategies for increased alumni connection. 

The position requires fundraising ability, strong organizational and technological skills, the ability to build relationships with donors and reunion classes, event coordination, and oversight of volunteer management programs. 

POSITION RESPONSIBILITIES 

Alumni Engagement 

Ensure and reinforce a strong relationship between alumni and the School. Engage alumni through alumni-driven activities and events, identify and cultivate future volunteers and donors, and provide leadership and support for alumni relations program. 

Volunteer Management 

Collaborate with and coordinate the Alumni Leadership Council, reunion chairs, and class agents in partnership with members of the Advancement Office. Manage the senior class giving program and coordinate Distinguished Alumni Program and event. 

Alumni and Reunion Giving Program 

In collaboration with colleagues, work on the 12-18-month calendar of outreach for milestone reunions through class agent/reunion chair volunteer program. Direct March Magic, the young alumni giving program. Solicit alumni for gifts for the Cate Fund. 

Alumni Communications 

Work with colleagues to write, design, and send quarterly alumni e-newsletters, alumni solicitations, and invitations. Use data-driven segmentation strategies to effectively engage donors. 

Social Media 

Serve as point person for Cate alumni social media, including LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook. Ensure all social media accounts remain active by posting relevant content on regular basis and responding to messages. 

Special Events 

Collaborate with colleagues on campus events. Oversee Camp Cate, the annual reunion program. Plan and coordinate regional receptions and campus events to meet alumni and donors, manage various aspects of events, make introductions, champion and solicit for the alumni program and Cate Fund. Occasional public speaking. 

QUALIFICATION STANDARDS 

Education and Work Experience 

● Bachelor’s degree required. 

● Three-to-five years experience in alumni relations, annual giving, or a related field. Volunteer management experience desired. 

● Experience with donor database systems (Cate School uses Veracross), Google Suite, Microsoft Office, and general technological ability. 

● Independent/boarding school experience preferred. 

Skills/Qualities 

● Excellent interpersonal skills to develop relationships, build volunteer management program, and solicit gifts with tact and grace. 

● Excellent written and verbal communication skills. 

● Self-starter, energetic, flexible. Sense of humor a plus. 

● Work collaboratively and exhibit leadership competencies including organizational abilities, strategic thinking, and management of multiple priorities. 

● Ability to exercise discretion with sensitive and confidential information and demonstrate cultural sensitivity

● Willing to take on additional responsibilities as needed.

● Working with diverse populations. 

Physical Requirements 

● Ability to lift 20 pounds, using proper lifting techniques. 

● Ability to sit, stand, and/or move around the applicable working environment as needed. 

● Ability to travel safely and comfortably around our campus. 

● Ability to use a keyboard or an alternative input device and other office equipment. ● Ability to read information in printed material, on a computer screen, and/or on a mobile device/laptop for extended periods of time. 

About Cate 

For more than a century, Cate School has blended together the tradition of the East Coast with the innovation of the West Coast in the service of a dynamic, diverse, and close-knit community. A four-year college preparatory school with a low student-to-faculty ratio, small class sizes, and inviting residential spaces, Cate’s inquiry-based program is designed to challenge, inspire, and support boarding and day students whose interests, abilities, characters, and aspirations make them individually and collectively exceptional. 

Join a professional community that is celebrated for its transformational pedagogy and that fosters curiosity. Here, our faculty thrives within a dynamic culture driven by an unwavering dedication to the greatest growth possible, a spirit of innovation and progress, and a core of care and support for each member of this community. 

Cate School is committed to a policy of Equal Opportunity Employment and nondiscrimination in the treatment of employees or applicants for employment without consideration of race, color, ethnicity, religion, age, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, disability, veteran status, genetic information, gender or gender identity. 

Cate School offers competitive compensation. In setting compensation ranges, Cate School reviews numerous factors including industry data from NAIS, CAIS, NBOA, and other market data. Final Salary is based on experience relevant to the role and internal equity. 

Note: This job description is intended to convey essential information about the position and is not an exhaustive list of duties, responsibilities, or qualifications.