Director of Advancement

The Director of Advancement is the chief architect and leader of the school’s fundraising, engagement, and community relations strategy. This position oversees two integrated teams - Fundraising and Hospitality & Engagement - and is responsible for building a high-performing, collaborative culture while personally managing a portfolio of major donors.

The Director must be a skilled fundraiser, an experienced manager of people, and a proven change leader who can:

• Strengthen accountability and professionalism within an existing team
• Improve morale and collaboration
• Establish clear expectations and performance standards
• Drive measurable growth in philanthropic revenue

This position reports directly to the President, serves as administrative lead to the Board of Trustees, and works closely with senior leadership to align advancement efforts with institutional priorities.

Core ResponsibilitiesLeadership & Team Development

• Provide strategic leadership and daily management of Advancement staff across two functions:
• Fundraising (Annual Giving, Major Gifts, Planned Giving, Alumni & Parent Giving, Database)
• Hospitality & Engagement (Events, Stewardship, Community Relations, Parent and Alumni Volunteer Programs)
• Assess current team structure, performance, and workflows; implement systems that promote accountability, collaboration, and excellence
• Establish clear goals, metrics, and professional standards for all team members
• Address performance issues directly and constructively; coach and develop staff to higher levels of effectiveness
• Foster a culture of professionalism, customer service, and mission-centered teamwork
• Recruit, train, and evaluate staff; restructure roles as needed to meet institutional priorities

Fundraising Strategy & Execution

• Design and execute a comprehensive advancement plan that increases the parent pledge and annual fund, as well as planned and campaign giving
• Personally manage a portfolio of major gift prospects and donors, including cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship
• Partner with the President and Board to identify and engage high-capacity donors
• Expand corporate, foundation, and community partnerships
• Strengthen alumni and parent engagement leading to increased philanthropic participation
• Oversee donor stewardship, communications, and recognition programs

Operations & Administration

• Develop and monitor the Advancement budget and annual revenue goals
• Ensure effective use of the database/CRM for moves management, reporting, and analysis
• Prepare regular progress reports for the President and Board of Trustees
• Collaborate with school leadership to align advancement messaging with institutional priorities

Community & Mission

• Represent the mission and values of the school with integrity and enthusiasm
• Maintain strong relationships with alumni, parents, students, faculty, and community partners
• Support Catholic and Marianist identity in all advancement efforts

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree preferred
• Minimum 5-7 years of successful advancement experience, preferably in a Catholic school or independent school setting
• Demonstrated success building and executing fundraising strategies, including proven experience securing major gifts. Average fundraising efforts have ranged from $4M to $7M annually, as reference.
• Proven experience managing, motivating and transforming team members with differing skillsets
• Strong supervisory skills: setting expectations, holding people accountable, and improving performance
• Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills
• Experience with CRM/database systems and data-driven decision making
• Willingness to work evenings and weekends for events and donor engagement

Key Competencies

The successful candidate will be:

• A confident, compassionate manager who can lead difficult conversations with professionalism
• Results-oriented with the ability to set structure where it is lacking
• Politically astute and skilled at navigating complex interpersonal dynamics
• A collaborative partner to school leadership
• Organized, decisive, and able to balance strategy with hands-on execution
• Deeply committed to the mission of Catholic education