What are the responsibilities and job description for the Senior Development and Donor Engagement Officer position at Partnership Schools?
Position: Senior Development and Donor Engagement Officer
Location: Cleveland, Ohio
Type: Full-Time Salaried
Who We Are
Partnership Schools is accepting applications for the Senior Development and Donor Engagement Officer role. The ideal candidate brings creativity, imagination, positivity, and passion to their fundraising approach and is ready to dive into a fast-paced and exciting entrepreneurial work environment.
Since 2013, the Partnership has been a pioneering school management organization shaping the next generation of urban Catholic schooling. From 2013 through 2024, the Archdiocese of New York granted operational management of seven long-standing Pre-K to 8th-grade schools in the South Bronx and Harlem to the Partnership, and during that time the schools experienced substantial math and reading achievement gains and increased enrollment significantly. In 2020, the Partnership was invited to expand to the Diocese of Cleveland, where it manages four schools in the heart of the city providing students in historically underserved neighborhoods with the academic preparation, faith formation, values, and skills
they need to thrive.
The historic success of urban Catholic schools stems not only from a rigorous tradition of academic excellence but also from an emphasis on developing self-worth, moral character, a love of learning, and a sense of civic responsibility—all part of our long-standing commitment to educating the whole child. Partnership Schools are unique in knitting this tradition together with lessons from high-achieving public,
charter, and independent schools, in the service of our students.
At the Partnership, we believe all children can achieve at the highest levels. If you are interested in serving as a pioneer in education and share an unwavering commitment to raising student achievement and an appreciation and respect for Catholic culture, identity, and values, we want to hear from you!
What You’ll Do
Partnership Schools is at a pivotal moment in our trajectory. In our first decade, Partnership Schools has successfully pioneered a groundbreaking approach for the independent management of urban Catholic schools, one needed now more than ever. As Catholic schools closed across the nation, Partnership schools increased enrollment, produced academic growth, and raised more money than ever. Because our effective model serves as a proof-point of what is possible, Partnership Schools is accelerating our growth and tenaciously expanding philanthropy to increase the number of students served and bolster the organization’s national impact on the school choice movement.
Partnership Schools seeks a Senior Development and Donor Engagement Officer to help catalyze the organization’s continued philanthropic growth. They will join a growing, motivated, and collaborative team of development professionals in New York and Cleveland. Reporting to the Regional Director, the Senior Development and Donor Engagement Officer will cultivate and solicit philanthropic gifts to support our schools in Cleveland and the nearly 1,000 students they serve, helping the Partnership raise $5 million in philanthropy to run our schools. In addition to managing a portfolio of new prospects and qualified donors, the Senior Development and Donor Engagement Officer will build a donor pipeline, implement cultivation strategies, solicit major gifts ($1,000 ), and effectively steward donors. Working closely with colleagues on the development team, as well as teammates across the organization, the Senior Development and Donor Engagement Officer will develop, execute, evaluate, and refine strategies for assigned prospects to maximize their support potential.
Key Responsibilities:
Major Gifts & Donor Relations
The salary range for this position is $75,000-$86,000 annually. The Partnership offers a competitive benefits package and is an equal opportunity organization that values diversity.
Location: Cleveland, Ohio
Type: Full-Time Salaried
Who We Are
Partnership Schools is accepting applications for the Senior Development and Donor Engagement Officer role. The ideal candidate brings creativity, imagination, positivity, and passion to their fundraising approach and is ready to dive into a fast-paced and exciting entrepreneurial work environment.
Since 2013, the Partnership has been a pioneering school management organization shaping the next generation of urban Catholic schooling. From 2013 through 2024, the Archdiocese of New York granted operational management of seven long-standing Pre-K to 8th-grade schools in the South Bronx and Harlem to the Partnership, and during that time the schools experienced substantial math and reading achievement gains and increased enrollment significantly. In 2020, the Partnership was invited to expand to the Diocese of Cleveland, where it manages four schools in the heart of the city providing students in historically underserved neighborhoods with the academic preparation, faith formation, values, and skills
they need to thrive.
The historic success of urban Catholic schools stems not only from a rigorous tradition of academic excellence but also from an emphasis on developing self-worth, moral character, a love of learning, and a sense of civic responsibility—all part of our long-standing commitment to educating the whole child. Partnership Schools are unique in knitting this tradition together with lessons from high-achieving public,
charter, and independent schools, in the service of our students.
At the Partnership, we believe all children can achieve at the highest levels. If you are interested in serving as a pioneer in education and share an unwavering commitment to raising student achievement and an appreciation and respect for Catholic culture, identity, and values, we want to hear from you!
What You’ll Do
Partnership Schools is at a pivotal moment in our trajectory. In our first decade, Partnership Schools has successfully pioneered a groundbreaking approach for the independent management of urban Catholic schools, one needed now more than ever. As Catholic schools closed across the nation, Partnership schools increased enrollment, produced academic growth, and raised more money than ever. Because our effective model serves as a proof-point of what is possible, Partnership Schools is accelerating our growth and tenaciously expanding philanthropy to increase the number of students served and bolster the organization’s national impact on the school choice movement.
Partnership Schools seeks a Senior Development and Donor Engagement Officer to help catalyze the organization’s continued philanthropic growth. They will join a growing, motivated, and collaborative team of development professionals in New York and Cleveland. Reporting to the Regional Director, the Senior Development and Donor Engagement Officer will cultivate and solicit philanthropic gifts to support our schools in Cleveland and the nearly 1,000 students they serve, helping the Partnership raise $5 million in philanthropy to run our schools. In addition to managing a portfolio of new prospects and qualified donors, the Senior Development and Donor Engagement Officer will build a donor pipeline, implement cultivation strategies, solicit major gifts ($1,000 ), and effectively steward donors. Working closely with colleagues on the development team, as well as teammates across the organization, the Senior Development and Donor Engagement Officer will develop, execute, evaluate, and refine strategies for assigned prospects to maximize their support potential.
Key Responsibilities:
Major Gifts & Donor Relations
- Manage and grow a portfolio of major donors and prospects ($1,000 ), building strong relationships through cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship with the goal of securing and closing gifts
- Identify new prospects through research and data mining; cultivate, solicit, and steward major gift prospects to meet specific activity goals
- Partner with leadership to support donor strategy and key relationship management
- Track donor activity and progress toward revenue goals
- Establish tailored, individual fundraising plans, which will include a full range of donor cultivation activities such as school tours, receptions, bespoke donor experiences, and large and small private gatherings
- Leverage exceptional interpersonal and verbal and written communications skills to craft effective solicitation letters and proposals
- Showcase a proven track record in developing compelling donor communications and a deep knowledge of the Cleveland funding community.
- Work closely with leadership to align fundraising priorities with organizational goals
- Support campaign initiatives, special projects, and strategic fundraising efforts
- Collaborate with marketing/communications on donor materials and messaging, including helping to collect and curate impact content such as student videos, thank-you notes from schools, and other storytelling assets, as well as supporting additional projects as assigned
- Assist with donor engagement opportunities, including events and site visits
- Oversee the planning, scheduling, and execution of donor engagement opportunities, including school tours, virtual meetings with principals and students, and other related activities.
- Coordinate donor engagement activities including logistics, calendars, site readiness, and staff participation
- Develop and maintain all donor engagement activities run-of-show documents and briefing materials
- Ensure a high-quality, mission-driven experience for all donor engagement activities participants
- Partner with school leadership and internal teams to align messaging and presentations
- Track follow-up actions and next steps post donor engagement activities to support donor cultivation
- Maintain accurate and up-to-date donor records in CRM (e.g., Salesforce)
- Prepare donor briefings, proposals, and follow-up materials
- Track pledges, gift agreements, and reporting requirements
- Support reporting on fundraising progress, pipeline, and key metrics
- Assist with scheduling donor meetings and coordinating internal follow-up
- Ensure timely and personalized donor acknowledgments
- Bachelor's Degree or higher
- 5 years of proven successful experience in individual fundraising
- Experience with and a proven track record in prospecting, pipeline building, and prospect development
- Experience or exposure to corporate fundraising, foundations, and grant writing is a plus
- Expert level written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to write in a clear and concise voice with the end customer in mind
- Strong organizational skills that reflect ability to perform and prioritize multiple tasks seamlessly with excellent attention to detail
- You are deeply committed to the mission of Partnership Schools and to the education of students in underserved communities
- You are interested in learning about K-8 education, Catholic education, school choice, and/or social justice
- You’re open-minded, intellectually curious, and eager to learn something new each day!
- You naturally bring a positive, high-energy, and collaborative approach to your work
- You are comfortable being part of a development team which is “forming, storming, and norming” as it builds on current ways of working to continually improve systems, tools, and approaches—and would welcome the chance to shape the future with us
The salary range for this position is $75,000-$86,000 annually. The Partnership offers a competitive benefits package and is an equal opportunity organization that values diversity.
Salary : $75,000 - $86,000