Founded in 1786, Friends Seminary, the oldest continually operating coeducational, independent Quaker school in New York City, seeks to recruit a Director of Annual Giving to join the Office of Institutional Advancement. This is a full-time, 12-month position that reports to the Director of Institutional Advancement and works closely with the Friends Seminary leadership and volunteers to achieve Annual Giving financial and programmatic goals.
School Background:
The School, which has more than 4,000 active alumni and 800 students, will raise approximately $3,300,000 in annual support in the 2023-2024 academic year. The School’s most recent campaign, “Light the Future Campaign,” which closed in 2019, raised over $50,000,000 for endowment and facilities. The next campaign is in the planning phase. The Director of Annual Giving will play an important role in what will be the School’s most ambitious fundraising effort to date.
Office Summary:
The Office of Institutional Advancement drives all fundraising for the School. The Fund for Friends, Major Gifts, Capital Giving, Planned Giving, Auction Benefit and other Special Events, Constituent Relations and Advancement Services are all functions of the Institutional Advancement Office.
The Director of Annual Giving is responsible for conceiving and implementing an annual giving (Fund for Friends) concept and program and senior class gift for Friends Seminary. The Fund for Friends includes leadership gifts, parent, alumni, parents of alumni, grandparent, and faculty-staff giving, as well as reunion giving.
Responsibilities
- Develop and implement a detailed, strategic plan, including focus and content of the Fund for Friends/Senior Gift cycle; design, implement, and supervise appropriate strategies
- Recruit, train, manage and motivate the Fund for Friends/Senior Gift chairs and volunteers
- Solicit Fund for Friends gifts as well for the Senior Class Gift, manage the administrative appeal, and support other Advancement staff in their solicitations
- Collaborate with members of the Advancement Office to ensure accurate record keeping, reporting and stewardship of the Fund for Friends/Senior Class Gift
- Manage data analysis and reporting of Fund for Friends activity
- Write and edit Fund for Friends materials, including letters, response devices, proposals, reports, articles, visual displays, scripts, talking points, web and social media content and other materials, coordinating with Communications
- Manage GiveCampus, the fundraising technology used for the Fund for Friends
- Coordinate with Alumni Relations staff on communications and overall fundraising activity
- In conjunction with members of the Advancement Office, participate in all aspects of the gift cycle with a portfolio of 50+ major gift prospects
- Be a strong presence in the community and life of the School, building relationships with the parent community
Requirements
- 5 years of progressive experience in fundraising with a track record of success
- Bachelor’s degree
- Deep appreciation for the mission of Friends Seminary and knowledge of independent schools
- Proven managerial skills and the ability to develop and inspire volunteers
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills and experience conceptualizing, writing and coordinating solicitation materials
- Strong analytical skills, must be detailed-oriented, thorough and accurate
- Superb organization and administrative skills, including working knowledge of Google Suite resources, Word, Excel, Powerpoint and The Raiser’s Edge NXT, and the ability to juggle long-range strategic planning while prioritizing and completing multiple tasks simultaneously
- Outgoing personality and an optimistic and positive attitude
- Ability to work independently and within a team-oriented environment
- Good judgment, tact, sensitivity and discretion in the handling of confidential information, materials and situations
- Ability to work evening and weekend hours, as required
- Highest ethical and professional behavior
Preferred Experience
- Experience securing major gifts, developing prospect strategies, briefing documents and talking points for volunteers and administrators
- Knowledge of Quakerism and Quaker education
Compensation
The salary range for this position is $125,000-$145,000 annually.
Benefits
Friends Seminary offers excellent benefits including paid time off, health, dental, vision, 403(b) with a School-paid match; wide-ranging opportunities for professional development, including tuition support and summer grants; and a talented and dedicated team of teaching colleagues and supportive administrators. Successful candidates will join a dynamic and forward-thinking teaching community of over 150 educators.
To apply:
For this position, please submit the following:
- Completed Friends Seminary employment application
- Cover letter
- Resume
- Contact information for three personal references
- A statement of educational philosophy
When submitting your materials, kindly be sure to reference your first and last name, the position for which you are applying, and where you heard about the position in the subject line. i.e. [last name], [first name] - Director of Annual Giving - Friends website. You will receive a confirmation email when you submit your application. No phone calls, please.
Friends Seminary actively promotes diversity, equity, inclusion, and anti-racism in all its programs and operations, including admissions, financial aid, hiring, and all facets of the educational experience. To form a community which strives to reflect the world’s diversity, we do not discriminate on the basis of race or color, religion, nationality, ethnicity, economic background, physical ability, sex, gender identity or expression, or sexual orientation. Friends Seminary is an equal opportunity employer. Candidates of color and members of other underrepresented groups are strongly encouraged to apply. We urge all applicants to identify and express their individuality and the ways in which they might enrich and diversify the school community.
Moreover, all successful applicants, whether for a faculty or administrative staff post, must demonstrate an ongoing commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and anti-racism in their professional lives. Applicants for a faculty position should highlight ways their curriculum, pedagogy, and classroom culture may advance these goals. Applicants for an administrative staff position should highlight ways they seek to promote these goals in their office work, programming, or operational endeavors.