Senior Associate Director of Major Gifts

Saint Andrew’s School has engaged DovetailED to lead a search for a Senior Associate Director of Major Gifts beginning July 1, 2024. Interested candidates should review the opportunity statement and submit a cover letter, resume, and list of references with contact information as a single PDF document to DovetailED President Zack Lehman at zack@dovetailedsourcing.com. Please refrain from contacting the school directly.

About Saint Andrew’s School

Saint Andrew's School is an independent, co-educational school for grades PK-12, Saint Andrew's is both a day school and a boarding school, educating students from across the United States and throughout the world. As a college preparatory school in the Episcopal tradition, Saint Andrew's welcomes students of all faiths, customs, cultures, and beliefs. "Honor Above All," academic excellence and education in Mind, Body, and Spirit reflect Saint Andrew's experience. We are committed to educating the "whole child" while instilling a dedication to lifelong learning. 

Saint Andrew’s School employees are committed to the mission to provide educational excellence in an inclusive community, fostering lifelong learning and nurturing each individual in mind, body, and spirit in the Episcopal tradition. 

Position Summary
The Senior Associate Director of Major Gifts is responsible for securing leadership philanthropic support for Saint Andrew’s School in the early phase of an ambitious comprehensive campaign. The Senior Associate Director of Major Gifts will maximize the total philanthropic relationship of major donors ($100,000+) and prospects to the school. This will involve developing strategies to generate higher levels of support and implementation of individual multi-year fundraising plans that focus on renewals and increased gifts. This means establishing long-term relationships with major donors while working collaboratively with the Chief Advancement Officer & Campaign Director to meet the School’s advancement goals. 

This position will focus on the identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of major giving prospects through face-to-face meetings, utilizing written solicitations, phone follow-up, special events, and other methods that will allow for maintaining regular contact with these donors and prospects. The Senior Associate Director of Major Gifts will be an ambassador for Saint Andrew’s, keeping the school’s mission at the center of all fundraising with the ability to understand and communicate the school’s strategic goals.

The Senior Associate Director of Major Gifts position is a highly visible, integral, and important leadership position that will play a key role in ensuring the continued success of Saint Andrew’s School. This position requires excellent communication skills, attention to detail, the ability to multitask, the ability to travel, including some international travel, strong problem-solving skills, and the ability to work autonomously and within a team.

Duties and Responsibilities 

• Identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward major and planned gift prospects to support the priority-giving areas of Saint Andrew’s School. Strategically grow and implement the major gift program, increasing the membership in the Leader’s CircleSociety.

• Manage a portfolio of 150+ major and planned giving prospects, identifying, qualifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding these individuals who are alumni and parents living domestically or abroad.

• Serves as a resource for consultation on prospects in fellow fundraisers’ portfolios. 

• Develop major gift strategies based on assessment of metrics for cultivation visits, the number of non-donors converted to donors, the “close rate” of solicitations, and the percentage of those renewing or increasing their giving; meet or exceed measurable performance goals and related metrics with respect to number of visits, major gift revenue, and prospect moves management. 

• Maintain regular contact with major donors and prospects; scheduling individual and joint visits with the Chief Advancement Officer & Campaign Director, Head of School, senior administrators, faculty, volunteer leaders, and board members.

• Work closely with the Saint Andrew’s Fund team to cultivate and solicit leadership annual fund gifts from prospects and donors in the portfolio with a rating of 1- 5. Assist team with unrestricted solicitations as needed. 

• Ensure that all major donors receive appropriate, consistent recognition and an accounting of the impact their gift has on the Saint Andrew’s School, in collaboration with Advancement Services. 

• Develop a planned giving program; maintain a broad understanding of planned giving techniques and vehicles and promote planned giving when appropriate to maximize donor potential and support, with a focus on alumni and parents of alumni, in collaboration with Alumni Relations. 

• Research and prepare briefings for Head of School meetings with major donor prospects. 

• Participate in the review and generation of the school’s annual report and other communications.

• Collaborate with Advancement Services to ensure donor and prospect research is accurate and updates, pledge management and collection, prospect research, campaign coordination, and stewardship activities. 

• Work with the Chief Advancement Officer & Campaign Director to increase annual leadership gifts. 

• Attend various Saint Andrew’s events to actively connect with prospects and donors (i.e. Scot’s Society Dinner, Homecoming Events, Reunion Weekend activities, Grandparents Day and other Alumni Events, donor and parent organization events). 

• Other duties as assigned by the Chief Advancement Officer & Campaign Director.

• Bachelor’s degree required. 

• 5+ years of progressive experience in non-profit or educational fundraising, preferably in major gift fundraising with a track record of closing gifts of $100K and above. 

• Experience in international philanthropy is preferred. 

• Proven ability to network; to develop cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies; to conduct in-person and virtual prospect/donor visits; and to successfully close gifts for capital, endowment, and annual support with minimal oversight. 

• Exceptional oral, written, telephone, and email communication skills; ability to effectively articulate the mission of the school and provide a compelling case for support to a variety of constituents. 

• Sound judgment and strong interpersonal skills to effectively build relationships with prospects/donors and to manage and motivate volunteers. 

• Well-developed strategic, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills, as well as strong attention to detail and accuracy.

• Excellent organizational and time management skills with a demonstrated ability to be self-directed and highly motivated to meet deadlines in a time-sensitive, fluid environment. 

• Understanding and support of Saint Andrew’s mission and the institution’s funding priorities. 

• Ability to build collaborative relationships with colleagues, volunteers, and prospective and current donors in order to foster effective, reciprocal communication and promote a collegial environment. 

• Ability to navigate change and manage challenges in a positive and professional manner. 

• Ability to maintain confidentiality when dealing with proprietary information and sensitive situations. 

• Proven ability to work independently and as part of a team. 

• Familiarity in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook), Google Suite, and Raiser’s Edge preferred.

Essential Skills

• A big-picture, strategic thinker who is flexible, highly detail-oriented, and has impeccable follow-through

• Ability to deal diplomatically and comfortably with high level donors and volunteers. 

• Ability to communicate with a diverse community of parents, students, alumni, and faculty -- leading and motivating groups and individuals.

• Intellectual curiosity, coupled with a skill for synthesizing information and exceptional communication skills.

• Fluency and ability to articulate Saint Andrew’s mission, vision, and case for support.

• Outstanding analytical skills used in identifying school needs, donors’ interest, and connecting the two.

• A high-touch relationship builder who thrives on community and connection; excellent interpersonal skills.

• High level of professionalism, including the ability to appropriately handle confidential and sensitive information.

• Eagerness to work hard as both leader and team member with proven fundraising, leadership, and consensus-building skills and a positive, passionate, can-do spirit.

• A disciplined, results-oriented self-starter with high ethical standards.

• Ability to meet deadlines within the context of a complex office/school calendar.

• Flexibility, energy, and ability to work evenings and weekends when needed: a strong work ethic.

• Ability to work effectively with people of diverse backgrounds and promote a positive working environment.

• Possesses sound judgment and problem solving capabilities with a high degree of integrity, ethics, and dedication to the mission of the school.

• Commitment to a growth mindset and continuous professional development.

Physical Demands:  Must be able to sit, stand, walk, bend, lift, and for the majority of the work day. May be required to lift up to 25 pounds.

Saint Andrew’s School is committed to providing equal opportunity in all employment practices without regard to age, gender, race, religion, color, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, marital or familial status, pregnancy, disability or handicap, genetic information, military status, or any other protected status in accordance with the requirement of all federal, state, and local laws. 

Saint Andrew’s is a drug-free workplace. All employees must successfully maintain an acceptable Level II criminal background check.  Saint Andrew’s School may, in its discretion, modify or adjust the position to meet the school’s changing needs.