The Peddie School in Hightstown, N.J., is seeking an experienced volunteer manager and aspiring fundraiser for the position of Associate Director of The Peddie Fund and Parent Relations. The successful candidate will elevate parent giving, parent volunteer management and parent engagement as we enter the public phase of the One Peddie Campaign.

Founded in 1864, The Peddie School is an independent, coeducational, college preparatory school of 535 students, grades 9 through post-graduate. It is primarily a boarding school, with 63 percent of students and 90 percent of the faculty living on campus. In addition to its engaged and accomplished student body, Peddie’s extraordinary resources include the highly professional, collaborative and dedicated faculty, an innovative and rigorous curriculum and an attractive, modern 280-acre campus located 25 minutes east of Princeton between New York City and Philadelphia.

Thanks to the generosity of Ambassador Walter H. Annenberg ’27 and other donors, Peddie now ranks among the most highly endowed independent schools in the nation. Its $455 million endowment enables the school to offer more than $10 million in financial assistance to 35-40 percent of the student body.

This is an exciting time at Peddie. Four strategic priorities were established in 2017, leading to the school’s largest campaign, an $80+ million comprehensive campaign currently in the leadership phase. The One Peddie Campaign is focused on doubling the annual fund and raising endowed funds for scholarship, faculty and programs, as well as capital funds for arts and athletics.

The Associate Director, will work as a frontline fundraiser and partner with a growing group of dedicated volunteers to cultivate and solicit parents to drive engagement and expand broad-based support in strategic ways to increase giving and participation from our current parents, alumni parents and grandparents. Reporting to the Director of The Peddie Fund, the ideal candidate will have demonstrated success as an analytical data-driven decision maker and as an effective relationship builder capable of overseeing multiple priorities. Experience with digital platforms and relational databases is preferred and enthusiasm for contributing to and working with talented, hard-working colleagues is essential.

Primary Duties Include: 

Fundraising (65%)

• Manage a portfolio of parents, alumni parents, and grandparents and work collaboratively with other frontline fundraisers who have parents in their portfolios.
• Advise, educate, and solicit potential current parent, alumni parent and grandparent donors through external face-to-face meetings, phone contacts, and written communications.
• Develop and implement effective segmented fundraising strategies for current parents, alumni parents and grandparents, including external personal visits, personalized written campaigns, phonathons, social media, direct mail, and email.
• Analyze and monitor, on a weekly basis, annual giving solicitation strategies as well as progress toward participation and revenue goals for The Peddie Fund;
• Increase number of multi-year commitments secured by educating donors, requesting gifts and building peer-to-peer fundraising skills within volunteer structure.
• Continually review parent donor profiles to identify potential top annual donors and determines individual solicitation strategies collaboratively with team members.
• Identify opportunities/needs to adjust strategies in order to reach fundraising goals and implement new and modified strategies as needed.
• Partner with the Director of The Peddie Fund on all Peddie Fund strategies and tactics.
• Work collaboratively with other team members to coordinate special annual programs with a targeted focus, including Parents Weekend, Blair Week, Battle of the Heads, Peddie Loyalty Day, and other stewardship events.

Parent Relations and Volunteer Management (25%)

• Recruit, train, and manage a growing group of parent volunteers to elevate strategic volunteer engagement and leadership.
• Develop, foster and maintain positive parent relations to keep parents engaged and inspired to give back to Peddie.
• Partner with the Director of Development and the Director of Special Events on all PPA and Parent Relations strategies.

Other (10%)

• Evaluate individual parent donor and volunteer needs and provide necessary support.
• Work with other partners on campus to elevate the parent experience. • Attend and provide support for A&D events and meetings on and off campus.
• Have a visible presence on campus; may perform other duties as assigned.

The successful candidate will have:

• A Bachelor’s degree;
• Two to five years of volunteer management experience or related fundraising, project management or donor relations experience;
• Demonstrated initiative to work independently and savviness to work across diverse teams;
• Demonstrated understanding of and appreciation for culturally responsive professional practices including the ability to value, work with, respect, and incorporate diverse perspectives with professionalism;
• Outstanding interpersonal, writing and communications skills, characterized by the ability to listen skillfully and act with a strong customer-centered mindset;
• An outgoing, warm personality and the ability to initiate and enjoy direct communication with parents;
• The ability to travel and attend evening and weekend functions when necessary;
• Proficiency in analyzing data and communicating implications, trends and specific datadriven decisions;
• Proficiency in Google Workspace (formerly G Suite), Zoom, Microsoft Excel, social media platforms, digital engagement platforms, and Raiser’s Edge

Interested candidates please send cover letter and resume to:

Mary T. Mahoney ‘94
The Peddie School
201 S. Main Street Hightstown, NJ 08520
[email protected]