Director of Development

Posted on 05/17/2023

Santa Catalina School

Monterey, CA

School Description

Santa Catalina School is a vibrant, independent, Catholic school offering student-centered co-education to PreK through grade 8 and an all-girls boarding and day college preparatory upper school serving grades 9 through 12. Santa Catalina exists to develop in each student a striving for excellence, a maturing awareness of moral and spiritual values, a sense of responsible purpose, and a determination to serve the world with courage, grace, and compassion. With the cornerstones of excellence, spirituality, service, and responsibility, the school is committed to providing a supportive learning community for each student to grow in their intellectual, personal, and spiritual life, making Santa Catalina a transformational educational experience for its students.

Position Summary:
Santa Catalina School, a nationally recognized, independent, Catholic, all-girls boarding and co-ed day school in Monterey, California, seeks an experienced, passionate, enthusiastic, and dedicated full-time Director of Development to help lead the school. Closely collaborating with the Head of School, the next Director of Development has an extraordinary opportunity to join a high-functioning team with new school leadership in the planning of the school’s 75th anniversary and adjacent capital campaign. The Director is responsible for serving as the school’s chief relationship manager, fostering a culture of philanthropy within the school community, and setting the strategic direction for development. Reporting directly to the Head of School, the Director of Development is a member of the Leadership Team and works closely with the Head of School in supporting the work of the Board of Trustees. The position interacts with administrators, faculty, board members, parents, and students, and represents the school in the community and beyond.

Description:

The Director of Development is responsible for planning, managing, and implementing a comprehensive development program with oversight of the department’s fundraising, donor relations, and communications, including operations plan, calendar, and budget. Equal parts team manager and direct fundraiser, the Director of Development is responsible for leading and collaborating in all aspects of the School’s core effort to establish, build, and maintain meaningful relationships, and to develop and maximize philanthropic support. The Director is responsible for the school’s oversight annual giving efforts, leadership and major gifts initiatives, alumnae/i relations, and database management.

Santa Catalina School believes that each employee makes a significant contribution to its success. That contribution should not be limited by the assigned responsibilities. Therefore, this position description is designed to outline primary duties, qualifications, and job scope, but not limit the incumbent nor the organization to just the work identified. It is our expectation that each employee will offer his/her services wherever and whenever necessary to ensure the success of our endeavors.

Essential Responsibilities

  • Build relationships throughout the school community and its donors, learn the culture, and maintain an understanding of programs in order to be a lead spokesperson for the school’s mission, identity, vision, and strategic priorities, both on campus and in the community
  • Supervise, nurture, and support all members of the Development Team, and manage parent and community volunteers and vendors to ensure timely and successful execution of giving programs
  • Oversee the annual fund, special events, major gifts program, and foundation grants to meet or exceed annual development plan financial goals
  • Initiate, develop and oversee fundraising strategies and plans, including donor engagement, recognition, and stewardship
  • Support and streamline institutional efforts for alumnae/i engagement and stewardship
  • Promote a culture of philanthropy through education, cultivation, and solicitation of past and current families, alumnae/i families, grandparents, and friends of the school
  • Partner closely and collaboratively with the marketing and communications team to ensure development messaging aligns with institutional priorities, as well as brand fidelity, including the creation of  regular content for publications, social media, newsletters, solicitation letters,, and development office communication.
  • Lead the development of long- and short-term strategies for leadership and annual giving, including preparation for future capital campaigns
  • With the Director of Leadership and Legacy Giving, Advancement Committee of the Board, and Head of School, design and coordinate the event and fundraising plan to honor Santa Catalina’s 75th anniversary in 2025
  • Manage and steward a portfolio of major gift donors
  • Create and manage an annual calendar of development activities in coordination with the development team, Director of Marketing and Communications, and Head of School that aligns with the school’s development plan
  • Act as liaison to Advancement Committee of the Board of Trustees, collaborating with committee chair(s) on volunteer coordination and attending and presenting at Board meetings
  • Lead development team efforts to collaborate and support the efforts of Parents Association and Alumnae Council volunteers.
  • Serve as a sounding board, support, and guide to all development functions within the department, ensuring a coherent and unified philanthropic effort at school.
  • Actively participate in the life of school and complete other duties as assigned by the Head of School.

Qualifications

  • Bachelor’s degree required
  • 7-10 years proven track record of progressively challenging fundraising success, including annual operating support (annual fund, auctions, and events), major gifts, capital campaigns, and planned giving
  • Proven track record of fundraising success, including an ability to cultivate, solicit, and secure major gift contributions through excellent relationship management skills
  • Experience with capital and endowment campaign planning, implementation and management
  • Demonstrated experience initiating strategies that yield results in development
  • Minimum of 3 years of experience managing a team
  • Experience working with a database preferred; experience with Raiser’s Edge NXT database is a plus
  • A commitment to the mission and identity of Santa Catalina School
  • A desire to participate fully in the Santa Catalina community
  • Successful completion of a LiveScan criminal background check as required by law

Competencies

  • Ability to create responsive, caring, and appropriate relationships with students, families, and colleagues
  • Offer outstanding mentorship, feedback, support, professional growth, and guidance to the development department
  • Outstanding collaboration and team-building skills, including the ability to clearly communicate and prioritize team responsibilities and goals in alignment with big-picture objectives
  • Ability to create, analyze, and leverage performance metrics, and communicate them to senior leadership and board members
  • Cultural competence and enthusiasm for working with a diverse and dynamic community
  • Excellent oral and written communication skills and effective presentation skills
  • Lead research on prospective donors, grants, and fundraising initiatives
  • Cultivate and solicit gifts in support of the school’s key initiatives
  • Research and write grant proposals to fund school initiatives and areas of focus
  • Active engagement in professional development and understanding of current best practices
  • Manage and maintain effective systems in coordination with other departments to ensure the reliability and accuracy of data related to gift accounting and acknowledgment, pledge collection, prospect research, and prospect management, including budget management
  • Understanding of independent school communities and culture
  • Demonstrated ability to use good judgment and maintain confidentiality
  • Ability to both coach and be coached in professional practice
  • Apply positive and constructive problem-solving mindset to all work and relationships

Supervisory Responsibilities

  • This position is responsible for the overall supervision of all Development Team staff. The reporting lines within the team vary and can be adjusted as needed. Development Team members include: Director of Leadership and Legacy Giving and Campaign Director, Director of Annual Fund and Parent Engagement, Director of Alumnae/i Engagement, Director of Development Operations, Special Project Coordinator, Special Project Assistant, and Development Assistant.

Working Conditions and Compensation

  • Work at a desk and computer screen for extended periods of time
  • Travel is required
  • Ability to access buildings and facilities throughout a 36-acre campus, with reasonable accommodations, in order to meet with students and faculty
  • Work in a school environment with a wide variety of challenges, deadlines, and people
  • Additional time is required beyond a normal day or week for evening and weekend meetings to attend school events and represent the school in the community
  • Santa Catalina School offers competitive insurance and retirement benefits
  • Salary Range: $120,000-$175,000 annually, depending on direct experience and availability for on-campus housing

Equal Employment Opportunity

Santa Catalina School is an equal-opportunity employer. Employment at Santa Catalina School is based solely on qualifications and competence for a particular position, without regard to race, color, national origin, citizenship, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran status, disability, marital status, or any other category protected by the law

To Apply

Interested candidates should visit our website to complete and submit an application, resume, cover letter, and development leadership writing sample written by the candidate. Candidates may submit other materials that represent their development leadership experience.

https://www.santacatalina.org/employment

Electronic submission of candidate papers in .pdf format is preferred.

Santa Catalina provides reasonable accommodations to employees and applicants with disabilities. Applicants who need accommodations to participate in the application process should contact Maria Chavez at [email protected].

To apply for this job please visit www.santacatalina.org.