St. Elizabeth Seton School, sponsored by the Daughters of Charity, is a nurturing community in the Vincentian tradition. We provide holistic learning and a challenging curriculum to all students. At Seton, we believe that every child can and will learn. We work diligently to create supportive environments and to provide multiple opportunities for all learners to be successful academically, spiritually, socio-emotionally, and physically.
St. Elizabeth Seton School is seeking an Advancement and Development Director II for the 2023-2024 school year. St. Elizabeth Seton School is located in Palo Alto., serving 175 students in PreK-8th grades.
Under the general supervision of the Principal, the Advancement and Development Director will build a strong culture of philanthropy throughout the school community and beyond with the objective of attracting the maximum gift support possible for the school. The incumbent will manage and advance external and internal fundraising efforts by building donor relationships, leading community-building fundraising events, and actively promoting the value proposition of the school to help ensure long-term success of the school’s mission.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING (and other duties as assigned): Raise at least three times total compensation in net income through both advancement and development activities. Advancement is the strategic process of promoting the mission of the organization, whereas development includes the activities of fundraising.
Advancement: Develop and execute an effective Advancement program, including but not limited to:
- Writing and securing grants to new and long-term donors to obtain funding that advances the school’s mission.
- Creating and distributing financial appeal letters and donor presentations.
- Creating/producing fundraising-related communication materials to expand and enhance the school’s visibility and reputation.
- Identifying, cultivating, and soliciting select individuals, businesses, and foundations that are prospects for philanthropic support, and being intimately involved in soliciting all levels of gifts.
- Developing professional business resources and relationships in the community to benefit support of the School and its programs.
- Laying the groundwork for creating and sustaining a robust alumni program.
- Promoting and growing alumni engagement with the school community.
- Managing and promoting corporate matching and stock donations.
- Providing accurate and timely communications to prospects, donors, and volunteers.
- Developing and implementing appropriate donor/volunteer recognition programs.
Development: Develop, plan, and implement the school annual fund campaign, capital campaigns, fundraising events, and other school development activities, including but not limited to:
- Creating, directing, and implementing all the fundraising and development strategies of the school.
- Developing, directing, implementing, and monitoring major fundraising and community events towards short- and long-term goals.
- Conducting post-event assessments to identify each event’s return on investment.
- Planning, identifying, soliciting, and stewarding sponsorships for school events and programs.
- Coordinating with the event committee chairperson(s) to ensure seamless, high-quality events.
- Generating reports to share with shareholders that meet Finance Department guidelines.
- Overseeing donor record keeping and reporting systems to ensure accurate tracking of fundraising and accounting.
- Maintaining confidentiality over student and institutional information.
- Ensuring productive working relationships with other school administrators and employees, aligning, and integrating advancement work with the other areas of the school.
Other Duties & Responsibilities:
- Act as a role model of professionalism in a Catholic environment.
- Support the philosophy, policies, and goals of the School, as well as the decisions made by the Principal and Administrators.
- Ensure the health, safety, and welfare of all students.
- Adhere to all policies and procedures as outlined in the parent/student handbook and employee handbook.
- Work as part of a team.
- Attend faculty, administrative, and all other meetings as needed.
Vision, Strategy and Leadership:
- Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.
- Excellent time management skills with a proven ability to meet deadlines.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
- Strong supervisory and leadership skills.
- Ability to prioritize tasks and to delegate them when appropriate.
Finances and Operations:
- N/A
Collaboration and Communication:
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
- Excellent interpersonal and customer service skills.
REQUIRED SKILLS/ABILITIES:
- Project management, organization, delegation, and prioritization skills.
- Data gathering and analysis.
- Ability to work non-standard hours with flexible availability.
- Ability to work independently and with a sense of immediacy.
- High-energy, self-starter with an ability to successfully prioritize and multi-task in an atmosphere in which time sensitive deadlines are the norm, as are interruptions.
- Proven experience in foundation research and grant writing.
- Outstanding interpersonal skills with a strong customer service focus (internal and external).
- Ethical and discreet team player.
THIS POSITION SUPERVISES (OTHERS): Event volunteers including, but not limited to, parents, staff, and vendors.
QUALIFICATIONS TO PERFORM THE JOB SUCCESSFULLY:
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, ability, or physical demands required.
Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the position.
Education and/or Experience:
- Bachelor’s degree in business or marketing.
- Two to five years of advancement and development experience in fundraising, event planning, donor relations, and alumni relations.
- Proven record of fundraising three-times compensation
- Experience in Catholic education, preferred.
Leadership Skills:
- Coaching/Mentoring
Language Skills:
- Excellent written and oral communication skills with an ability to effectively communicate with all stakeholders of the school.
- English, required
- Bilingual (English/Spanish or English/Vietnamese) preferred
Technical Skills:
- Proficient at word processing, presentation, and electronic mail applications.
- Proficient in web-based and application-based marketing tools.
Physical Demands:
- Sitting, standing, walking, reaching, lifting, repetitive motion, bending, stooping,
crouching, climbing, stretching, twisting.
- Can operate standard office equipment such as copiers, fax machines, personal computer, telephone and alarm system.
- Can lift 25 lbs. in compliance with safety standards to a maximum distance of 20 feet.
- Level of vision, hearing, speaking required.
Other Requirements:
- Able to work evenings and weekends if required.
- Must have an understanding and acceptance for the mission of the Catholic Church.
- Must support the teachings and values of the Catholic Church and its mission and act as a Minister of the Faith.
How to Apply: Interested candidates should review the job description and qualifications below and contact principal Elizabeth Watters at ewatters@setonpaloalto.org
Salary Range: $75,504.00 – $87,405.32 per year based on education and experience.