Career Center

Development Director (Part-time)

School Description

Located in downtown Boise, Idaho, Foothills School of Arts & Sciences is a Pre-K through Grade 9 independent day school. Since its founding in 1992, Foothills has been committed to providing a progressive learning environment that suits the developmental learning needs of children and adolescents. A project-based program integrated with visual and performing arts helps students develop independent perspectives, academic competencies, social-emotional skills, and a sense of civic responsibility. Annual trips take advantage of Boise’s location in the Intermountain West. Foothills places a high value on maintaining a collegial and collaborative atmosphere among faculty members. There is an expectation of continuous growth and improvement for all faculty and support for professional development inside and outside the school.

Development Director Position

The Director of Development serves on the Administrative Team, and works closely with the Head of School and Board Development Chair to meet established fundraising goals. The Director of Development is responsible for developing and implementing a comprehensive fundraising program—including the execution of the Annual Campaign, Capital Campaign, and Auction as well as the cultivation and stewardship of donors.

Specific Responsibilities

• Create and implement a strategic fundraising plan for Foothills School of Arts & Sciences
• Oversee, manage, and plan the Annual Campaign each fall
• Oversee, manage, and plan the Annual Auction each spring 
• Oversee, manage, and plan parent & guardian, alumni, and grandparent events throughout the year
• Assist with the completion of Phase I of the ongoing Capital Campaign and create and implement a fundraising plan for Phase 2 of the Capital Campaign
• Identify, cultivate, and solicit major gift prospects (current parents, alumni parents, corporations, and foundations)
• Provide stewardship in the encouragement and recognition of donor philanthropy
• Maintain the overall integrity of the DonorPerfect database and its integration with other databases in use at the school for the purpose of reporting and reconciliation. Enter and process all contributions to the school from receipt and database entry through acknowledgment
• Along with the Business Director and Head of School, project income for development activities for the annual operating budget
• Ensure compliance with the standard policies and procedures around data and IRS regulations related to philanthropic giving
• Under the direction of the Business Director, assist with responses to auditor queries with regard to the annual audit
• Solicit, and manage volunteers for the Auction Event Committee and Annual Campaign Room Representative roles
• Work with the Development Board Chair to create development reports for all board meetings and regularly attend board meetings
• Create and write the Annual Report

• Maintain a database of alumni
• Approve and maintain a schedule for class fundraisers
• Assist with general marketing and communications

Required Experience

• Demonstrated fundraising and/or event planning experience
• Strong organizational and time management skills
• Strong communication skills including the ability to write and speak persuasively about the school
• Willingness to work evenings and weekends as needed to support development initiatives
• Willingness to maintain professional and ethical standards for handling confidential information with discretion
• Flexibility for contributing to the school community in additional capacities when needed
• Willingness to fully integrate into the Foothills School culture

Preferred Experience

• Two years or more of full-time fundraising experience with a school or other nonprofit organization
• Demonstrated success and evidence of ability to plan and execute events
• Bachelors or Advanced degree
• Familiarity with DonorPerfect or other donor database software
• Demonstrated success in activities to coordinate, attract, and close major gift funding support
• Experience managing a Capital Campaign
• Demonstrated senior leadership in an organization

Personal Qualities

• Resourceful
• Self-directed
• Goal-oriented with an entrepreneurial spirit
• Commitment to professionalism and excellence
• Commitment to continuous growth and improvement
• Organized and able to manage multiple tasks
• Socially conscious; wants to make a difference in the world
• Sense of humor, engaging, optimistic
• Effective communicator, orally and in writing
• Collaborative, flexible
• Creative and passionate
• Accessible, approachable

This position has the potential to evolve into a full-time Director of Institutional Advancement role responsible for managing and planning efforts in marketing and communications as well as development. Additional responsibilities would include:

• Overseeing the development and integrity of the brand
• Oversight of all external communications including the website, all-school newsletters, social media, and marketing efforts

• Oversee, manage, and plan external communications 
• Graphic Design 
• Updating the website 
• Video Editing

Foothills School of Arts and Sciences is an equal opportunity employer. 

Non-discrimination Policy: Foothills School of Arts and Sciences does not discriminate on a basis of age, race, religion, national or ethnic origin, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or other classifications protected by law, in all of its operations. 

To apply for this position, please email a cover letter and resume to:

Nick Cofod

ncofod@foothillsschool.org

Foothills School of Arts and Sciences

Vision

To provide a transformative progressive education.

Mission

At Foothills School of Arts and Sciences, we ignite a passion for learning through a progressive approach to education. In this vibrant learning community, education is an active and collaborative experience. Through a challenging inquiry based curriculum, Foothills students explore their ideas and develop curiosity, creativity, critical thinking, and confidence. Embracing each individual's unique strengths and contributions, we guide children to know themselves and to understand their role in a global community.

Foothills Programmatic Pillars

The Pillars, and programs associated with them, support the implementation of our vision and mission. They describe defining features of our program and will serve as a guide when developing new programming. 

Curiosity and Critical Thinking:

We foster curiosity and invite inquiry by providing space for students to pose questions and follow their interests. We believe the experiential and hands-on nature of project based learning is the best way to nurture a love of learning, prepare for future challenges, and develop meaningful and relevant connections among subjects.

Personalized and Student-Centered Learning 

We know our students as individuals, support their unique paths, and personalize their education so they develop into their best selves. We believe that fostering deep, safe connections between students and teachers encourages authentic self-expression, increased engagement, and better learning outcomes.

Community and Citizenship:

We cultivate empathy, compassion, and advocacy by weaving social and emotional learning and mindfulness into our curriculum and daily interactions. We encourage students to take initiative as caring citizens of both our school community and the larger global community.

The Arts and Sciences

We believe the study of the arts and sciences is essential to understanding the world we live in and our place within it. Through our math, science, visual and performing arts, literacy, Spanish, and humanities programs, we integrate all four pillars to provide a comprehensive and challenging academic program.

Values

To empower our students, we value:

• Individuality - respecting students' unique strengths, talents and challenges
• Creativity - inspiring expression, curiosity and critical thinking
• Community - promoting communication, cooperation and collaboration

Diversity Statement

Foothills School believes that a diverse school community is essential to education and that such a community includes a spectrum of differences in race, religion, national or ethnic origin, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, age, and learning style. To this end, Foothills' admissions and hiring practices strive to recruit, enroll/hire, and retain as diverse a population as is feasible in the community. 

Foothills School believes that each student, parent, staff member and visitor is entitled to an equitable and safe environment, which promotes acceptance and appreciation of oneself as well as others. The school creates an environment where individuals feel included, respected, and able to express their opinions while at the same time learning from others' perspectives. In addition, we believe that a diverse environment develops in students the skills and attitudes they need to understand each other and to act with justice and compassion - skills that will prepare our students for our diverse world.