Career Center

Director of Development   |   2022   |   Worcester, MA

The Opportunity

Worcester Academy, a day-boarding school with grades 6 thru post-graduate, seeks a Director of Development to oversee all fundraising and alumni engagement efforts, including the launch and execution of a recently announced $100M capital campaign. The Director will be joining WA at a transformational moment as this capital campaign ushers the Academy into its third century, funding the largest campus transformation seen in 100 years. The Director of Development (DOD) reports to the Head of School and is responsible for leading the strategic and operational components of annual giving, capital and planned giving, stewardship, event planning, development operations and alumni relations for the Academy. The DOD is responsible for ensuring an integrated approach to the Academy’s fundraising and external relations operations by building strong collaborations with donors and funders, volunteers, campus partners, the Board of Trustees, alumni, and community leaders. The DOD partners with the Head of School on a variety of initiatives and is singularly responsible for sustaining and strengthening awareness and understanding of Worcester Academy as a culture of philanthropy. The DOD will join WA as it continues the silent phase of a capital campaign that has made significant progress toward its $100M goal.

To learn more about the school, please visit www.worcesteracademy.org

The Candidate

The candidate will be an experienced frontline fundraiser and manager with the skills to solicit and steward a portfolio of high capacity prospects. The director will be a teambuilder and leader, consensus creator, and an active listener. The right candidate will be goal-oriented, aligned with Worcester Academy’s Mission and excited about its vision.

Responsibilities

• Create annual goals for the Development Office that are in concert with annual goals of other major areas of the Academy; collaborate with the Head of School and Development Committee to set philanthropic and strategic goals for the Academy.
• Oversee capital giving, annual giving, alumni relations, stewardship, planned giving,  and development operations. Lead and support the six-member Development Office.
• Produce frequent annual and capital fundraising progress reports and analyses for the Head of School, Development Committee, and the Board of Trustees.
• Create a productive and positive office environment for Development staff, inclusive of regular team meetings, individual meetings with staff, retreats, supervision and evaluation, and professional growth.
• Maintain a portfolio of 30-50 prospects who have the capacity to give $25,000+ to the annual fund and $250,000+ to the capital campaign. Oversee the annual and campaign solicitations of Board members. 
• Oversee all capital campaign activities, including volunteer and committee management, campaign expenses, funding priorities, campaign events, campaign operating plan and gift policies. 
• Provide materials, collateral, strategy, and support around all of the Head’s donor prospect meetings, attending donor meetings as needed.
• Advise the HOS on speaking points at development events, cultivation and solicitation meetings with development prospects, capital projects, trustee development work, strategic planning, campaign strategy, annual fund, alumni relations, and special events.
• Serve on the BOT Development Committee, including all meetings, analysis, presentations, and solicitation functions; attend select meetings of Board of Trustees and make development presentations as needed.
• Serve as a liaison to the BOT Governance Committee  – support in recommending trustee candidates, recruitment and orientation of new trustees and training in development functions.
• Remain up-to-date on major issues in the School to be able to serve as an ambassador.
• Work in partnership with the Director of Communications and Marketing to create Campaign communications, the Annual Report, the Hilltopper Magazine, and other development-related publications.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required and a minimum of 10 years of experience in an independent school or college or a relevant non-profit environment. 
• Strong track record of raising six and seven-figure gifts, in both campaign and non-campaign settings.
• Motivated, deadline-driven, able to work independently and motivate a team. 
• Outstanding interpersonal and communication skills, both verbal and written. 
• Excellent judgment, discretion, and great sensitivity in working with donors, their families and advisors.
• A natural leader and collaborator who will work closely with the Head of School and Board of Trustees to further Worcester Academy's mission.
• A team player who values relationship building and has the desire and ability to work collaboratively with a variety of stakeholders, including members of the leadership team, students, faculty, staff, and parents.
• Demonstrates compassion, curiosity, approachability, and kindness toward students, colleagues, parents, and all members of the wider school community.
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• Demonstrates ability to strategize, implement, and build constituency programs and activities, along with a talent for motivating staff.
• Possesses strong creative, strategic, analytical, and organizational skills.
• A problem-solver who is decisive and takes ownership.
• Strong computer skills and knowledge of technologies and tools relevant to current best practices in school fundraising. Familiarity with Raiser's Edge NXT is a plus.

Worcester Academy invites candidates to join in this process who bring a substantive and varied combination of educational pursuits and lived experiences that demonstrate the capacity to make a meaningful contribution as a primary relationship builder within its community.

• Interested candidates, please contact Narwhal Talent Partners:

  - by voice, text, or email:

  Peter G. Hamilton  |  (617) 620-9268 

  Christian G. Henry |  (857) 285-3364

  search@narwhaltalent.com

  
  

  All inquiries are treated as confidential.