The Gow School seeks an entrepreneurial Director of Development who will be a strategic partner to the Head of School. The successful candidate will implement a sustainable, best practices fundraising and constituent relations program that deepens existing relationships and fosters new ones that will lead to reinvestment in the school and its mission.

Working alongside and reporting to the Head of School, and supported by a part-time administrative assistant, the Director will operate with autonomy to manage all of the fundraising activity of the school. Historically, this position has required the Director to travel approximately 50% of the time. The new Director will be empowered to operate in a hybrid manner, using discretion about how to best manage the resources of the school, especially the time and energies of the Director and the Head of School.

In support of the governance and fiduciary responsibilities of the Board of Trustees, the Director of Development will serve as a staff liaison to board committees and provide timely and accurate analysis and reporting. The Director will partner with the Head of School and the senior administrative team to shape the internal and external messaging, design and implement the overall fundraising and campaign efforts as part of the strategic planning process underway in 2024, and deliver engagement programming to steward the experience of supporters as the school plans to celebrate its centennial anniversary in 2026.

The successful candidate will take a comprehensive and entrepreneurial approach to the work. The Director will have a builder's mindset coupled with an instinct for capturing opportunities in midstream. This position requires a customer service orientation and superb relationship management and organizational skills. The successful candidate will be detail oriented, efficient, and able to work in a resource constrained environment. This person will enjoy travel and the opportunity to build meaningful personal connections with faculty, staff, parents, alumni, and board members that benefit the school. The Director will demonstrate personal accountability and operate with integrity and humility.

Responsibilities

Fundraising Strategy and Planning

• Develop and Implement Fundraising Plans: Create comprehensive annual and long-term fundraising plans that align with the school’s financial goals.
• Identify Funding Needs: Work closely with the school leadership to identify key funding priorities, such as scholarships, capital improvements, legacy giving, and special programs.
• Donor Segmentation: Develop strategies to target different donor groups, including parents, alumni, and community members.

Donor Cultivation and Stewardship

• Build Relationships: Cultivate relationships with potential donors through personal outreach, in-person meetings, events, and regular communication.
• Stewardship: Ensure that donors are recognized and kept informed about how their contributions are being used, articulating the promises kept and progress of the school.
• Donor Database Management: Maintain and update the donor database (Blackbaud Raiser's Edge NXT) to track interactions, donations, and communication history.

Event Planning and Execution

• Organize Fundraising Events: Plan and execute fundraising events, including the online auction and other community events that engage supporters and raise funds.
• Volunteer Coordination: Recruit and manage volunteers to assist with school events and fundraising activities.

Alumni and Parent Relations

• Engagement: Develop programs to engage both parents and alumni, encouraging them to stay connected with the school and contribute financially.
• Communications: Manage alumni and parent newsletters, social media groups, and other communication channels to keep alumni informed and involved.

Marketing and Communications

• Promote the School: Create and distribute materials that highlight the school’s successes, needs, and opportunities for support.
• Social Media and Website Management: Oversee the school’s social media presence and fundraising-related content on the website.
• Annual Reports: Produce annual reports and other publications that showcase the impact of donor contributions and the school’s achievements.

Financial Management

• Budgeting: Work with the school’s administration to set fundraising budgets and monitor progress towards goals.
• Reporting: Provide regular reports to the school leadership and board on fundraising activities, outcomes, and future projections, including planned giving commitments.
• Gift Processing: Manage the receipt and acknowledgment of donations, ensuring all contributions are properly recorded and thanked.

Board Relations

• Collaborate with the Board: Work closely with the school’s board of directors, including the development committee, to leverage their networks and support fundraising efforts.
• Board Reporting: Prepare reports and presentations for board meetings to keep them informed about fundraising progress and strategies.

Qualifications

The ideal candidate will be an experienced executive and a team player who possesses:

• A. degree required; advanced degree(s) preferred
• Minimum of five years work experience required in a frontline fundraising role, preferably at an independent school
• A desire to innovate and an ambition to lead within the independent school fundraising space
• Strong written and personal communication skills
• Discretion & confidentiality.
• Outstanding organizational skills and an ability to execute in a resource constrained environment
• Background in nonprofit fundraising and relationship building
• Proficiency in Google Workplace or similar productivity software required, Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge (NXT) preferred
• Exceptional interpersonal skills and an ability to connect with a range of constituencies

About The Gow School

The Gow School is a school about language. Begun in 1926, Gow was the nation’s first school for dyslexics. Many other specialty schools can trace their roots to the groundbreaking work of our founder, Peter Gow, Jr., and Samuel T. Orton. Today their pioneering spirit continues in our experienced teaching team, who are fiercely dedicated to our research-driven remediation program and to their students’ futures. In small classes that foster personalized instruction, students become stronger readers and more confident writers. In fact, confidence is a natural outgrowth of language improvement (usually apparent shortly after arrival) and our culture of success. We are about college preparation. That’s right. Your family may not be thinking beyond high school now, but we are. Just as Gow students make gains fast, so they keep gaining until they finish—strongly—at Gow and beyond. We pride ourselves on helping students develop what they need academically, socially, and emotionally—strategies to deal with their learning differences, knowledge across our academic curriculum, and qualities such as focus, work ethic, drive, and self-discipline—to go to and through college and achieve their... goals. Gow is about people. Here everyone is treated as equals with unconditional respect and positive regard. We are a warm and united community eager to welcome the next generation. We encourage you to get to know us through this website. Check out our student videos to see what Govians are saying about Gow. Ultimately, though, the website is merely a warm-up. To truly understand what we do for dyslexic students and their families and what the Gow experience is all about, come see the campus in action. At Gow, doors are always open. You just have to walk through.

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Connections working at The Gow School