Posted: 21-May-25
Location: Exton, Pennsylvania
Type: Full Time
Categories:
Preferred Education:
Position Available: Major and Planned Giving Officer
Start Date: Open until Filled
12-Month Position
THE CHURCH FARM SCHOOL
1001 E. Lincoln Highway
Exton, PA 19341
How to apply?
The Church Farm School has engaged DovetailED to lead this search. Interested candidates should email a cover letter (addressed to Director of Human Resources, Lisa Sembrot), a resume, salary expectations, and a list of at least three professional references consolidated as a single PDF document to Lynda Hamilton-Kirk at lynda@dovetailedsourcing.com. Please do not contact the school directly.
Why choose Church Farm School for your next career opportunity?
When you join our team, you will work with colleagues who are enthusiastic about our mission – to prepare a diverse group of boys with academic ability and good character to lead productive and fulfilling lives by making a college preparatory education financially accessible. The Church Farm School is an independent boarding and day school for boys in grades 9-12 in the Episcopal tradition. Church Farm School was founded in 1918 and is in Exton, PA. Church Farm School offers a competitive salary and benefits package including medical insurance, dental insurance, life insurance, time off including school breaks, 401(k) plan, as well as meals during the school year. Our beautiful 150-acre campus in Chester County, PA, affords our community the opportunity to access the Chester Valley Trail as well as utilize our on-site workout facilities. Church Farm School welcomes and celebrates diversity and is committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.
Additional information about CFS can be found at www.gocfs.net.
POSITION DESCRIPTION
The Major and Planned Giving Officer will develop a pipeline of major and planned gifts by engaging with Church Farm School’s donors, prospects, and other stakeholders to strengthen existing relationships and expand the school’s portfolio of donors. A frontline fundraiser, this role will manage a portfolio of approximately 125 major giving and/or planned giving prospects. The Major and Planned Giving Officer will play a critical role in increasing total giving to the school from $2 million to $5+ million annually by 2030.
The Major and Planned Giving Officer is a 12-month, exempt position reporting to the Director of Individual Giving. This role requires substantial, regular travel within the Philadelphia region and nationally.
The successful candidate must exhibit the following leadership and personal qualities:
- A true people person with a passion for meaningful connection, thoughtful conversation , empathic listening, and long-term relationship building
- A commitment to mission-driven work in service of under-resourced populations
- An intrinsically motivated strategic thinker who can set goals and priorities, take initiative, and demonstrate accountability while remaining nimble and responsive
- Natural collaborator with the ability to work within and across functions to achieve results
- Storyteller with strong written and verbal communication skills
- Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail
- An eye for the importance of design and presentation when conveying information
- Honesty, integrity, and confidentiality in all aspects of the role
POSITION RESPONSIBILITIES
- Qualify, cultivate, solicit, and steward a portfolio of approximately 125 individual major and planned gift donor prospects and donors annually.
- Identify, pursue, and develop relationships that lay the groundwork for solicitations at the five-figure level and above.
- Conceptualize and oversee a comprehensive planned giving communication and marketing plan with the Director of Marketing and Communications and outside vendors to build the school’s planned giving prospect pipeline and share out the impact of planned giving support with regularity.
- Design and execute outreach, engagement, and cultivation strategies for major gift prospects and donors, including the development of compelling written proposals/presentations and programs for recognition, involvement, and stewardship.
- Develop and meet ambitious benchmarks for success that match the growth trajectory of Church Farm’s Office of Institutional Advancement, including minimum number of meetings and solicitations per year, total dollars solicited or raised per quarter, etc.
- Travel frequently throughout the Philadelphia region and across the country to drive major and planned giving success.
- Integrate major and planned giving strategies, communications, initiatives, and events into the existing work of the Office of Institutional Advancement.
- Implement a portfolio system and review process in collaboration with the Director of Advancement Operations to ensure that administrators, faculty, board members, and others are being leveraged effectively.
- Recommend tools, training, and software to enhance the effectiveness of the major and planned giving operation.
- Maintain records relating to prospects and donors, including contact reports and prep memos to ensure accurate recordkeeping in Raiser’s Edge.
- Report on prospect management and fundraising results as requested, developing compelling vehicles for sharing success and opportunities for growth with the Board of Directors and fellow colleagues.
- Build awareness of Church Farm School’s people and programs to foster deeper connections with the philanthropic community.
- Participate in Board of Directors and affiliated committee meetings as requested.
- Represent Church Farm School at public events and conferences.
- Play an active role in the life of our boarding school by attending key engagement activities throughout the year.
- Other duties as assigned.
POSITION REQUIREMENTS
- Bachelor’s degree required; CAP/CFRE and additional certifications a plus
- 5+ years of experience in fundraising with a track record of success in securing five- and six-figure+ gifts from individuals; campaign experience a plus
- Advanced knowledge of planned giving vehicles, including but not limited to estate gifts/bequests, charitable remainder trusts and annuity trusts, charitable gift annuities, life insurance and retirement asset gifts, and gifts of real estate
- Familiarity with tax legislation and IRS regulation/code as it relates to planned giving
- Fluency with relational databases/CRMs (Raiser’s Edge) and MOVES management
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office
- Ability to travel and possess a valid driver’s license
- Ability to successfully pass Department of Education clearance requirements and provide any required proof of education and/or certifications applicable to the position is required
- Ability to meet physical demands including standing or sitting for prolonged periods of time; ability to utilize a computer with monitor(s) for prolonged periods of time; operate office equipment requiring repetitive hand movement and fine motor coordination; occasionally stoop, bend, kneel, crouch, reach and twist; lift, carry, push, and/or pull up to 25 pounds of weight
Church Farm School is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. Church Farm School welcomes and celebrates diversity, and we are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees