Career Center

Laurence School is conducting a search for its Director of Development to build on its already successful fundraising programs. Laurence welcomes interest from accomplished advancement professionals who want to take the school to even greater heights of excellence by inspiring our school community to support generously, and give of their time, talents, and resources. Position will start as of July 2023.

The top characteristics/qualities Laurence seeks most:?

1) Prior experience in creating and executing an annual giving campaign, major gifts strategies, planned giving (bequests, annuities) and a spectrum of fundraising event planning and execution at a non-profit institution.

2) Demonstrated history of successful campaign project management

3) Commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice as an institutional lens for advancement work

4) Excellent constituent relations experience, including volunteer and alumni engagement

5) Exceptional management skills that build ownership and coalesce the team around a culture of joyful and spirited fundraising

6) Strong marketing, writing, proposal, and presentation skills that are critical to this successful communicator’s role

The four focus areas for the DOD role:

1) Create and execute both an Annual Giving and Major Gifts program that encompasses current parents, Trustees, grandparents, and an alumni strategy and a legacy giving program.

2) Ability to develop and run a capital campaign with a focus on building donor enthusiasm to support our strategic plan

3) Manage special event programming for community engagement and stewardship, as well as annual fundraising events for faculty and staff.

4) Oversee the array of giving campaigns throughout the course of the year: Annual Giving program, Scholarship Fund campaign, Capital Campaigns, Spring Gala, etc.

• Works closely and collaborates with the Development Manager

• Serve as an active member of the Administrative Team representing the advancement needs of the School in relation to the overall leadership of the institution

• Collaborate with the Head of School to set philanthropic and strategic goals for Laurence

• Work closely with the Head of School to set fundraising objectives and solicitation strategies, evaluate results, and develop corrective strategies as needed

• Foster a vibrant culture of joyful philanthropy

• Oversee capital giving, leadership giving, alumni relations, stewardship, planned giving, and research, and lead and support the Advancement/Development Office to reach annual goals in each of these areas

• Oversee all capital campaign activities, including selection and support of the campaign board committees, volunteer management, campaign expenses, funding priorities, volunteer training, and more

• Develop and launch an alumni program encompassing alumni of recent and more historical past; and wider family networks, i.e., grandparents, parents of alumni. Plan and execute Annual Alumni Reunion and other related events

• Produce frequent analysis for the Head of School, Board advancement/development committee, and Board of Trustees

• Create a productive and positive work environment for advancement staff, inclusive of regular team meetings, individual meetings with staff, retreats, supervision and evaluation, and professional growth

• Strategize, plan, and solicit top annual gifts from a portfolio of prospects

• Design a multi-year plan for building a donor pipeline using wealth screening and predictive analytics

• Use data to inform planning and to lead change with a balance of decisiveness and collaboration

• Bachelor’s degree required

• Minimum 5 years of advancement/institutional advancement management experience and a strong understanding of the factors that create transformative philanthropic outcomes

• Demonstrated ability to conceptualize, plan, and cohesively integrate a full range of development programs; an alumni relations background is desirable

• Contributor to the overall strategic planning of the School through innovation and creativity

• Event management experience and/or passion for community social events

• Excellent marketing and communication skills, both oral and written, and an understanding of what should be communicated to different audiences

• Decisive and confident leader who embraces the School’s mission-driven culture

• Knowledge in and experience using donor wealth screening platforms and development data systems, significant experience using technology including databases, spreadsheets, and Google tools

• Proven track record of thriving on and contributing to teams

• Strategic thinker and creative problem-solver with the ability to see the big picture

• Demonstrated dedication to multiculturalism, equity, and inclusion in school settings with a record of accomplishment

• Superior interpersonal, organizational, leadership, and managerial skills

• High level of energy, flexibility, warmth, and a ready sense of humor

• Comfortable with the use of data to drive decision making

• Ability to work effectively with multiple constituencies