The Director of Advancement is responsible for fostering a culture of philanthropy and driving all fundraising initiatives to ensure the institution's long-term sustainability and growth. This includes managing donor relations, overseeing alumni affairs, directing major gifts and annual campaigns, coordinating special events, and managing advancement communications. This position reports to the Head of School and is a member of the Senior Leadership Team, manages the Advancement staff and volunteers, and collaborates with the Board of Trustees.

Key Responsibilities

• Fundraising Strategy and Goal Setting: Develop and implement an annual development plan to achieve revenue goals, including annual giving, major gifts, and capital campaigns.
• Major Gifts & Stewardship: Identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward donors (parents, alumni, grandparents, friends) to secure five-, six-, and seven-figure gifts.
• Leadership & Management: Lead and manage the advancement team, including setting goals and managing the department budget.
• Events & Communications: Plan and execute fundraising events (e.g., Giving Tuesday, Gala, SMS Gives Back) and oversee marketing, branding, and communication efforts to support philanthropy.
• Board & Community Collaboration: Work closely with the Board of Trustees, volunteer committees, and school leadership to foster a culture of philanthropy.
• Alumni & Parent Relations: Strengthen relationships with the school’s alumni and parent community to encourage lifelong connection and philanthropy.
• Development Operations: Ensure accurate database management (e.g., Raiser’s Edge), gift processing, and timely, personalized donor acknowledgments.
• Advancement & Donor Communications: Coordinate advancement communication, including impact reports, campaign collateral, and special event materials, and collaborate on marketing materials that communicate the school's mission.
• Financial & Budget Management: Develop and manage the development budget, monitoring expenses and tracking progress against revenue goals.

Qualifications

• Experience: 5-7 years of experience in fundraising, advancement, or related fields, preferably within an educational setting.
• Education: Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution.
• Skills: Exceptional communication (written/verbal), interpersonal, organizational, and leadership skills.
• Software: Proficiency in donor databases, specifically tools like Raiser’s Edge, to analyze trends and track donors.
• Mission-Driven: Strong commitment to the school’s mission, vision, and values.

Key Competencies

• Strategic Thinking & Vision: Ability to align fundraising initiatives with the school's strategic plan and long-term vision.
• Relationship Building & Communication: Superior interpersonal skills, with the ability to engage diverse constituents (donors, board members, faculty, parents) persuasively.
• Major Gift Solicitation: A proven track record of securing major gifts, specifically within a 5-6-7 figure environment.
• Leadership & Team Management: Experience in supervising, mentoring, and motivating development staff.
• Flexibility & Creativity: Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and develop creative, new fundraising approaches.
• Integrity & Discretion: Extreme tact and ability to maintain confidentiality regarding sensitive donor information.

Ideal Candidate Attributes

• A high energy, inspiring fundraiser that can tell the story of SMS with passion and enthusiasm.
• A warm, engaging professional with the ability to cultivate donor trust and organizational partnerships.
• Detail-oriented, organized, self-motivated, and curious; ability to work under pressure, stay flexible, and maintain a sense of humor.
• A team player that will mentor and empower the advancement staff to achieve success through both collaboration and independent initiative.

Position Type/Hours

• Full-time, year-round. Some evenings and weekends are required for special events.

Who We Are:

Stratton Mountain School is a winter sports academy based at Stratton Mountain in the heart of Southern Vermont’s Green Mountains. Our community of students, teachers, coaches, and administrators share the pursuit of excellence in education and sport. As a community, we are committed to instilling our BEARS values (bravery, effort, accountability, respect and strength) in our students through education, responsibility, and kindness. SMS is a caring and thoughtful organization committed to the lives of our employees. We offer a competitive benefits package including medical, dental, and vision insurance plans designed to fit the needs of our faculty and staff. We focus on the professional development of our faculty and staff through individual professional development opportunities.

SMS is an Equal Opportunity Employer, intentionally committed to fostering a diverse, equitable, and inclusive community. We welcome candidates representing a full spectrum of race, ability, gender, national origin, religion, and sexual orientation. An SMS education embraces both the open exchange of ideas and learning from differing perspectives, inclusive of the beliefs and identities reflected within the community. Qualifications for employment include a demonstrated commitment to these principles.

About Stratton Mountain School

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