The Girls’ Middle School
Imagine a school where each day is alive with learning and the spirit of adventure. Since its founding in 1998, The Girls’ Middle School (GMS) has been committed to progressive education and innovative programming, meeting the needs of a wide range of middle school students who make up our vibrant, inclusive community. Our project-based curriculum encourages creative problem-solving, collaborative teamwork, and independent thought. GMS educates girls* during a pivotal time in their lives. Girls develop self-knowledge, confidence, and leadership skills supported by a staff highly attuned to their changing emotional and social needs. GMS encourages girls to find their voices, take risks, and become self-reliant. Learn more about GMS: www.girlsms.org.
*At GMS, “girls” refers to cis girls, trans girls, non-binary youth, gender non-conforming youth, gender queer youth, and any girl-identified youth.
Mission
The Girls’ Middle School educates girls at a crucial time in life. We create an inclusive environment where academic growth is nourished. A GMS girl discovers her strengths and expresses her voice while respecting the contributions of others.
The Position
The Advancement Associate plays a key role in supporting all areas of the Advancement Office operations, which include the annual fund, capital campaign, Bennett Scholars, alumni relations, and communications. They are responsible for directing the maintenance and operation of the Advancement database, including managing the database integrity, documenting existing and creating new processes, and making recommendations to improve operational effectiveness. The Advancement Associate oversees donor recognition and stewardship efforts, supports the capital campaign, and manages certain aspects of the Bennett Scholars Breakfast event.
The ideal candidate will have deep knowledge of Raiser’s Edge or another similar fundraising and relationship management database and expert ability with Excel and Google Sheets. They will be detail-oriented, well-organized, able to produce work quickly, and possess strong time-management skills. They will collaborate with the Advancement team on events, mailings, and work closely with the school’s administrative team and staff to develop and execute initiatives and to cultivate positive relationships with the school’s community members.
Primary Duties and Responsibilities
Database Management
- Gift management and processing: maintain and update all donor records in Raiser’s Edge, and generate analytic and financial reports as needed. Coordinate mailings and correspondence, including solicitations, acknowledgment letters, and the annual report.
- Finance: Serve as primary liaison with the Business Office in reconciling funds and ensuring accuracy in gift allocation.
- Reporting: using Raiser’s Edge and Excel functionality, assist the Advancement Team in end-of-year analysis and reporting on previous year’s progress and setting next year’s goals. Responsible for monthly reporting for Board of Trustee and committee meetings, and various reports and lists as needed and requested by the Director of Advancement.
- Assist the Director of Advancement and other team members with donor research, donor profiles and donor cultivation efforts.
GMS & Department Support
- Events: Manage registration and support advancement events including, but not limited to, annual fund activities, donor receptions, and the Bennett Scholars Breakfast.
- Bennett Scholars Program: Working with the Director of Advancement and designated committee member, research and develop potential corporate sponsorship opportunities.
- Communications: Responsible for donor gift correspondence and pledge agreements. Collaborate where needed with other communications email newsletters, invitations, website content, and responses to inquiries.
- Grant writing and prospect research: Responsible for researching potential grant opportunities for the Bennett Scholars Program.
- As a member of GMS Staff, assist in providing Administration supervision duties for students when necessary.
Capital Campaign Coordination
- Assist the Director of Advancement in planning and implementing cultivation gatherings
- Assist with planning all aspects of the capital campaign launch and other campaign events
- Schedule and staff committee meetings, take and distribute minutes
- Support campaign volunteers by preparing briefings and campaign proposals
- Research and identify foundation prospects
- Acknowledge all campaign gifts and pledges and prepare pledge payment reminders and pledge agreements
Qualifications and Skills
- Bachelor’s Degree
- Prior experience in Development/Advancement or administrative position, preferably in an independent school or nonprofit setting
- Energetic with high attention to detail; ability to prioritize and manage multiple tasks; has excellent organizational skills
- Exceptional writing skills
- Sound judgment relating to confidential projects, personnel, school, or student matters.
- Ability to multitask, meet deadlines, and manage many different projects at once.
- A cooperative team approach with colleagues and a willingness to take on responsibilities beyond those explicitly defined
- The ideal candidate is a resourceful individual with strong interpersonal, relationship-building, written, and organizational skills, who is also a self-starter, able to handle multiple priorities, and detail-oriented.
- Strong database skills and affinity for pulling data from CRM (Raiser’s Edge)
- Flexibility and a high tolerance for change and ambiguit
This is a full-time position. Occasional weekends and evening work.
Education and/or Experience
2+ years experience in donor relations, data collecting (preferably at an independent school), and an undergraduate degree or similar training is required.
Equity, inclusion, and belonging are at the heart of our mission. The Girls’ Middle School was founded on the core belief that diverse and inclusive communities are strong communities. We are committed to creating a school culture that welcomes all aspects of each individual’s identity. We welcome applications from those with experience outside the educational field. We are actively seeking individuals who value equitable education and are committed to fostering an environment of belonging for our diverse student body.
The Girls’ Middle School is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity employer committed to a policy of equal treatment and opportunity in every aspect of its hiring and promotion process without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sexual orientation, partnership status, gender and/or gender identity or expression, marital, parental or familial status, national origin, ethnicity, veteran or military status, age, disability, or any other legally protected basis.
Compensation and Benefits:
- Comprehensive Employee Health Benefits (full medical, dental & vision coverage)
- Retirement matching
- Access to engaging and personalized professional development
- The Girls’ Middle School uses a competitive salary scale. The salary for this position ranges from $64,000 - 74,000 commensurate with experience.
Interested candidates
Please send a resume and letter of interest to Employment at employment@girlsms.org.