Posted: 06-Feb-26
Location: Asheville, North Carolina
Type: Full Time
Categories:
Assistant Director of Advancement:
Director of Annual and Planned Giving
As a member of the Development Team, the Director of Annual and Planned Giving will provide leadership to the Annual and Planned Giving program at Carolina Day School, overseeing and coordinating the program’s logistics, volunteers, and strategies for solicitation, cultivation, and stewardship of annual and planned donors, with a specific focus on increasing Leadership Circle level giving and participation. The Director of Annual and Planned Giving will report to the Senior Director of Development and Community Relations and manage a portfolio of approximately 50-75 leadership and planned giving prospects, including alumni, parents of alumni, and grandparents, with a concentrated focus on current parents.
The Director of Annual and Planned Giving will be responsible for helping Carolina Day School achieve its fundraising and engagement goals through all phases of the donor and gift cycle, including identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of leadership gift prospects within their portfolio, and is responsible for significantly increasing the school’s annual philanthropic revenue largely through increasing five and six-figure gifts. This role is key in the organization and execution of an ambitious, comprehensive fundraising campaign.
Essential Duties:
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Oversee and manage all aspects of the annual giving program, including goal setting and program development, team organization and timeline planning, mailings, volunteer recruitment and cultivation, financial and fundraising metrics and benchmarking, strategic planning, new initiatives, and one-to-one and one-to-many solicitation strategies.
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Manage a portfolio of approximately 50-75 leadership and planned giving prospects by developing cultivation and solicitation strategies for each donor ensuring regular interaction through personal visits, mail/email, telephone, campus visits, and other events.
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Identify and cultivate leadership gift prospects, including developing ways to find new prospects and following up on inquiries regarding annual, capital, endowment, and other specific giving priorities important to the school and potential donors.
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Personally solicit or prepare volunteers for solicitation visits with assigned donor portfolio through face-to-face visits, including preparation of personalized materials.
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Manage the Annual Fund Committee volunteers to increase parent giving and retention, including but not limited to preparing peer-to-peer talking points and identifying segments to target with special communications or solicitations.
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Partner with the Senior Director of Development and Community Relations to identify and implement strategies to secure significant philanthropic support, working collaboratively with key volunteers, school leadership, faculty, advancement staff, and other school representatives to cultivate donors in support of Carolina Day's institutional priorities.
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Work with key stakeholders in the CDS community to identify funding priorities to match donors with opportunities to make a positive impact.
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Qualify prospects for leadership and planned gifts and steward introductions to colleagues to build a major gift pipeline.
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Research, develop, and write funding proposals, appeal letters, and reports.
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Educate and inform donors on ways to support the school that are aligned with their philanthropic goals including outright and planned gifts.
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Work closely with the Director of Donor Stewardship on cultivation and stewardship events, including but not limited to annual Leadership Circle Reception, donor recognition events, annual spring fundraising event, and alumni community receptions.
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Attend internal and external events for the purpose of cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship
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Increase and support the culture of philanthropy at CDS; educate all constituencies on the importance of supporting the school.
Qualifications
The ideal candidate will bring:
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Experience in running a successful Annual Fund program with a track record of year over year growth.
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A proven ability to build and sustain meaningful relationships with donors and prospective donors.
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Demonstrated ability to effectively cultivate, solicit, and secure significant leadership-level gifts.
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Knowledge of key fundraising principles, including donor cultivation and stewardship, prospect management, crafting compelling case statements, and an understanding of various giving vehicles (such as cash, securities, planned gifts, etc.).
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A collaborative mindset and the ability to work effectively both within a team and across departments.
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Strong active listening skills and the ability to establish a genuine rapport with a wide range of constituents.
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Excellent communication skills, with the ability to express ideas clearly and persuasively in both written and verbal forms.
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Familiarity with Raiser’s Edge NXT is preferred.
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A high degree of integrity and professionalism, with a consistent commitment to ethical behavior and decision-making.
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Demonstrated track record as a self-starter, a creative thinker, and an action-oriented fundraiser with a sense of urgency and passion for implementing strategies and tactics. Self-motivated, flexible, and open to innovation.
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Ability to travel and work flexible hours when necessary, including evenings and weekends for special events, meetings or other commitments.
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The ability to handle sensitive information with the utmost discretion and confidentiality.
Successful candidates will have a bachelor’s degree and 5+ years of progressive fundraising experience, preferably in a school setting. CFRE certification is strongly preferred.
The role is based in Asheville, NC, with some travel. Salary is competitive and commensurate with experience.
Americans with Disability Specifications:
Physical Demands:
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally required to stand; walk; sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel objects, tools or controls; reach with hands and arms; climb stairs; balance; stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl; talk or hear; taste or smell. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by the job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.
Work Environment:
Work environment characteristics described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.
About Carolina Day School
Carolina Day School is committed to fostering a community of innovative thinkers, compassionate leaders, and lifelong learners. Guided by our mission, we inspire students to think critically, communicate effectively, and act with courage and integrity, equipping them to make a meaningful impact in an ever-changing world. Our philosophy is rooted in engaging students intellectually, building strong character, and encouraging each individual to maximize their potential within a supportive and close-knit community.
At Carolina Day, we believe that our strong culture of philanthropy is essential to advancing our mission. Our generous community of families, alumni, faculty, and friends plays a vital role in sustaining the people, programs, and opportunities that define a Carolina Day education. We are proud to cultivate lasting relationships built on trust, shared purpose, and a deep commitment to our students and the future of our school.
The Director of Annual and Planned Giving will be an integral member of this vibrant community, partnering with school leadership, volunteers, and donors to support Carolina Day’s strategic priorities through thoughtful engagement and successful fundraising. This is an exciting opportunity to contribute to a school that not only values academic excellence but also thrives on the power of relationships, the joy of shared vision, and the collective impact of giving.