The Governor’s Academy, the oldest boarding school in New England, inspires and engages inquisitive students in ninth through twelfth grade. Our 456-acre campus is located thirty miles north of Boston and five miles south of Newburyport, a classic New England coastal town. Govs has approximately 400 students and 200 employees. 

Govs faculty and staff are committed to creating and cultivating an intentionally diverse and inclusive community that allows students to learn from each other’s unique backgrounds and experiences, discover their passions, find and use their distinctive voices, and achieve academic and co-curricular excellence. We welcome applications from candidates of all backgrounds.

Adults in our community are professionals who appreciate individuality, collaboration, and service to others— all so that we can go far together. 

POSITION SUMMARY

The Director of Parent Giving is responsible for the design and implementation of parent giving at The Governor’s Academy, including support for The Governor’s Fund and major giving to other Academy priorities. Coordinating closely with key trustees and volunteers, the Head of School, Director of Advancement, Director of Major Gifts, Director of Annual Giving, and Director of Alumni and Parent Engagement, the Director will be the primary coordinator and solicitor of parents at Governor’s.  

The Director’s primary responsibility will be the management of a 150-prospect portfolio of current parents. Additionally, the Director will be the principal coordinator of parent giving, working closely with the Head of School, administrators, or key trustees and volunteers to solicit all major gift parent prospects. 

Building a culture of partnership between the Academy and parents is essential to the Governor’s parent experience. Being a key contributor to the design and implementation of school communications, on-campus events, regional events, and virtual events will be a key contributor to the success of short term strategies as well as the long-term vision for the parent program.   

ESSENTIAL JOB DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Manage a portfolio of 150 +/- prospects.  Responsible for personal solicitations in support of the annual fund and other Academy funding priorities.
• Partner with Marketing and Communications, Head of School, and Director of Alumni and Parent Engagement to develop and execute a comprehensive, personalized parent communications plan.
• Design and build a Senior Parent Gift.
• Manage up to, support, or participate in solicitations with the Director of Advancement and the Head of School.   
• Determine fundraising targets for annual giving and other funding priorities. 
• Work with the Director of Annual Giving on participation strategies to consistently reach 80+% parent participation.  
• Direct and oversee grandparent fundraising, including solicitation of major gift grandparent prospects, grandparent participation strategies, and the design and execution of Grandparents and Grandfriends Day.
• Develop and manage metrics to measure the effectiveness of strategies, working closely with the Director of Advancement Services to build and analyze donor lists and reports.
• Oversee and implement major parent fundraising events, such as Govs Giving Day. 
• Coordinate with the Director of Donor Relations to design and implement donor stewardship strategies for parents. 
• Provide strategy and oversight for all parent events, including on-campus events, regional events, and virtual events.
• Partner with parent volunteer leaders to increase engagement among current parents.
• Must show a demonstrated interest in social justice, equity, diversity and inclusion work and have experience creating equitable, inclusive, and anti-racist spaces in their teaching.

STATEMENT OF SCHOOL VALUES

As an educational community, the Academy has an administration, a faculty, and a student body committed to learning. We pursue this commitment in a dynamic environment that fosters lifelong intellectual independence, responsibility, teamwork, service, and respect for others. We are committed to creating and maintaining a diverse and inclusive community that is physically and emotionally healthy.

In order to provide equal employment and advancement opportunities to all individuals, employment decisions at the Academy are based on merit, qualifications, and skills.

The Academy is committed to a policy of non-discrimination for all employees and qualified applicants and strives to promote equity in all areas of employment. The Academy is committed to ensuring that employment decisions are made without regard to race (including traits historically associated with race, such as protective hairstyles), color, sex, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, age, religion, national origin, ancestry, sexual orientation, gender identity, physical or mental disability, veteran status, military service, application for military service, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law (“Protected Characteristics”).  The Academy will make reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with known disabilities, in accordance with applicable law. 

This commitment is evident in all aspects of our employment practices and policies, including recruiting, hiring, selection, job assignment, promotion, compensation, discipline, termination, and access to benefits and training.

Any employees or qualified applicants with questions or concerns about any type of discrimination in the workplace are encouraged to bring these issues to the attention of their immediate supervisor or the Human Resources Office. Employees can raise concerns and make reports without fear of reprisal.  Retaliation against an individual for making a good faith report of discrimination is unlawful and is strictly prohibited by the Academy. Anyone found to be engaging in any type of unlawful discrimination or retaliation in violation of this policy will be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment.

• Bachelor’s degree required. 
• 5-7 years of direct fundraising experience; solicitation of 5- and 6-figure gifts a plus.
• Demonstrated organizational and communication skills and ability to work with and motivate other development professionals and volunteers. 
• Ability to work independently and cooperatively within a team environment. 
• Willingness and ability to travel (up to 25%) and to work nights and weekends, as required.
• Understanding of database management, gift processing and donor relations.
• Openness to new ideas and their implementation. Ability to react and adapt to changing situations appropriately.
• Demonstrated analytical and fundraising skills with the ability to recognize opportunities, identify critical, high-value-add activities and prioritize them to attain goals.
• Ability to establish rapport quickly with donors. 
• Familiarity with boarding school culture is a plus, and willingness to be a part of a close-knit community.
• Alignment with the Academy’s focus on community and belonging work.
• Project management skills, including planning, budgeting, and the ability to balance multiple tasks and projects while delivering quality work on schedule.
• Trust, accountability, discretion, honesty, and teamwork.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office suite, Google Workspace or other computing, productivity and collaboration tools.

HOURS 

• Monday – Friday. Overtime, weekends, and nights are required at times. 
• Salary/Exempt. Benefits and Paid Time Off Eligible. 

SUPERVISION RECEIVED 

This position reports to the Director of Advancement

WORK ENVIRONMENT

• The successful candidate will be flexible, enthusiastic, hardworking, and responsible and will enjoy a very busy work environment in which they will meet many people on a daily basis.  
• The Governor's Academy is a non-smoking campus. 

About The Governor's Academy

The Governor’s Academy, the oldest boarding school in New England, inspires and engages inquisitive students in ninth through twelfth grade. Our 456-acre campus is located thirty miles north of Boston and five miles south of Newburyport, a classic New England coastal town. Govs has approximately 400 students and 250 employees. Govs faculty and staff are committed to creating and cultivating a diverse and inclusive community that allows students to discover their passions, use their unique voices, and achieve academic and co-curricular excellence. Adults in our community are professionals who appreciate individuality, collaboration, and service to others— all so that we can go far together.

Connections working at The Governor's Academy