Posted: 21-May-25
Location: Exton, Pennsylvania
Type: Full Time
Salary: Based on Experience
Categories:
Preferred Education:
Position Available: Director of Individual Giving
Start Date: Open until Filled
12-Month Position
THE CHURCH FARM SCHOOL
1001 E. Lincoln Highway
Exton, PA 19341
How to apply?
The Church Farm School has engaged DovetailED to lead this search. Interested candidates should email a cover letter (addressed to Director of Human Resources, Lisa Sembrot), a resume, salary expectations, and a list of at least three professional references consolidated as a single PDF document to Lynda Hamilton-Kirk at lynda@dovetailedsourcing.com. Please do not contact the school directly.
Why choose Church Farm School for your next career opportunity?
When you join our team, you will work with colleagues who are enthusiastic about our mission – to prepare a diverse group of boys with academic ability and good character to lead productive and fulfilling lives by making a college preparatory education financially accessible. The Church Farm School is an independent boarding and day school for boys in grades 9-12 in the Episcopal tradition. Church Farm School was founded in 1918 and is in Exton, PA. Church Farm School offers a competitive salary and benefits package including medical insurance, dental insurance, life insurance, time off including school breaks, 401(k) plan, as well as meals during the school year. Our beautiful 150-acre campus in Chester County, PA, affords our community the opportunity to access the Chester Valley Trail as well as utilize our on-site workout facilities. Church Farm School welcomes and celebrates diversity and is committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.
Additional information about CFS can be found at www.gocfs.net.
POSITION DESCRIPTION
Reporting to the Chief Advancement Officer, the Director of Individual Giving is a frontline fundraiser responsible for a portfolio of donors and for developing, refining, and implementing Church Farm School’s strategy for the identification, qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of individuals making charitable gifts to the school. The Director of Individual Giving will oversee all individual giving vehicles, including the annual fund, major and planned giving, EITC/OSTC, and restricted giving.
They will also play a critical role in increasing Church Farm School’s base through new donor acquisition efforts. A key collaborator in the leadership of the Office of Institutional Advancement, the Director will partner with the Chief Advancement Officer to set strategy and drive results on the individual giving front to increase total giving to the school from $2 million to $5+ million annually by 2030.
The Director of Individual Giving is a 12-month, exempt position reporting to the Chief Advancement Officer and supervising the Major and Planned Giving Officer.
The successful candidate must exhibit the following leadership and personal qualities:
- A commitment to mission-driven work in service of under-resourced populations
- A strategic thinker and innately curious problem solver with a proven ability to innovate and manage toward ambitious goals
- Natural collaborator with the ability to work within and across functions to achieve results
- An interpersonal powerhouse with a knack for building meaningful connections with people from all walks of life and leading on the frontlines of fundraising
- Storyteller with strong written and verbal communication skills Excellent organizational skills and an attention to detail
- An eye for the importance of design and presentation when conveying information Honesty, integrity, and confidentiality in all aspects of the role
POSITION RESPONSIBILITIES
- Devise and oversee comprehensive plans for individual donors at all levels including annual fund, mid-level/society giving, restricted giving, and major and planned giving.
- Serve as one of Church Farm School’s primary relationship managers for donors, fostering ever greater awareness of our people and programs among potential supporters.
- Working with the Chief Advancement Officer, outline a series of measurable, ambitious goals for the school’s individual giving program that match the growth trajectory of the Office of Institutional Advancement through 2030 and beyond.
- Build and manage a strategic portfolio of approximately 75 individual donor prospects across a range of giving levels and categories.
- Collaborate with the Director of Advancement Operations to build a pool of individual giving prospects, assign prospects to portfolios, and monitor portfolio progress across the department.
- Guide, as needed, the Chief Advancement Officer, the Head of School, the Board Chair, and others in the solicitation of individual donors, including coordinating briefings, scheduling meetings, and preparing necessary materials.
- Lead work to acquire more donors through, among other effort, the implementation of a church relations strategy leveraging volunteer opportunities to identify high-propensity donors from more than 90 Episcopal churches in the region.
- Partner with the Director of Marketing and Communications, the Advancement Associate, and the Graphic Designer to conceive and realize a targeted, print and digital annual fund campaign calendar and materials suite.
- Create a comprehensive, personalized stewardship plan reflecting best practices in the field, up to and including advising the Director of Marketing and Communications on features, articles, and profiles to be produced for digital and print channels.
- Audit, revise, relaunch, and steward a strategic set of giving societies to increase mid-level giving and propel the systematic movement of qualified donors up the giving pyramid.
- Grow individual and small business participation in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) and Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit (OSTC) programs.
- Launch compelling communications to individuals and small business about Pennsylvania’s EITC/OSTC programs, including hosting drop-in webinars for prospective participants and partnering with local Chambers of Commerce.
- Develop evidence-backed forecasts across giving categories with the help of the Director of Advancement Operations and monitor/report on progress-to-goal with regularity.
- Plan, together with Institutional Advancement colleagues, donor cultivation and stewardship events, including pre- and post-event receptions, the annual golf outing, and biannual Griffin Scholars luncheons, among others.
- Collaborate with the Director of Alumni and Community Relations on strategy and relationship management for key alumni contacts already giving and/or primed for solicitation.
- Manage, mentor, and evaluate the Major and Planned Giving Officer, ensuring significant growth in leadership and planned giving to the school over the next five years and the development of compelling written proposals/presentations and programs for recognition, involvement, and stewardship.
- Track key performance indicators for the individual giving program by month, quarter, and year.
- Collaborate with the Director of Advancement Operations to continually review and refine donor data collection, management, and utilization practices with an eye toward ever greater accuracy and efficiency.
- Maintain donor records with consistency and in accordance with data hygiene standards to ensure accurate tracking and reporting.
- Contribute to the continuous improvement of gift acceptance policies, gift agreements, and giving circles in service of creating a donor-first advancement operation and increasing contributed revenue to the school.
- Participate in Board of Directors and affiliated committee meetings as requested.
- Play an active role in the life of our boarding school by attending key engagement activities throughout the year.
- Travel as needed to grow and maintain donor relationships with alumni and friends across the country.
- Other duties as assigned
POSITION REQUIREMENTS
- Bachelor’s degree required; CAP/CFRE and additional certifications a plus
- 5+ years of experience in fundraising with a track record of success in securing five- and six-figure+ gifts from individuals; campaign experience a plus
- Track record of success in leading and inspiring direct reports
- Well versed in fundraising best practices and MOVES management
- Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite required
- Firsthand experience with annual fundraising, giving societies and major giving required
- Familiarity with Pennsylvania’s EITC/OSTC tax credit programs strongly preferred
- Proficiency in Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge strongly preferred
- Ability to successfully pass Department of Education clearance requirements and provide any required proof of education and/or certifications applicable to the position is required
- Ability to meet physical demands including standing or sitting for prolonged periods of time; ability to utilize a computer with monitor(s) for prolonged periods of time; operate office equipment requiring repetitive hand movement and fine motor coordination; occasionally stoop, bend, kneel, crouch, reach and twist; lift, carry, push, and/or pull up to 25 pounds of weight
Church Farm School is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. Church Farm School welcomes and celebrates diversity, and we are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees