Director of Annual Giving
Department: Advancement
Supervised By: Director of Advancement
Supervises: Advancement Manager
FLSA Status: Exempt
Salary Range: $100,000-$120,000

Oakwood School is a K-12 coeducational day school in North Hollywood, California that opened its doors in 1951.  The school has remained faithful to its original mission ever since: to create a diverse educational environment where young people are partners with the adults who teach them and learn from them; where the best means of preparing students for the future is to immerse them in the present; where a healthy learning environment requires joy and humor as well as rigorous intensity; and where students’ intellectual and aesthetic depth – along with their capacity for empathy and moral courage – emerge out of authentic engagement with their teachers, one another, and the world around them.

Annual Giving is the bedrock of philanthropic support at Oakwood, and the Director of Annual Giving leads our work in this essential area at an exciting time: Oakwood’s 75th anniversary and the leadership phase of the most ambitious capital campaign in the school’s history. This role drives strategy and execution for Annual Fund and Special Event revenue and participation, as well as single- and multi-year designated gifts.
The Director leads with ownership, tenacity, and vision, collaborating closely with the Advancement team of eight, the Head of School, Board of Trustees, and volunteers. They also oversee Planned Giving, supervise the Advancement Manager, and report to the Director of Advancement.
As a public-facing role, the Director must communicate effectively across the Oakwood community and meet or exceed ambitious financial and participation goals. Success requires professionalism, emotional intelligence, a collaborative spirit, and exceptional project management and communication skills—delivered with grace, integrity, and a sense of humor.

Plan, Execute, and Manage Projects

• Responsible for the overall planning, implementation, and goal achievement of a comprehensive and innovative Annual Giving program for the Annual Fund (unrestricted support) and Special Event (restricted support for financial assistance) as well as designated annual and legacy gifts. 
• Develop and refine a written operating plan for identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship; including annual operating calendar, prospect research, cultivation events, solicitation timeline, segmentation and donor appeal strategy, gift tables, donor levels and benefits, goal-tracking dashboard reports, events, marketing, recognition, volunteer structure, budget, etc.
• Responsible for Annual Fund and Special Event giving for current families, grandparents, current and former faculty & staff, corporate sponsors, and trustees and works in partnership with the Director of Alumni Giving on Alumni Giving initiatives.
• Lead Annual Fund, Special Event and Planned Giving fundraising, from strategy through implementation and stewardship, with support from the Advancement Manager and in partnership with Advancement colleagues.
• Collaborate with the DOA, HOS, and Advancement team to ensure that donors at all giving levels to the Annual Fund are cultivated, solicited, and stewarded.
• Proactively manage projects ahead of deadline, including the timely submission of ideas/strategies, drafts, and final products to various constituents.
• Plan and implement Annual Giving and Planned Giving-related events, including cultivation events and the Head of School Circle Evening in partnership with the Associate Director of Engagement and Special Events and Major Gifts Officer.

Volunteers: Recruitment and Partnership

• Manage Annual Fund Class Captain and Special Event Hype Team volunteer leaders and partners closely with Trustees.
• Collaborate with the Associate Director of Engagement and Special Events to recruit and retain new volunteers within each grade level as well as volunteers in other subsets of the community (grandparents, alumni, parents of alumni, friends, etc.).
• Provide volunteers with written materials, be available for questions and strategic review, establish a calendar for collaboration, and provide regular goals and update.
• Research, adopt, and evaluate a volunteer management system and process that allows solicitors who support multiple campaigns to accurately track their progress in real time for the Annual Fund, Special Event for financial assistance, and capital campaign.
• Partner with faculty and staff around Giving Days and continue growing Oakwood’s culture of philanthropy through employee contributions.
• Identify areas of potential growth (i.e. Reunion giving strategy, grandparent strategy, parent of alumni strategy, etc) and establish a multi-year plan for piloting, assessing, and implementing.  
• Steward fundraising volunteers with annual events to show the school’s appreciation.

Communications

• Oversee and write communications, including solicitations, guides to giving, website and social media content, Endowed Fund Impact Reports, reminders, and thank you letters. Adapt communication pieces to the interests of specific donor segments and manage direct mail and digital appeals.
• Speak publicly on behalf of the Annual Fund and Special Event to colleagues, prospective donors, and at community events.
• Partner with Marketing & Communications colleagues and vendors on digital, print, social media, and video communications, and merchandise for donors and volunteers. 

People Development and Team/School-Wide Partnership

• Supervise the Advancement Manager (dual report).
• Systematize, together with the Associate Director of Advancement Services & Prospect Research, the prospect research process and timeline; submit timely and accurate data requests for cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship projects.
• Participate in upholding a positive team culture by building up and helping colleagues in pursuit of shared success.
• Evaluate program areas with an eye toward improved efficiency. 

Donor Relationship Building

• Attends all advancement events and is a visible presence at Elementary and Secondary Campus daytime, weekend, and evening events for students and families throughout the year. 
• Personally manage a portfolio of 50-75 households annually, focusing on gifts up to $25,000.
• Meet with annual giving prospects, donors, and volunteers on a regular basis to cultivate, solicit, and steward their support. This includes asking for corporate matching gifts. Enter meeting outcomes and correspondence into the Raiser’s Edge donor management database.
• Oversee stewardship protocols for Annual Fund, Special Event and Planned Giving recognition.
• Partner with other Advancement colleagues, especially the Associate Director of Advancement Services & Prospect Research and Major Gifts Officer, to ensure the health of Oakwood’s prospect and donor pipeline, specifically for donors who can make a major gift to the leadership phase of the capital campaign. 

Goals and Budget Management

• In partnership with the Director of Advancement, other school leadership and the Associate Director of Advancement Services & Prospect Research, identify metrics and monitor single- and multi-year goals (including goals for income, participation, and number of gifts).
• Manage the annual giving budget (including setting the budget at the beginning of the fiscal year and tracking expenses).

While performing the essential functions of this job, the incumbent must be able to do the following: stand for extended periods; sit for extended periods; bend and reach for filing and other job-related functions; climb up and down stairs; bend, stoop, and lift to move and retrieve materials; pull, push, and lift; reach both above and below shoulder height.  Specific visual abilities include close vision, color vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.  Must be able to visually inspect work.  Manual dexterity to operate computer and other office equipment required. 
The physical demands described above 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.

• Bachelor's degree with 10 years of fundraising experience, particularly within an independent school and/or higher education setting
• Experience in annual giving fundraising with a track record of meeting financial and participation goals through direct appeals, crowdfunding and Special Event/gala fundraising
• Excellent written and interpersonal communication skills
• Skilled in managing several projects at once and consistently meeting project deadlines
• Superb attention to detail, commitment to accuracy, and the ability to work with large datasets
• Ability to manage multiple projects with competing priorities in a fast-paced environment
• Sound judgment and discretion
• Requires occasional evening and weekend work along with some travel
• Proficiency with social media platforms and a variety of software programs, including Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge/NXT and e-blast communication tools. Working knowledge of Google’s G Suite and Microsoft Office products required, including mail merge experience; working knowledge of Adobe Creative Cloud and Canva products a plus
• Excellent problem-solving and analytical skills
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively in a team environment
• Ability to project a friendly and constituent-centered demeanor at all times
• Professional, dependable, and consistent;
• Must be an active listener and open-minded collaborator
• Must possess a growth mindset and a can-do attitude characterized by nimbleness and flexibility.

About Oakwood School

Oakwood School is a K-12 coeducational day school in North Hollywood, California that opened its doors in 1951. The school has remained faithful to its original mission ever since: to create a diverse educational environment where young people are partners with the adults who teach them and learn from them; where the best means of preparing students for the future is to immerse them in the present; where a healthy learning environment requires joy and humor as well as rigorous intensity; and where students’ intellectual and aesthetic depth – along with their capacity for empathy and moral courage – emerge out of authentic engagement with their teachers, one another, and the world around them.

Connections working at Oakwood School