The John Cooper School in The Woodlands, TX has engaged DovetailED to lead a search for a Director of Development to start in July 2026. Interested candidates should review the Opportunity Statement and submit a cover letter, resume, and list of references as a consolidated PDF to Zack Lehman, President at DovetailED Talent Sourcing, at zack@dovetailedsourcing.com, and Madison Sunley, Senior Recruiter, at madison@dovetailedsourcing.com

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership & Planning

• Provide strategic direction for the development and implementation of a comprehensive annual giving strategy aligned with the School’s advancement goals and campaign priorities, including the Cooper Annual Fund and Advancement Events.
• Collaborate with the Chief Advancement Officer to align annual fundraising programs and alumni engagement with major gift and campaign strategies.
• Leverage data to define program strategy, inform decision-making, and guide the overall direction of annual giving and engagement initiatives.

Program Oversight

• Oversee the planning, execution, and evaluation of the Cooper Annual Fund, ensuring 
  year-over-year growth in participation and revenue. Provide direction on strategies such as donor segmentation, messaging, and stewardship to increase philanthropic revenue, enhance donor retention and upgrade giving levels.
• Oversee the planning and execution of key fundraising events, ensuring they are mission-aligned, donor-centric, financially successful, and maximizing engagement.
• Oversee the planning and execution of a robust alumni engagement program that fosters meaningful connections, volunteerism, and philanthropic support.

Donor Engagement & Pipeline Development

• Manage a small portfolio of annual and leadership giving prospects with the capacity to make gifts of $1,000–$25,000+. Conduct regular donor visits for cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.
• Partner with colleagues serving as frontline fundraisers for the campaign to ensure a seamless donor experience and pipeline development.
• Collaborate with Advancement Services to develop measurable donor strategies including donor upgrades, pipeline growth targets, and segmentation models.

Team Leadership & Collaboration

• Supervise and mentor staff involved in annual giving, advancement events, and alumni engagement.
• Collaborate with advancement and alumni volunteers supporting programs under supervision 
  (directly and indirectly). Build and maintain partnerships with faculty, staff, and parent volunteers across the community to promote a culture of philanthropy.
• Serve as a visible and engaged member of the Advancement team and broader school community.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required.
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in fundraising, preferably in an independent school or higher education setting.
• Demonstrated success in annual giving, alumni engagement, event fundraising, and donor stewardship.
• Strong leadership, project management, and interpersonal skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, particularly as it relates to articulating the case for philanthropic support.
• Proficiency with fundraising databases (e.g., Raiser’s Edge) and data-driven decision-making.
• Ability to work evenings and weekends as needed for events and donor engagement.

About The John Cooper School

School Type: Independent, college preparatory, non-sectarian, non-profit, co-educational day school for grades PK through 12Founded: 1988; first graduating class – 1994; alumni - 1,479Location: The Woodlands, TX, a planned community 40 miles north of HoustonAccreditation: Accredited by The Independent Schools Association of the Southwest (ISAS); member of The National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS).

Connections working at The John Cooper School