St. Joseph High School
Trumbull, CT
Position Title: Director of Advancement
Location: St. Joseph High School, 2320 Huntington Turnpike, Trumbull, CT 06611
St. Joseph High School Mission
St. Joseph High School is an independently-governed Catholic college preparatory community that educates and motivates young women and men to live purposeful lives as ethical leaders committed to the common good of all. Located on a 57-acre campus in Trumbull, Connecticut, the school enrolls nearly 700 students from more than 36 towns in Fairfield and New Haven counties. The school strives to be the premier college preparatory school in southern Connecticut. The school also provides a learning environment that embraces the Gospel values of the Roman Catholic faith and promotes a commitment to family and community.
Position Summary
To support St. Joseph High School in its mission, the Director of Advancement will be directly responsible for successfully leading, expanding, and implementing a comprehensive advancement program, including the school’s annual fund, the St. Joseph Fund. This Director of Advancement manages a substantial portfolio of active prospects with top-giving capacities for purposes of identifying and qualifying new prospects, cultivating, soliciting, and closing gifts, as well as stewarding donors. Additionally, this position will be responsible for creating a balance between a robust major gifts program, direct mail, and special Events and accountable for leading St Joseph High School’s future capital campaign(s).
The Director of Advancement is a member of the senior administrative team, reports directly to the President, and monitors overall giving. The Director will also collaborate with a Major Gifts Officer as well as the school’s Board of Directors to support fundraising that helps the school fulfill its mission. The Director will act as the Advancement office liaison to the Board of Directors.
Essential Job Functions:
- Strengthen donor engagement and cultivation, increasing support specifically from parents and alumni, and growing the culture of philanthropy, including student philanthropy.
- Devise and execute a strategy with segmentation to identify, cultivate, solicit and steward donors (alumni, parents, parents of alumni, friends) to the St. Joseph Fund to increase dollars raised and the number of donors in giving society levels, increase the visibility of giving societies; cultivate a strong pipeline of support.
- Design, implement, and maintain a Moves Management plan for a robust portfolio(s) of prospects with strategies for each advancement program area, in particular, the annual appeal and major gift program.
- Provide leadership, planning, mentorship, and evaluation of and for the Advancement office and staff with clarity of purpose of each role.
- Responsible for the Advancement budget.
- In collaboration with the Marketing & Communication Department, the Director of Advancement is responsible for creating the year-long calendar as well as at least two direct mail appeal efforts.
- Work closely with the President, Administrative Team, and Board Advancement Committee to articulate institutional needs and lead the growth and implementation of the advancement strategy and initiatives.
- Collaborate with the CFO and advancement staff to develop and produce regular analytic reports for the President that communicate fundraising activities and goals
- Work with the Advancement Committee, including identifying, recruiting, and training new volunteers; empower volunteers to increase support for St Joseph High School.
- Coordinate efforts on planned giving to ensure consistent communication about gift planning and leverage non-traditional gifts to meet fundraising goals.
- Institute and oversee a foundation and grant program to secure additional funding beyond individual donors.
- Manage to plan and execute a stewardship program for donors, including recognition of loyalty, leadership, and volunteer service.
- Work with the Advancement team to ensure coordinated, synchronized efforts during the solicitation and stewardship cycle.
- Other responsibilities and duties as assigned; travel required.
Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s Degree in a relevant field (required); Master’s Degree preferred
- Professional certification (CFRE) preferred
- A minimum of five years in planning and administering advancement programs • Demonstrated fundraising success within a comprehensive advancement program • Previous engagement and collaboration with both staff and Board members
- Experience working with C-level executives
- Excellent computer skills, including Microsoft Suite as well as an understanding of Raiser’s Edge, Donor Search
- Evening/weekend work is occasionally required, as well as travel
- Valid driver’s license
Salary commensurate with experience; full complement of competitive benefits
To Apply
Interested applicants may submit a resume and cover letter to President David Klein at [email protected]
References will be requested of all finalists but may be submitted along with a resume and cover letter.