Director of Advancement

Job Description

Job Summary

This individual will serve Koinonia Academy by focusing on cultivating, soliciting, securing, and stewarding alumni, friends, current parents, and business gifts in support of the annual fund, scholarships, planned gifts, and memorial gifts, in addition to our large annual gala fundraising event and two smaller donor thank you events. The Director of Advancement is attentive to the school's public presence in all its manifestations. All responsibilities are to be in line with the Catholic mission of the school. The Director of Advancement reports directly to the Board of Directors.

Responsibilities

- Identify, cultivate and solicit current and potential donors and sponsors for both the annual gala, scholarship fund, and endowment targeting gifts of $1,000 and above. This includes initiating appointment requests through phone calls and contact letters, scheduling appointments and direct solicitations.
- Identify, cultivate and secure legacy donors through wills, life insurance, and trusts for a school Endowment. Where possible, seek verbal or written documentation of the dollar value of legacy gift commitments.
- Prepare individual communication, cultivation and solicitation plans for each major gift donor/prospect to include gratitude phone calls, personal notes, invitations to special events, timing and approach of next solicitation.
- Create and implement Alumni Engagement plan in order to cultivate relationships with alumni and increase giving
- Database maintenance and timely acknowledgement of gifts or donations through thank you letters and yearly contribution reports
- Research and write grant proposals that support segments of the school's long-range plan as well as the school's long range capital improvement plans
- Cultivate relationships with major local foundations and businesses that are in line with the mission of Koinonia.
- Cultivate positive relationships among alumni, current and past parents, and community
- Establish development goals with collaboration of the board. Monitor progress meeting goals against periodic benchmarks.
- Work with volunteers to organize committees to handle events as needed
- Supervise the creation of marketing materials to keep donors informed of needs, development programs and activities, and opportunities to give. This will include the school's annual report, email, website page, Facebook and family email inserts as well as all annual fund and endowment solicitations
- Overall responsibility for annual fundraising gala event (attended by 350+ people)
- Organize donor thank you events on school campus

Other Duties:

- Stay current on best-practices in Advancement strategies;
- Participate in various school activities to integrate into the culture of the institution;
- Attend and participate in leadership and staff retreats and meetings;
- Perform other duties as assigned

Skills

- Understanding of and a passion for Koinonia Academy's mission.
- Willingness to engage with prospects and donors
- Excellent computer skills including Microsoft Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Google Drive
- Knowledge of development software, including social media platforms, video recording and editing skills.
- Excellent time management and organizational skills; ability to work effectively to meet deadlines
- Ability to use tact, discretion and maintain confidentiality with sensitive information
- Ability to effectively interact with a diverse community.
- Detail-oriented with exceptional organizational skills and attention to detail
- Able to identify and proactively manage and resolve problems
- Ability to multitask, work independently and exercise good judgment
- Self-motivated with a strong work ethic, dependable and reliable
- Able to build and maintain co-worker, customer & vendor relationships
- Excellent communications skills, ability to communicate clearly and concisely both in writing and verbally (one-on-one and public speaking).(Fluent in English & Spanish is preferred)

About the Employer

Koinonia Academy (KA) is a private Catholic Classical school serving Pre-K through 12th grade. Founded in 1984, the school has grown to over 300 students, full enrollment, with waiting lists for nearly all grades. Located on a beautiful eleven-acre campus in the historic section of Plainfield, New Jersey, the school recently opened a new 11,000 square foot building that will help better serve the growing student body. KA's academic philosophy is to educate the whole person while looking to God as the source of all truth, goodness, and beauty. Throughout its over 40 years, Koinonia has been preserved by the Holy Spirit, guided by the light of God's truth, and pursuing the same mission of lighting a candle in the hearts of students that they can share with the world.