Newtown, PA

Director of Development, George School

The Organization

A global school with local roots, George School is a Quaker, coeducational boarding and day high school founded in 1893 in Newtown, Pennsylvania. Convenient to New York City and Philadelphia, the school’s picturesque 240-acre campus is home to a close, diverse community of 525 students that is dedicated to social justice and to one another. George School both supports and challenges students, embraces and encourages them, affirms and enriches them. With an open heart, an inquisitive mind, and a resilient spirit, students are rewarded with an unparalleled education—one that will provide a font of inspiration and compassion for their future endeavors.

Position Overview

George School is seeking a Director of Development (DOD) to start on or before July 1, 2021. The DOD reports to Head of School Sam Houser and is a senior administrative position with responsibility for the School’s fundraising operations. The DOD will be the chief architect and strategist of all development efforts including annual, capital, and planned giving; stewardship; and alumni relations. The DOD also has responsibility for supporting the Institutional Advancement Committee of the board; for establishing, managing, and implementing strategic fundraising objectives; for supervising and nurturing a high-functioning fundraising team in order to ensure success at meeting the School’s fundraising objectives; and for personally cultivating and stewarding a number of the School’s top donors.

Major Duties and Responsibilities
•    Ensure that the fundraising functions of the School are in a position to sustain the institution over the long term through a clearly articulated vision, the application of a set of fundraising best practices, the maintenance of a high-functioning and healthy fundraising team, a willingness to model successful fundraising practices, and strong relationships with donors.
•    Establish and maintain both short- and long-range goals for cultivation, stewardship, annual and capital fundraising, and planned giving that will increase the culture of philanthropy across all constituencies of the School.
•    Train, support, and provide supervision to 11 staff members.
•    Ensure that the department functions in an efficient and cost-effective manner.
•    Anticipate future programmatic needs and take initiative to address them thoughtfully and creatively.
•    Cultivate, solicit, and steward a number of the School’s top prospects.
•    Support, activate, and elevate the head of school’s engagement and leadership in fundraising.
•    With the Head of School, serve as administrative liaison to the Governance Committee of the board.
•    Act as administrative liaison to the Institutional Advancement Committee of the board.
o    Prepare regular reports.
o    Advise on and prepare agendas for meetings.
o    Support the decisions of the Committee.
o    Assist the Committee in developing policies and procedures to guide the School’s fundraising efforts.

Qualifications and Qualities of the Position
George School seeks a Director of Development who possesses the proven leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills to help the School maintain its commitment to academic rigor and a student-centered experience. The School seeks a candidate who leads with imagination, vision, energy, and drive. The following qualities will be welcomed:

•    7-10 years of leadership fundraising experience, including campaign planning and management, ideally in an independent school, college, or university; Impressive track record in fundraising, communications and/or alumni administration;
•    Track record of conceptualizing, planning, and cohesively integrating a full range of advancement programs;
•    A firm believer in the School’s values and the capacity to articulate the case for support of George School;
•    Contributor to the overall strategic planning of the School;
•    Excellent communication skills, both oral and written, and a sophisticated understanding of what should be communicated to different audiences;
•    A decisive and confident leader, embracing the School’s culture and with the ability to develop consensus;
•    Highly professional team-player, with a strong sense of integrity and desire to work effectively with colleagues, volunteers, and boards;
•    Thorough grasp of the current trends in advancement and issues facing independent schools.

How To Apply

Interested and qualified candidates should submit electronically in one email and as separate documents (preferably PDFs) the following materials:

•    A cover letter expressing their interest in this particular position;
•    A current resumé;
•    A list of five professional references with name, relationship, phone number, and email address of each (references will not be contacted without the candidate’s permission) to:

John G. Clark
Senior Consultant
john.clark@carneysandoe.com

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