Director of the Annual Fund

at  The Dalton School

Salary Range: $125,000 - $160,000. Placement in the range is commensurate with experience.
The Dalton School, a progressive K-12 gender-inclusive school in Manhattan’s Upper East Side, is consistently recognized as one of the preeminent independent day schools in the nation. Known for its child-centered approach and an exceptional, inspiring faculty, Dalton enrolls over 1,300 students with approximately 350 faculty and staff. Guided by the Dalton Plan, the foundation of a Dalton education, our faculty meets each student’s evolving needs, interests, and abilities, and fosters diversity as an integral part of school life. Dalton challenges each student to develop intellectual independence, creativity, curiosity, and a sense of responsibility toward others both within the School and in the broader community.
The Office of Advancement and Alumni Relations seeks its next Director of the Annual Fund to join a dynamic Advancement team for a leading independent school. Dalton’s Annual Fund has exceeded its goal for three consecutive fiscal years. Reporting to the Chief Advancement Officer, this position plays a critical role in securing annual philanthropic support for
Dalton’s Annual Fund ($5.5M) and the Senior Class Gift ($100K minimum) and fostering authentic and collaborative relationships with parents, faculty, staff, students, grandparents, parents of alumni, and alumni. The successful candidate will lead with creativity, collaboration, and an entrepreneurial spirit, possessing an interest in learning and commanding the fundamentals of fundraising and constituent engagement.
In overseeing the school’s annual giving strategy, the Director of the Annual Fund will sustain a high-caliber program to support Dalton’s operating budget, mission, and goals. This individual will build upon strong systems and structure for sustainable annual fundraising, championing an ongoing institution-wide conversation about the importance of the Annual Fund as a pillar of the school’s operating plan.
Volunteer management and Annual Fund execution and support are the centerpieces of this important work. The successful candidate will demonstrate proven people skills to build relationships with more than 100 volunteers, and work with a variety of constituencies to grow the Annual Fund and develop and strengthen individual connections to Dalton.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree
• Minimum of three years of Advancement / Development or comparable experience; managerial / supervisory experience valued.
• Excellent leadership skills with a proven commitment to teamwork and collaboration.
• Excellent communications skills; candidates must be able to communicate equally well with staff, faculty, administrators, parents, alumni and board members in the school community.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Demonstrated proficiency using Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge database or comparable platform; or the ability to learn and manage information within a database.
• Experience with Gmail, Google Drive, Google Calendar, and Zoom.
• Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Google Drive, and other PC and Mac based applications.
• Able to work with confidential material.
• Available for early morning and evening meetings and events as needed.
• Demonstrated emotional intelligence; sense of humor welcome.
• Experience working at or familiarity with educational institutions or non-profit organizations is preferred.
  While the essential functions and basic skills have been included, this is not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all functions, responsibilities, skills, and abilities. Additional functions and requirements may be assigned by the Chief Advancement Officer as deemed appropriate.
  The Dalton School actively seeks to forward the equity and diversity of our community in our admissions, programs, and hiring. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, ethnic origin, age, physical disability or sexual orientation in administration of our educational policies, hiring policies, admissions policies, financial aid programs, athletics and other school-administered programs.
  To apply, please submit a resume and cover letter to the employment portal using the following link - https://www.dalton.org/employment-opportunities

• Conceptualize, plan, and implement an annual fundraising plan for each assigned constituency that includes organizing an appeal timeline, coordinating volunteer assignments, determining goals (dollars and participation), targeting solicitation amounts, and communicating persuasively.
• Recruit and provide solicitation training for volunteers.
• Plan and organize annual fund receptions, meetings, and other events. Responsibilities include securing space, ordering food, providing name tags, setting up technology needs, etc.
• Partner with Director of Alumni Relations on alumni annual giving to engage, solicit, recognize, and steward Dalton’s 6,000+ alumni, with a keen focus on young alumni engagement.
• Manage all aspects of the Senior Class Gift.
• Analyze data and provide written reports and decks/presentations to update volunteers and administrators.
• Collaborate with Database Administrator in gift entry and acknowledgement processes to ensure contributions are stewarded on a timely basis.
• Collaborate with Database Administrator and Director of Advancement Communications and Engagement on Giving Reports, Printer’s Proofs, Appeals, and other publications as needed.
• Assist as needed with Raiser’s Edge data entry and back-up for gift entry.
• Collaborate with Dalton’s Advancement and Communications teams in the creation and production of a marketing plan for the Annual Fund.
• Assist as a member of the Advancement team with events, including the annual Benefit, and additional efforts of the Office of Advancement and Alumni Relations.
• Perform other duties as needed and assigned.