Major Gift Officer

Description

Stuart Hall School seeks its next Major Gift Officer. The Major Gift Officer can be primarily remote with regular visits to campus in Staunton, Va. The position is part of an engaged team that is passionate about Stuart Hall’s mission. Working closely with the Dean of Advancement and Head of School, the position provides an opportunity for a development professional to assist with the advancement efforts during an important moment in the School’s history. The Major Gift Officer will find a community that is caring, creative, and prone to action. This position offers an opportunity to advance a career in development by creating strong relationships with alumni and friends of Stuart Hall.

About the School
Stuart Hall School is an Episcopal boarding and day school in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia that provides a college preparatory education for area day students in grades 6-12 and boarding students from around the world in grades 8-12. Founded in 1844, the School is a member of the Episcopal Church Schools in the Diocese of Virginia, is fully accredited by the Virginia Association of Independent Schools, and is a member of the National Association of Independent Schools and the National Association of Episcopal Schools.

With roughly 130 students, a loyal alumni base, a commitment to mastery-based education, a vibrant community, and dedicated faculty and staff, Stuart Hall is committed to its mission to prepare students of all faiths for success in universities worldwide and for engaged lives of intellectual curiosity, creativity, and contribution.”

The School is located in Staunton, Va., a town that often ranks among the best small towns in the United States. In addition to being a great place to live, Staunton is a great place to learn. There are abundant opportunities for students to extend their learning and engage with the community through the School’s Staunton Is Our Campus initiative. For more information, please see Stuart Hall’s website.

Job Duties

The Major Gift Officer reports to the Dean of Advancement and works with other members of Stuart Hall’s Development Office to implement the advancement plans of the School. The Major Gift Officer’s responsibilities include:

Advancement:
• Helping develop a comprehensive plan to cultivate and solicit members of the community with the ability to make $50,000+ in major and leadership annual gifts, primarily in support of the School’s major gift initiatives.
• Participating in fundraising strategy discussions to develop an overall strategic plan for advancement and individual prospects.
• Cultivating major gift prospects, investing the necessary time and energy to build a relationship designed to understand the donor/prospect goals with the expressed purpose of alignment with the School’s mission and campaign priorities.
• Managing a portfolio of donors and prospects of 100-125 individuals, and applying a moves management approach to the portfolio, with a custom cultivation and solicitation strategy for each donor.
• Averaging a minimum of 20-25 in-person and virtual donor visits per month with current donors, potential new donors, and community leaders.
• Traveling throughout Virginia and other prospect-rich regions.
• Partnering with the Dean of Advancement to identify new major gift prospects.
• Analyzing data to predict donor’s propensity, capacity, and enthusiasm to give.
• Providing stewardship of prospects with an emphasis on increasing their financial commitment to the School.
• Reporting on monthly, quarterly, and annual fundraising goals, including metrics on qualification, cultivation, solicitations, and stewardship of major gift prospects.
• Utilizing Raiser’s Edge and RENXT database to track contacts, information, and progress.

General:
• Attending major school events, and connecting with students, faculty, and staff in small and large groups to understand school life and be able to discuss it with constituents.

Skills Required

Stuart Hall is committed to attracting an applicant pool with diverse backgrounds, experiences, and interests. Being aware that some individuals will not apply for a position unless they have all of the qualifications, this qualifications list has been written to encourage people with a range of experiences and backgrounds to apply.

Required background and experience: you must have everything on this list.
• Bachelor’s Degree.
• Minimum of two to three years of experience in development, constituent relations, or advancement.
• Experience with face-to-face cultivation of donors and solicitation of gifts.
• Experience in managing multiple tasks or projects under deadlines.
• Strong commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• Strong written and oral communication skills.

Additional background and experience: if you have any of the following skills or experiences, you are encouraged to highlight them in your application materials, but please know an absence of any of these will not negatively affect your candidacy.
• Previous experience working in development in an independent school setting
• Experience using Raiser’s Edge or another advancement database.
• Demonstrated experience taking initiative and working independently.
• Demonstrated experience designing, implementing, and managing a program or initiative that involved leading others (this experience does not have to be advancement-related).
• Critical listening skills.
• Interest and enthusiasm for working with people and advancing the mission of an organization.

Additional Info

The minimum starting salary is $75,000, plus generous benefits.

Interested candidates should email a cover letter, resume, and list of three references to Katherine Whitney. Please include “Stuart Hall School” in the subject line. All applications will be confidential. References will not be checked without first notifying the candidate. For best consideration, please respond by July 21, 2023.

Stuart Hall welcomes candidates who have demonstrated a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion in their work and their lives and who will add to the diversity of our community.

Stuart Hall does not discriminate on the basis of race, gender, sexual orientation, or national and ethnic origin in the administration of its hiring practices. The School is committed to providing an inclusive educational environment. We actively engage students, families, faculty, and staff from diverse backgrounds and experiences. Our school community respects the differences in ethnicity, race, religion, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic status.