Posted on June 21, 2012

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Director of Advancement

Alzar School is seeking an experienced and energetic Director of Advancement to develop an overall marketing and communications strategy that will clarify the school’s identity, differentiate it within the market, and strengthen its fundraising, admissions, and alumni relations efforts. Reporting to the school’s administrators (the Executive Director and Head Teacher), the Director of Advancement will oversee development, admissions, and alumni relations, and establish a team approach supporting advancement operations. The Director of Advancement will work closely with members of the Board of Directors, faculty and students.

The successful candidate will have a proven fundraising track record, including targeted campaigns, planned giving and major gifts, and will be well versed in donor research, database management and multi-platform communication technology. The next Director of Advancement will be a hands-on fundraiser who will foster our current fundraising and create a vision for future growth.

And, the Director of Advancement will work directly with the school administrators to coordinate the school’s admissions program, to include researching and contacting schools, developing relationships with other youth programs, and fielding student applications and interviews. He or she will also help administer the school’s scholarship program.

The Director of Advancement will launch an alumni association, and be responsible for cultivating the interest and support of the alumni of Alzar School — to also include all elements of fundraising as it pertains to alumni and their families.

This is a dynamic and demanding position, vitally important to the long-term success of the school. As such, the Director of Advancement must be prepared to be a flexible, committed member of a team working to establish the school. It is a part-time position (estimated at 20 hours per week for 50 weeks a year), with the opportunity to work remotely several days per week.

Duties and responsibilities

Strategic direction and development of the school

It is the duty of the Director of Advancement to work with the Head Teacher, Executive Director, faculty and other staff to implement the strategic plan for the school and its community. Additionally, he/she must analyze and plan for the future needs and further development of the school specific to advancement.

The Director of Advancement will be expected to:

• Articulate and understand the case for support so that individuals align their philanthropic priorities with the vision, mission, and goals of the Alzar School.
• Develop, oversee, and implement of an alumni relations program which seeks to meaningfully engage alumni in a manner that will cultivate and foster engagement and philanthropic support.
• Broaden alumni participation in giving, identify opportunities for increased alumni giving, and ultimately strengthen and grow the Alzar School’s major gifts pipeline.
• Develop and propose strategies for solicitation of targeted prospects, including: determining ongoing relationships with prospect/donor; recommending specific purpose and level of gift; identifying those to be involved in cultivation and subsequent solicitation; assuring that solicitations are carried out.
• Manage day-to-day donor relations activities, including processing and acknowledging all contributions, managing all donor records in database, tracking revenue results and produce monthly and ad hoc reports.
• Manage all aspects of annual and special campaign giving programs, including writing appeal letters/emails, producing letters, pulling lists from database, doing follow up, tracking results, and developing and executing of new programs.
• Coordinate all aspects of existing and new special events, including writing letters/emails/invitations, pulling lists from database, handling logistics, managing support staff and volunteers, overseeing day-of activities, and handling follow up.
• Produce research on individual, corporate and foundation donors and prospects.
• Demonstrate enthusiasm for interacting with colleagues, parents, volunteers and stakeholders.
• Attending meetings and work sessions at the Alzar School campus as required.

Membership in larger faculty

The Director of Advancement is responsible for working with the other faculty and staff of the Alzar School to maintain a culture of learning and leadership development.

The Director of Advancement will be expected to:

• Maintain professional standards and to help develop constructive working relationships amongst other staff members.
• Participate in frequent staff meetings.
• Work in small groups of staff members to work on school improvement goals.

Membership in school community and larger community

The Director of Advancement will be a part of the larger Alzar School community. First and foremost, the Director of Advancement is an adult role model and mentor for the students. He/she must behave in a manner that exemplifies the principles of the school.

The Director of Advancement will be expected to:

• Help maintain a school culture which takes account of the richness and diversity of the school’s communities.
• Promote positive strategies for challenging prejudice and dealing with harassment.
• Seek opportunities to invite parents, community figures, businesses or other organizations into the school to enhance and enrich the school and its value to the wider community.

Outdoor Skills and Competencies

The Alzar School spends a significant portion of its time in the wilderness and front-country for adventure programming. While the Director of Advancement will have little to no formal outdoor leadership responsibilities, he/she is encouraged to participate in outdoor activities that the school uses to teach leadership. There may be opportunities for the Director of Advancement to participate in domestic outdoor expeditions or after school outings.

Traits and Qualities

The Director of Advancement must be a dynamic, engaging, and self-motivated person who will work to motivate, inspire, and lead. He/she must be effective at working independently and in collaboration with other staff.

The Director of Advancement must have the ability to:

• Use effective communication skills.
• Spend and enjoy extended periods of time with youth in a variety of settings.
• Self-manage, as well as lead and manage people.
• Prioritize, plan and organize on a daily, weekly, and yearly basis.
• Work as part of a team, sharing responsibilities.
• Seek advice and support when necessary.
• Work under pressure and to deadlines.
• Maintain a sense of humor and positive attitude in the face of adversity.

Qualifications & Experience

The Director of Advancement for the Alzar School should be a highly qualified professional. He or she shall possess and/or demonstrate:

• At minimum, a bachelor’s degree in a related field, such as marketing, communication, or business management.
• Experience working in a nonprofit and/or educational setting.
• Recent and extensive experience working with teenagers.
• Proficiency with a variety of computer software and applications, to include some of the following (but not limited to):

• Salesforce.com
• Quickbooks for Nonprofits
• Microsoft Office software suite
• FinalCut Pro or similar video editing software
• iWeb, WordPress, or other website design software
• HTML programming
• All Google apps
• Facebook, Twitter, and other social networking sites

Physical Requirements & Work Conditions

The Director of Advancement must be willing to work unusual hours and provide creative solutions to a variety of issues. He or she can expect:

• Extended and irregular hours each week.
• Periodic domestic travel for recruiting or fundraising purposes.
• Extensive time commitment.

Application Instructions

To apply, please review the full job posting at: http://www.alzarschool.com/2012/06/two-job-openings-at-alzar-school/