Position Summary

The Assistant Director of Development, Alumni Annual Giving will help build the School’s culture of philanthropy, expand the alumni donor base, and achieve fundraising goals by developing and implementing a comprehensive alumni giving program. Their ability to deeply understand the alumni community, collaborate with necessary stakeholders, and assess potential outcomes is key to their success in this role. The Assistant Director of Development, Alumni Annual Giving reports directly to the Associate Director of Development, Director Annual Giving. 

Responsibilities

• Build a strategic and data-informed alumni fundraising program utilizing multi-channel engagement and communication methods, including giving challenges, events, social media, email, mail, telephone, and face-to-face.
• Monitor the effectiveness of the alumni giving program, using metrics and KPIs to report progress toward fundraising goals to senior leadership.
• Develop a deep understanding of the alumni community, including their needs, expectations, and preferences, to inform fundraising strategies and programs.
• Direct and manage a comprehensive Reunion giving program, partnering with Individual Philanthropic Advisors to secure multi-year leadership and participatory gifts utilizing a volunteer-led, class-based program that maximizes giving to The Pingry Fund
• In collaboration with the Alumni Engagement and Individual Philanthropic Advisors, recruit, staff, and engage class fundraising committees, including the 50th+ reunion cycles as well as other major class committees as needed.
• Maintain a portfolio of approximately 45 Pingry Fund leadership-level alumni prospects, achieving maximum industry productivity standards.
• Collaborate with Individual Philanthropic Advisors to identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward high-level alumni prospects
• Oversee the alumni portion of the School’s volunteer management and social fundraising platforms
• Actively integrate Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) principles into all aspects of the alumni giving program and decision-making processes.
• Attend and represent the School at various alumni events, meetings, and other functions, including those that may occur during evenings and weekends.
• Perform additional responsibilities as directed by the Associate Director of Development, Annual Giving.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required. Master's degree in Business, Nonprofit Management, or related field preferred.
• A minimum of 3 years of experience in development, fundraising, alumni relations, or related field.
• Demonstrable experience in managing a successful annual giving or alumni relations program.
• Proficient in donor database systems, such as Raiser's Edge, Salesforce, or similar platforms.
• Skilled in Microsoft Office Suite, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Skilled in navigating the Google Suite of applications (Gmail, Google Drive, Google Calendar, etc.)
• Familiarity with project management software and volunteer management platforms.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to craft compelling fundraising narratives and proposals.
• Demonstrated experience in managing teams and/or volunteers.
• Proven track record of achieving fundraising goals.
• Experience with data analysis, reporting, and interpreting fundraising metrics.
• Experience in multi-channel marketing communications, including social media, email, and direct mail campaigns.
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to build relationships with diverse stakeholders, including alumni, donors, and colleagues.
• Self-starter who can work independently and collaboratively within a team.
• Highly organized with strong attention to detail.
• Ability to handle multiple projects simultaneously in a fast-paced environment.
• In addition to honor and character, commitment to intellectual engagement, and appreciation for stewardship and sustainability, especially important is the candidate’s ease with diverse constituencies and demonstrated commitment to an inclusive school community.

About The Pingry School

The Pingry School, a K-12 coeducational, independent country day school, is recognized throughout the United States for its academic excellence, Honor Code, arts, athletics, and community and civic engagement. The school’s mission is to foster in students a lifelong commitment to scholarly exploration, personal growth, and social responsibility while preparing them to be global citizens and luminaries of the 21st century. Dr. John F. Pingry founded the school in 1861 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, and today there are three campuses: Grades K-5 in Short Hills, Grades 6-12 in Basking Ridge, and a shared campus for Grades K-12 in Pottersville that focuses on experiential education. The diverse student body is composed of more than 1,100 students from nearly 100 towns in New Jersey and New York. For more information visit the school’s website, pingry.org, or follow The Pingry School on Facebook and Twitter.

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