Director of Advancement Job Description

About Jackson Hole Community School

JHCS is an independent, 9-12 school in Jackson, WY, currently serving 114 students; the school will open a middle school (grades 6-8) in Fall 2026. Founded in 2004, JHCS prepares students to succeed in college and life, through challenging academics and excellence in teaching, in a community founded on personal relationships, student initiative, and integrity. Community School students arrive curious about the world, develop skills and confidence in an engaging community, and graduate empowered to make meaningful contributions. They matriculate to some of the top universities in the US and in the world.

Primary Responsibilities:

The Director of Advancement (DA) is responsible for all development activities at JHCS, including fundraising campaigns, school marketing, and community partnerships. This is a wide-ranging position, involving collaboration with administrators, staff, the board of directors, and current and alumni families. A major responsibility of the DA in the near term is supporting the Middle School’s launch in 2026. The DA is a year-round position that reports to the Head of School and serves as the direct report for the Director of Communications, Director of Alumni Relations, and Marketing Manager, who are part-time members of the JHCS staff. The DA is a member of the Admissions and Financial Aid Committees. 

Development and Fundraising

• Lead all donor cultivation and facilitate major gift asks to achieve budgeted fundraising and campaign goals (annual development goal ~$1.5M)
• Expand current donor base
• With the Head of School and Fundraising Committee of the Board, create a comprehensive annual development timeline and manage fundraising campaigns, including, but not limited to, Old Bill’s, the Annual Appeal, and the Gala
• Foster engagement, collaboration, and a community of support among new and existing donors and strategic partners
• Manage all administrative aspects of donor development including
• Donor research and identification, cultivation, and stewardship
• Donor database management (CRM: Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge)  
• Generating and tracking tax receipts, thank you notes, and other regular donor communications
• Alumni relations

• Provide Head of School and Board of Directors Fundraising Committee with regular updates on development campaigns, donor prospecting, and gifts
• Manage website content related to giving and development campaigns at JHCS

Community Partnerships

• Cultivate relationships with local for- and nonprofit organizations to create opportunities for JHCS community participation and service, school marketing, sponsorships, and, with the Director of Admissions, admissions outreach

Events

• Plan and execute events including, but not limited to, admissions open houses, college counseling workshops, annual alumni panel and reunions, and other in-school events such as the Multicultural Potluck and Indigenous Peoples’ and MLK Day programs with staff and committee support
• Coordinate events for alumni and alumni parents, current families, and JHCS Parent Association

Other responsibilities

• Serve on the Finance and Fundraising Committees of the Board of Directors

• Collaborate with Director of Admissions and Financial Aid to host admissions events

• 6-12 Communications/Alumni oversight (support staff) (.25 FTE)
• 6-12 Marketing budget and brand management oversight (support staff) (.5 FTE)
• In conjunction with the Business Manager, Facilities Manager, and the Marketing Manager, work toward creating a strategic process for bringing in revenue for external facility use (i.e., events, speakers, subleases)

Minimum requirements

• 5+ years experience with donor relations and/or fundraising 
• Significant event experience (event fundraising experience preferred)
• Proficiency with Google platforms and Adobe InDesign 
• Significant experience with fundraising/events software and CRMs, preferably Blackbaud
• Detail-oriented with strong analytical and organizational skills
• Excellent oral, written, and interpersonal communication skills
• Ability to manage individual workload and meet deadlines 
• Availability to work all set events that take place outside regular school hours 
• Willingness to independently learn new platforms/online systems when necessary

About Jackson Hole Community School

Connections working at Jackson Hole Community School