Beaver Country Day School - an independent day school located just outside of Boston, serving grades 6-12—seeks a self-motivated development professional with expertise in annual giving-level fundraising. The Director of Annual Campaigns will be an innovative and creative thinker and doer who has a proven track record of success initiating and sustaining annual fund strategies.
The candidate will be intellectually curious and technologically savvy, embodying a desire to be collaborative with all members of the Beaver community. This is a full-time position that will report directly to the Associate Director of Philanthropy and Engagement.
PHILANTHROPY AT BEAVER
Beaver’s Annual Fund is an effort by the entire community to support the people and programs that make Beaver unique. Over the past several years the fund has continued to build and now consistently raises over $2M annually, which we are very proud of accomplishing.
The Annual Fund has served as an ongoing foundation for building a culture of philanthropy. In 2020, Beaver’s Centennial offered an occasion to celebrate the school’s history through philanthropy. This effort secured $5.7M of endowment for Tuition Assistance, Partnerships, and more. During 2016-2019, Beaver conducted The Future Is Here campaign, a $25M effort that created the Research + Design Center, a centerpiece of the campus and a space that defines Beaver’s mindset.
ABOUT THE POSITION
The Director of Annual Campaigns joins a team that currently consists of a Director of Philanthropy and Engagement, an Associate Director of Philanthropy + Engagement, a Director of Community Engagement and a Campaign Services Manager.
As a member of the fundraising team, this role works with the Director and Associate Director of Philanthropy + Engagement and key volunteers to identify, research, cultivate and solicit Annual Fund gifts. The Director of Annual Campaigns oversees the growth of mid-tier annual fund support with the goal of increasing support and providing a foundation for the major gifts program. This position also plays a role in the major gifts strategy for the Philanthropy + Engagement team and manages a portfolio of prospects.
Annual Fund duties and responsibilities:
Manage Parent Annual Fund Advisory Council + Alumni Founders’ Day Committee
Create plan for annual fund and fundraising portfolio work
Continue to develop and grow parent and alumni giving day momentum
Develop content, messaging and theme for appeals and blog posts
Develop strategy and stewardship content
Attend and present at Development Committee driven by agenda
Prepare analysis for summer planning retreat with P+E and Development Committee leadership
Fundraising portfolio:
Collaborate with Associate Director of Philanthropy + Engagement with strategy to grow our leadership giving society
Manage portfolio of assigned prospects
Bring prospects and agenda items to Major Gift meeting for discussion
Manage 2-3 Reunion Classes (giving + engagement)
Manage and Execute Faculty/Staff annual campaign
Manage senior (student) giving campaign collaborating with Director of Community Engagement
Participate in regional events as needed
Parent and alumni discovery visits
QUALIFICATIONS
The successful candidate will be a strategic team player who brings optimism, vision and creativity to Beaver’s fundraising program. The Director of Annual Campaigns will be an experienced, talented fundraiser and manager looking to continue to move the programs and work forward.
Strong candidates will possess the following qualifications:
A proven track record in annual giving-level fundraising, with a minimum of 5 years of fundraising experience. Deep experience in developing and successfully managing an annual fund program encompassing creative strategies that motivate parents and alumni and a demonstrated track record of closing annual gifts through personal solicitations.
Effective written and verbal communication skills, with an emphasis on the ability to persuade and influence others around ideas, decisions, and financial support.
Excellent interpersonal skills with a passion for creating relationships and drawing out the best in parents, alumni, and colleagues.
An intellectual curiosity, understanding, and enthusiasm for education and Beaver’s mission.
A sense of humor, flexibility, energy, and strong collaboration skills that include the ability to motivate peers in a culture of staff collaboration for the purpose of reaching common goals.
Benefits:
Generous Benefits (Health, Dental and more). Visit our website for more.
Breakfast and lunch provided when school is in operation.
Beaver tuition remission for children of employees.
Full remission of “General Camp” Summer Program tuition for employee children
Paid professional development opportunities
Free parking and close to the MBTA Green Line D
Additional things to know:
Complete vaccination against COVID-19 is currently a condition of employment at the School. The School considers requests for exemption on medical or religious grounds on a case-by-case basis. The School’s COVID-19 and other policies are subject to change at any time.
Questions about this position can be directed to Jill Henson, Associate Director of the Annual Fund.
About Our School & Our People
We are not your typical independent school. Education is not traditionally seen as forward-thinking. But that's not the case at Beaver. We welcome change and seek feedback to continuously improve. Our "Launch, Test, Refine" mindset promotes flexibility, risk-taking, open-mindedness, and innovation. Our business is providing a future-focused education rooted in real world context and experience and our clients are our students.
The Beaver mindset and approach to teaching place our students at the center of learning experiences in all settings, curricular and co-curricular.
•Our students in grades 6-12 are interesting and passionate individuals, who, above all, are genuinely happy to be at Beaver. We provide students with opportunities to be co-creators of their learning, making it a deeper, more meaningful experience. We are committed to providing an educational environment in tune with the real world and doing authentic work.
•Our teachers and educational leaders are committed to—and excited about— expanding the nature of school, and igniting and fueling the passions of all our students.
•Our mindset is to make excellent mistak...es, launch/test/refine, and not be defined by binary thinking. Instead, we look to approach things from a both/and outlook: tradeoffs don’t have to be the answer and instead, that’s where creativity comes in. We are a community of creative thinkers and doers.
•Our values include collaboration, partnership, and above all, creating a diverse, inclusive, and equitable environment for our community. This work is a priority and steadfast commitment. It is never “done”, and we will always make decisions with this at the core of who we are. For all Beaver students, faculty, staff and parents to feel a sense of belonging, it’s important that they see themselves reflected in the community, curriculum, and all our programming.
Our goal every day is to create a school that is making an impact – for our students, and for education as a whole. We don’t take that work lightly, we need people that are relentlessly committed to it and excited to do this work—together.