Director of Advancement

May Center for Learning - (501)(c)(3) - Posted by Ethos Consulting Group

Santa Fe, NM - Relocation Assistance Available

www.maycenter.org

Director of Advancement

Position Type: Full-Time, Exempt

Reports To: Executive Director

Salary Range: $80,000 - $90,000 annually

Application Deadline: November 6, 2025

Anticipated Start Date: February 1, 2025 - Tentative

Relocation Assistance: Available for qualified out-of-state candidates

About May Center for Learning

May Center for Learning is a dynamic educational organization comprised of a Laboratory School dedicated to serving students with learning differences and a Teacher Institute providing teacher professional development throughout New Mexico. We are experiencing rapid growth and are in the midst of an ambitious multi-year capital campaign to expand our impact across the state. We recently moved into a new campus, which will help accommodate our growth plans.

May School serves exceptional students from Pre-K through 8th grade, specializing in those with learning differences such as dyslexia, ADHD, and language processing disorder. Our individualized, strengths-based curriculum responds to the needs of each student, celebrating their strengths and supporting their challenges with understanding and ambition. Since our founding in 2012, we’ve served over 1,000 students through both our school and Summer LEAP program. We currently have nearly 50 students and, with our new campus, we look forward to expanding to 100 students.

In addition to our school, May Center hosts the May Teacher Institute. We work through partnerships with schools, districts, and the Public Education Department to improve learning outcomes for students with learning differences and literacy outcomes for all children in New Mexico and beyond. To date, we’ve trained over 17,000 teachers throughout the state.

Position Overview

We seek a strategic and experienced Director of Advancement to work closely with major gift prospects, alumni families, organizational partners, and leadership to cultivate relationships, elevate current donors to higher levels of giving, and develop comprehensive strategies to enhance our institution. The Director of Advancement will lead our capital and annual fundraising efforts during this pivotal phase of growth. The ideal candidate will be a relationship-building professional with demonstrated success in comprehensive advancement programs, including major gifts, cross-cultivation with capital campaigns, alumni cultivation, outreach, and donor stewardship.

This position offers the opportunity to shape the advancement function of a growing organization, working collaboratively with leadership, board members, and community partners to secure the resources needed to advance our mission.

Key Responsibilities

Fundraising & Development (70%)

• Lead comprehensive fundraising strategy, including major gifts, grants, corporate partnerships, and special events
• Manage and grow a portfolio of 75-100 major gift prospects ($25,000+)
• Coordinate cross-cultivation efforts with board members and the leadership team
• Coordinate capital campaign activities and stewardship initiatives
• Research, cultivate, solicit, and steward individual, foundation, and corporate donors
• Develop and implement annual giving and capital campaign programs

Relationship Management & Stewardship (20%)

• Build and maintain meaningful relationships with current and prospective donors
• Coordinate donor recognition and stewardship activities
• Represent May Center at community events and professional gatherings
• Oversee marketing and public relations efforts

Management & Operations (10%)

• Supervise the Executive Assistant for Advancement and Marketing
• Collaborate and supervise marketing and PR consultants when applicable
• Manage advancement budget and ensure cost-effective operations
• Oversee donor database management and ensure data integrity
• Prepare regular reports for leadership and the board
• Coordinate communications on advancement-related materials

Required Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor's degree required; Master's degree preferred
• Experience: Minimum 3-5 years of progressive advancement experience with demonstrated success in major gifts and campaign fundraising
• Certification: CFRE (Certified Fund Raising Executive) or other recognized credential strongly preferred
• Skills:
  • Proven track record of securing gifts of $100,000+
  • Exceptional written and verbal communication skills
  • Strong relationship-building and interpersonal abilities
  • Experience managing direct reports and building teams
  • Strategic thinking and planning capabilities
  • Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively with various teams

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with Little Green Light CRM or similar donor management systems
• Background in education-focused nonprofits
• Capital and/or endowment campaign experience in organizations
• Experience working in collaborative environments with cross-cultivation

Compensation & Benefits

• Competitive salary: $80,00-90,000 based on experience
• Healthcare plan, matching IRA, tuition discount
• Company-provided laptop
• Professional development opportunities, including conference attendance, AFP membership dues, and continuing education courses
• Generous PTO and holiday schedule
• Relocation stipend available for qualified out-of-state candidates

Application Process

To Apply: Submit cover letter, resume, and three professional references to advancement@maycenter.org

Application Materials Should Address:

• Your fundraising philosophy and approach to donor relationships
• Specific examples of major gifts secured and fundraising initiatives managed
• Experience building and managing advancement teams
• Interest in May Center's mission and philanthropy within the educational landscape

Timeline:

• Application deadline: October 31, 2025
• First round interviews: November 17-21, 2025
• Final interviews in Santa Fe: December 15-19, 2025
• Anticipated hiring decision: December 30, 2025
• Ideal start date: February 1, 2025

May Center for Learning is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion in our hiring practices and workplace culture. This post has been shared by Ethos Consulting Group on behalf of May Center for Learning.