DIRECTOR OF ALUMNI AND DONOR RELATIONS

About The Birch Wathen Lenox School

Since 1916, BWL, a K-12, coeducational, college preparatory independent school, has stood out on the Upper East Side of Manhattan as one of the most close-knit institutions the big city has to offer its most promising young people. Inside our unassuming brownstone building is a beyond-supportive community of experienced educators and devoted families who are committed to a mission of fostering growth and celebrating individual differences of every student. To find out more, visit www.bwl.org.

Position Description

The Director of Alumni and Donor Relations reports to the Director of Institutional Advancement and is an integral part of the three-person Advancement team. The ideal candidate is creative, insightful, visionary, analytical, detail-oriented, and collaborative, while being mindful of the importance of building meaningful relationships with the school’s various offices, departments, and constituents.

Responsibilities

Alumni Relations (approximately 60%):

• Strengthen the school’s current alumni program.
• Create an alumni engagement strategy of events and communications.
• Recruit and manage Alumni Reps to act as liaisons between the school and other alumni.
• Visit with alumni to build relationships, obtain feedback, and encourage their involvement in the school.
• Gather alumni news for publications.
• Facilitate reunions for “milestone” classes.
• Act as the liaison for the Alumni Board.
• Create content for the alumni page of the school website.
• Create content for the alumni pages of the school magazine.
• Manage all archival alumni materials.
• Assist Athletics Department with Alumni Hall of Fame.
• Track student and alumni information in Raiser’s Edge.

Donor Relations (approximately 20%):

• Oversee alumni annual fund.
• Institute a major gifts program for alumni, including planning, cultivation, stewardships, and solicitation.
• Maintain relationships and communications with alumni donors and foundations.
• Research foundations and recommend and write grant applications and reports.
• Manage alumni and foundations data in Raiser’s Edge.
• Work with the Director of Advancement Services on gift entry and gift reports.

Advancement (approximately 20%)

• Complete work related to events as necessary, particularly in regard to the yearly Benefit.
• Assist the Advancement Committee as needed.
• Assist with other advancement duties as needed.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree plus five years of relevant work experience, or 10 years of relevant work experience. The ideal candidate will have experience in an independent school.
• Working knowledge of Blackbaud’s Raiser’s Edge or ability to learn it.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, organizational skills, strong attention to detail, and ability to work independently.
• Ability to handle multiple projects simultaneously and meet deadlines.
• High professional and ethical standards for handling confidential information.
• Comprehensive background check.
• While the work hours are generally 8:00 a.m.– 4:00 p.m. or 8:30 a.m.– 4:30 p.m. during the school year, occasional evening or weekend events are required.
• Occasional travel to visit alumni may be required.

Interview Process

• Please include a cover letter with your resume. Resumes without a cover letter will not be considered.
• We anticipate that there will be two rounds of interviews. The first interview can be in person or by Zoom, and we are happy to schedule Zoom interviews in the evening if an applicant prefers. The second interview will be in person between 8:00 a.m.– 4:30 p.m.
• There is flexibility in timing, but we hope to have a finalist by April 30, with a start date of July 1.
• Due to the number of resumes we will receive, we will only be able to respond to candidates proceeding in the interview process.

Salary Range: $100,000–110,000

Birch Wathen Lenox has an excellent benefits package, including health insurance mostly paid by the employer, retirement account with employer match, four weeks of vacation in the summer with an additional four weeks of winter and spring break, and summer hours that are mostly remote. The full benefits package will be shared early in the interview process.

The Birch Wathen Lenox School is an equal-opportunity employer committed to excellence through diversity and inclusion. The School does not discriminate on the basis of age, immigration or citizenship status, race or color, disability, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, pregnancy, religion or creed, height and weight, military or veteran status, predisposing genetic characteristics, marital status, sexual or reproductive health decisions, employment status, credit history, caregiver/parent status, or status as a victim or survivor of domestic violence, sex offenses, or stalking. All employment decisions are made on the individual merits of each applicant.

Contact: Penny Arnold, Director of Institutional Advancement: penny.arnold@gbwl.org