Vice President of Advacnement

Our Lady of the Elms School, a private Catholic school rooted in the Dominican tradition, educates girls and young women to live their lives boldly with purpose, confidence, kindness, resilience, justice and faith. As the only all-girls, faith-based K–12 school in Summit County, the Elms is seeking a Vice President of Advancement who will be responsible for planning, implementing and managing all fundraising activities and donor stewardship for the School.

The VP of Advancement will possess exceptional relationship management skills, have a proven track record in soliciting and securing significant philanthropic gifts, and have strong strategic acumen to develop long-term revenue goals and philanthropic programs to support the ongoing operational needs of the School.

The VP of Advancement will report to the School President and serve as a strategic partner on the leadership team, ensuring the development of an efficient, productive, and growing advancement program. This position will play a critical role in decision-making and business planning and will interface regularly with external stakeholders, including alumnae, parents, donors, community supporters, and the Our Lady of the Elms School Board of Trustees, in increasing sophistication around giving strategies and donor cultivation. This position has one direct report, the Assistant Advancement Director of Engagement, Alumnae & Grants.

The VP of Advancement will work to advance the mission of the School and develop a donor-centric culture that fosters open and frequent communication, proactive collaboration, best practices, internal alignment, and transparency.

Major Responsibilities

• Develop a comprehensive fundraising plan based on the mission and strategic goals of the School
• Build strong relationships with donors, alumnae, and parents of alumnae
• Manage a portfolio of 50-100 major prospects with the capacity to make gifts of $50,000 or more
• Develop and execute individualized cultivation and solicitation strategies to secure major and planned gifts
• Lead the Assistant Director of Advancement to enhance an alumnae engagement plan that includes annual giving, class reunions, and giving circles
• Oversee planning and execution of all fundraising events within the School, including the February Fantasy
• Collaborate with the Director of Marketing and Communications to promote giving opportunities, such as Giving Tuesday and Elms Day of Giving, and to ensure the advancement website presence is strong
• Produce regular updates and progress reports to share with the President, CFO and Board of Trustees
• Act as staff liaison to the Board of Trustees Advancement Committee
• Works with the Board of Trustees to maximize their philanthropic participation and ambassadorship
• Oversee Raiser’s Edge input, processing, and reporting
• Manage the President’s schedule for major donor visits, cultivation, solicitations and stewardship

Performance Expectations:

• Raise $1 million annually for current operations within 36 months of hiring
• Increase alumnae engagement by 50% each year
• Grant writing will result in a 50% success rate annually for current operations

Qualifications and Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Communications, or Nonprofit Management; Nonprofit or fundraising certification is preferred; Master’s degree highly respected;
• Minimum five (5) years’ experience in fundraising and grant writing;
• Management experience with a nonprofit organization preferred;
• Thorough working knowledge of relationship-based fundraising procedures and philosophies;
• Demonstrated passion for interacting with donors and tangible experience soliciting, closing, and stewarding gifts at significant levels;
• Relationship-building, grant writing, data analytics, and proficiency with CRM platforms;
• Event planning, implementation and assessment of impact;
• Work respectfully across all management units and donor constituencies; Exceptional interpersonal and quantitative analysis skills;
• High level of discretion, integrity, and executive judgment in difficult and/or complex organizational decisions.
• Complete the Diocese of Cleveland’s Virtus: Protecting God’s Children training prior to employment
• Successfully pass a criminal background check (BCI/FBI)

Salary Range: $90,000 - $120,000

Details:

Department: Advancement

Status: Full-time

FLSA Status: Exempt

Work year: Twelve months

Benefits: Medical, dental, vision, life insurance, long term disability, 401K match

Work hours: Must be able to work flexible hours, with standard hours being 7:30 am - 4:30 pm, including some Saturdays, Sundays, holidays, and evenings

Submit:

Submit your cover letter, current resume with employment dates, and a list of 3 academic references to Dr. Caryl A. Hess at chess@theelms.org, c/o Our Lady of the Elms School

Medical, dental, vision, life insurance, long term disability, 401K match