EdPost

POSITION Saint Thomas Academy is seeking a full-time Director of Institutional Advancement. The Director of Institutional Advancement is responsible for providing strategic oversight to the Saint Thomas Academy advancement office with the goal of inspiring new levels of engagement, commitment, and philanthropic support. The Director will plan, organize, manage, direct, execute, and oversee all aspects of advancement including, but not limited to fundraising, annual giving, major gifts, planned giving, alumni relations, and capital campaigns. JOB DESCRIPTION The Director of Institutional Advancement serves as an ambassador and representative of Saint Thomas Academy externally and is a key partner to a broad team of colleagues across the institution. The Director collaborates closely with the President and Board of Trustees in all development endeavors and is part of the President&#8217;s Executive Cabinet. The ideal candidate is a self-starter, inspiring leader, committed to the mission of Saint Thomas Academy who can independently anticipate opportunities and challenges and create and implement comprehensive fundraising and development strategies and best practices. GENERAL RESPONSIBILITIES * Support Saint Thomas Academy and the St. Paul/Minneapolis Archdiocese&#8217;s mission and goals and actively articulate them to the Academy&#8217;s constituents and the wider community. * Actively participate in the leadership functions of the Academy. * In support of the mission and goals of Saint Thomas Academy, employees will follow all school policies and procedures. * Provide leadership consistent with Catholic teaching. Employment in and by the Church is substantially different from secular employment. Church employees must conduct themselves in a manner which is consistent with and supportive of the mission and purpose of the Church. Their public behavior must not violate the faith, morals or laws of the Church or the Archdiocese, such that it can embarrass the Church or give rise to scandal. It is expected that all employees will respect Catholic doctrine and religious practices. VISION AND LEADERSHIP * Communicate and support the overall mission, vision, core values, and purpose of the school vision to all members of the school community. * Articulate and model the school&#8217;s mission and core values to every school stakeholder and surrounding communities. * Attract, develop, retain, and supervise a motivated staff that is committed to supporting the advancement activities of the school. * Assist in fostering an atmosphere where all faculty and staff are fully engaged in the ongoing promotion and enhancement of Saint Thomas Academy. * In collaboration with the leadership team, develop, and implement the school&#8217;s strategic plan and organizational goals that advance the mission of Saint Thomas Academy. REPRESENTATIVE RESPONSIBILITIES * Manage, direct, and execute all aspects of fundraising and development. Solicit support for the Academy through capital, endowment, and annual fund campaigns through face-to-face meetings and presentations to all school constituencies. Administer the Annual Fund and specialty campaigns for the school, as well as related staff and volunteers (i.e. Gift Officers, support staff, and Auction). * Identify and implement new revenue streams. * Participate in long-range resource development and overall school planning (including that of fundraising campaigns and objectives). * Research and forecast overall fund-raising trends. * Staff and advise the Advancement Committee of the Board of Trustees. * Participate on the Buildings and Grounds Committee of the Board of Trustees when requested. * Participate on Finance Committee of the Board of Trustees when requested. * Participate on Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees when requested. * Participate on Board Affairs Committee of the Board of Trustees when requested. * Oversee, manage, supervise, and motivate the Advancement staff, including annual evaluation, submission of raises to the HR Manager, and recommendations to the President regarding staffing levels. * Solicit support for the capital and endowment campaigns, as well as the Annual Fund through face-to-face meetings and presentations. * Spearhead an energetic, goal-oriented team of professionals to achieve the school&#8217;s fundraising objectives and obtain the equally enthusiastic involvement of volunteers when needed. * Serve as spokesperson for the institution during private and public fund-raising functions. * Administer all major fund-raising campaigns for the school, related staff, and volunteers. * Lead budget planning for the capital, endowment, and annual campaigns. * Plan and organize campaign cultivation events. * Serve as the primary liaison to volunteer solicitors (primarily campaign committee of alumni and parents); develop approaches and strategies; prepare materials for solicitation meetings; participate in and organize fund-raising calls. * Develop and implement fund raising and campaign strategies for individual, corporate and foundation prospects. * Coordinate, with gift officers, all institutional fund-raising activities. * Establish prospect research program. * Work to establish in-depth profiles on each donor and determine their qualification for major gift potential. * Research and designate members of the I.A. team to participate in regional and national seminars on the subject. * Oversee database operations, including all gift recording, thank you correspondence, internal donor reports, and use of Blackbaud&#8217;s Raiser&#8217;s Edge. * Produce regular analysis of fundraising efforts vs. performance goals. * Assist donors, specifically major donors, to fulfill his/her philanthropic desire to aid the school using planned gifts when appropriate. * Develop individual stewardship plans for donors. * Develop and facilitate appropriate individual recognition activities for donors. * Serve as primary planned gifts authority for the institution. * Understand and manage your assigned department budget. * Attends and participates in most school functions. * Manages miscellaneous projects as required. The responsibilities listed above are representative of the position and are not all-inclusive. JOB QUALIFICATIONS * Bachelor&#8217;s degree, along with 6-8 years of fundraising experience in major gift solicitation. * Management of Advancement staff. * Fundraising and planned giving certification such as CFRE a plus. * High level of personal integrity and professionalism, ability to interact with Trustees and key stakeholders. * Demonstrated success in creating and executing development strategy, tracking fundraising performance, establishing, and developing solid donor relationships and meeting fundraising goals. * Demonstrated knowledge of planned giving. * Knowledge and experience in the Twin Cities philanthropic community. * Excellent interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills; strong presentation and team building skills. * Experience managing and motivating volunteers, leadership, boards, and committees. FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS Qualified candidates should send a cover letter, resume and references no later than March 29 to: Deborah Berglund, Human Resources Manager, Saint Thomas Academy, via email dberglund@cadets.com<mailto:dberglund@cadets.com> or mail to 949 Mendota Heights Road, Mendota Heights, MN 55120