Director of Development Services

The Director of Development Services (Director) provides administrative support services to St. Albans School’s Development Office for management, identification, qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of constituents capable of, or who have already made, major gifts and/or planned gift intentions.

Specifically, the Director is responsible for the following: 

• Provide strategic direction and devises an annual operating plan for meeting Development Services objectives;
• Lead the development and regular review (no less frequently than every three years) of gift acceptance, gift/campaign counting, recognition, naming, and other policies that guide the work of the Development program;
• Hires, supervises, mentors, and evaluates the Assistant Director of Development Services;
• Oversees management of prospects for major and planned gifts:
  • Schedules, coordinates, and leads pipeline, portfolio review, and prospect strategy meetings;
  • Generates and analyzes pipeline and prospect manager reports;
  • Supports prospect managers and provides information to the Director of Leadership and Legacy Giving to assist in accountability for meeting established metrics;
  • Records and maintains purpose, ask amount, ask date, solicitors, and expected gift for major gift solicitations;
  • Manages gift acknowledgement and pledge reminder letter generation process for endowment, term fund, and capital gifts;
  • Writes and maintains prospect profiles;
  • Conducts both proactive and on-demand prospect research.
• In partnership with the Executive Director:
  • Creates a portfolio of reports for the purposes of Campaign gift progress, tracking, and prospect moves management;
  • Helps prepare the Headmaster, fundraising volunteers, and Development staff colleagues for cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship visits with research and visit briefings.
• In partnership with the Director of Leadership and Legacy Giving:
  • Develops and ensures appropriate and effective use, in alignment with best practices, of major gift fundraising and management protocols;
  • Prepares and analyzes regular reports on major gift fundraising activity and uses them to inform and/or adapt strategy and tactics.
• In partnership with the Director of Annual Giving: 
  • Oversees the recording and tracking of annual giving appeals;
  • Ensures the timely and accurate entry and acknowledgement of annual giving contributions;
  • Prepares and analyzes regular reports on progress toward annual giving goals and uses them to inform and/or adapt strategy and tactics.
• In partnership with the Director of Alumni Relations: 
  • Ensures the consistent recording of alumni engagement activities and events;
  • Prepares and analyzes regular reports on engagement and uses them to inform and/or adapt strategy and tactics.
• In partnership with the Director of Donor Relations and Stewardship:
  • Runs all reports for the purpose of the annual report of giving;
  • Orchestrates annual stewardship reporting for endowed funds, term funds, and named facilities;
  • Manages stewardship of constituents connected to student and faculty awards, including invitations to awards ceremonies and follow-up correspondence about award recipients.
• Collaborates with Development staff colleagues to ensure the effective development of strong relationships between constituents and the School; educate constituents about why philanthropic support is necessary and warranted; and to communicate the School’s appreciation for and impact of contributions made by donors;
• Partners effectively as needed with the School’s Admissions, Communications, and Finance teams to achieve Development and institutional success;
• In partnership with the Finance Office:
  • Ensures proper documentation and reconciliation of gifts and pledges to comply with required accounting standards and financial reporting;
  • Provides supports to Finance Office for gift auditing requirements;
  • Implements best practices and internal controls for safeguarding of assets received.
• Exhibits an ability to learn and grow in becoming an articulate champion of St. Albans School’s philanthropic endeavors as well as skilled in issuing expressions of appreciation to donors.

The position may perform other related duties as assigned. The omission of specific duties does not preclude the school leadership and/or direct supervisor from assigning duties that are logically related to the position/responsive to the emergent needs of the school.