Assistant Director of Advancement & Alumni Engagement

Gideon Hausner Jewish Day School; Palo Alto (CA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Gideon Hausner Jewish Day School in Palo Alto, CA, seeks an Assistant Director of Advancement & Alumni Engagement to join our Advancement Team. This relationship‑driven role will build lifelong connections with alumni and donors, strengthen Hausner’s culture of philanthropy, and expand the annual fund.

The ideal candidate will manage a donor portfolio, lead alumni engagement, and collaborate on communications for the Hausner Fund and Spring Benefit.

Qualifications

• 3–5 years of experience in advancement/development, fundraising, donor relations, community engagement, sales, or a related nonprofit or professional setting.
• A desire to build authentic relationships and connect with a wide range of people.
• Strong written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Experience managing a portfolio of donors or relationships preferred.
• Experience with annual giving, fundraising campaigns, donor communications, or stewardship preferred.
• Experience developing or managing an alumni or constituent engagement program preferred.
• Exceptional organization and attention to detail.
• Comfort and confidence making personal outreach by phone, email, and in person.
• Proficiency with Google Workspace preferred
• Experience with Raiser's Edge/NXT or another fundraising CRM preferred.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement a comprehensive alumni engagement program that builds lifelong connections between alumni, alumni families, and Hausner.
• Identify and cultivate alumni who can serve as ambassadors, volunteers, mentors, speakers, connectors, donors, and community leaders.
• Partner with Marketing & Communications to share alumni stories, accomplishments, and connections to Hausner.
• Manage a portfolio of leadership level Hausner donors and prospects, with an emphasis on building long‑term relationships and increasing engagement and giving.
• Identify annual fund donors and other constituents with potential for major gifts, campaign support, or planned giving.
• Maintain accurate records of donor interactions, interests, next steps, and outcomes in the school's fundraising database.
• Partner with the Director of Advancement and Annual Fund Manager to develop and execute the annual Hausner Fund strategy and fundraising calendar.
• Help develop targeted communications for parents, grandparents, alumni, alumni parents, and other Hausner constituents.
• Help develop and manage volunteer fundraising efforts, providing volunteers with the tools, talking points, and communications they need to be successful.
• Attend school and community events to build connections with parents and alumni parents
• Collaborate with colleagues across Advancement, Marketing & Communications, Enrollment & Engagement, and other departments to advance school‑wide fundraising goals.
• Support Advancement Committee and Board activities and reporting as needed.

Skills

Relationship building

Communication skills

Donor relations

Alumni engagement

Portfolio management

Fundraising campaigns

Event coordination

Google Workspace

Raiser's Edge/NXT

Tools

Raiser's Edge/NXT

Google Workspace

Job description

Description

Gideon Hausner Jewish Day School is an independent community school serving students in TK-8. Our mission is to cultivate a joyful learning community that builds students’ capacity for critical thinking, creativity, and moral courage through a complementary curriculum of general and Jewish studies.

Hausner enrolls approximately 370 students and offers a rigorous academic program supported by small class sizes, exceptional faculty, and a strong sense of community. We are committed to educating the whole child and to fostering an inclusive, diverse environment grounded in shared values.

About the Position

Gideon Hausner Jewish Day School is seeking a relationship-oriented, strategic, organized, and proactive Assistant Director of Advancement & Alumni Engagement to join our Advancement Team.

The Assistant Director will play an important role in strengthening Hausner's culture of philanthropy and building lifelong connections to the school. This position will have primary responsibility for developing and managing Hausner's alumni engagement program, managing a portfolio of donors and prospects, and partnering with the Director of Advancement on strategy and communications for the Hausner Fund, the school's annual fund. In the Spring, this individual will also collaborate with the advancement team to raise funds for the annual Spring Benefit.

The ideal candidate is someone who is mission-aligned, genuinely enjoys getting to know people, building relationships, telling Hausner's story, and connecting people to opportunities to make a difference.

Schedule: Full-time, Monday through Friday, with occasional evenings and weekends for donor, alumni, and school events

Compensation: $90,000 - $110,000 annually, depending on qualifications and experience

Start date: We anticipate a Summer 2027 start, but are flexible for the right candidate.

Key Responsibilities Include

Alumni Engagement

• Develop and implement a comprehensive alumni engagement program that builds lifelong connections between alumni, alumni families, and Hausner.
• Identify and cultivate alumni who can serve as ambassadors, volunteers, mentors, speakers, connectors, donors, and community leaders.
• Partner with Marketing & Communications to share alumni stories, accomplishments, and connections to Hausner.

Donor Portfolio Management

• Manage a portfolio of leadership level Hausner donors and prospects, with an emphasis on building long‑term relationships and increasing engagement and giving.
• Identify annual fund donors and other constituents with potential for major gifts, campaign support, or planned giving.
• Maintain accurate records of donor interactions, interests, next steps, and outcomes in the school's fundraising database.

Annual Fund Strategy & Communications

• Partner with the Director of Advancement and Annual Fund Manager to develop and execute the annual Hausner Fund strategy and fundraising calendar.
• Help develop targeted communications for parents, grandparents, alumni, alumni parents, and other Hausner constituents.
• Help develop and manage volunteer fundraising efforts, providing volunteers with the tools, talking points, and communications they need to be successful.

Donor & Community Engagement

• Attend school and community events to build connections with parents and alumni parents
• Collaborate with colleagues across Advancement, Marketing & Communications, Enrollment & Engagement, and other departments to advance school‑wide fundraising goals.
• Support Advancement Committee and Board activities and reporting as needed.

Professional Qualities and Skills

The ideal candidate will bring:

• 3-5 years of experience in advancement/development, fundraising, donor relations, community engagement, sales, or a related nonprofit or professional setting.
• A desire to build authentic relationships and connect with a wide range of people.
• Strong written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Experience managing a portfolio of donors or relationships preferred.
• Experience with annual giving, fundraising campaigns, donor communications, or stewardship preferred.
• Experience developing or managing an alumni or constituent engagement program preferred.
• Exceptional organization and attention to detail.
• Comfort and confidence making personal outreach by phone, email, and in person.
• Proficiency with Google Workspace preferred
• Experience with Raiser's Edge/NXT or another fundraising CRM preferred.
• Discretion and judgment when handling confidential donor and family information.
• Appreciation for Jewish education, Jewish community, and Hausner's mission.
• Warmth, enthusiasm, flexibility, good humor, and enjoyment of working with people.

Requirements

• Ability to attend occasional evening and weekend donor, alumni, and school events.
• Ability to navigate campus facilities and event spaces efficiently.
• Ability to stand, walk, bend, reach, and move throughout indoor and outdoor settings during events.
• Ability to lift, carry, and move event materials and supplies weighing up to 25-30 pounds.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and exercise discretion when handling confidential donor, alumni, student, and family information.
• Successfully complete required background clearance and Live Scan fingerprinting.

Conditions of Employment

Employment is contingent upon successful completion of required pre‑employment clearances, including Live Scan fingerprinting, TB clearance, employment eligibility verification (Form I-9), and all required school and state training.

Other

This posting does not necessarily represent a comprehensive list of responsibilities or qualifications. The school reserves the right to modify or discontinue this position at any time.

Equal Opportunity Statement

Gideon Hausner Jewish Day School is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to a welcoming and inclusive community where individuals of all backgrounds are respected and valued. We do not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, religion, veteran status, national or ethnic origin, or any other status protected by law.