Director of Advancement

Illinois Education Job Bank; Danville, Northern (IL, KY); Hybrid; USD 65,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

Illinois Education Job Bank in Danville, IL seeks a Director of Advancement to lead philanthropic relationships supporting tuition assistance and mission. The role oversees annual giving, major gifts, alumni relations, donor stewardship, and grant activities, partnering with the Head of School to align fundraising with Catholic identity.

The director crafts compelling stories, builds community support, designs events, and expands resources through foundations and corporate partners, ensuring

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required; CFRE or fundraising credential valued.
• Experience in advancement, development, fundraising, or comparable relationship-driven work; Catholic school context preferred.
• Strong writing and storytelling skills; ability to articulate the school's mission and the dignity of its students to inspire giving.
• Discretion, integrity, and the relational warmth that donors trust.

Responsibilities

• Owns annual giving and the annual fund to support operations and tuition assistance.
• Identifies, cultivates, solicits, and stewards major gifts; leads capital initiatives as needed.
• Builds and sustains alumni relations as a community connected to the school's mission.
• Ensures donor stewardship and communicates impact of giving.
• pursues grants and foundation funding aligned with the school's mission.
• Designs events to raise visibility and donor engagement (galas, reunions, parish appearances).
• Collaborates with Head of School to prepare the Head for donor conversations and optimize time with key relationships.

Skills

Donor relations

Fundraising

Storytelling

Communication

Relationship building

Education

Bachelor's degree

CFRE or fundraising credential

Job description

The Director of Advancement owns the school's philanthropic relationships (donors, alumni, parents of alumni, parishes, and the broader community of supporters) and the revenue those relationships produce. Advancement complements tuition revenue and provides the margin that sustains mission, supports the substantial financial aid the school extends, and funds investments the operating budget cannot cover. In a Catholic school, advancement is a relational ministry as much as a fundraising function; the Director invites others into the work of Christian education as partners and witnesses, not merely donors.

• Annual giving. Owns the annual fund: the predictable, recurring philanthropic revenue that supports operations and tuition assistance.
• Major gifts and capital initiatives. Identifies, cultivates, solicits, and stewards individual donors capable of meaningful gifts; leads capital efforts when initiated by the Head and diocese.
• Alumni relations. Builds and sustains the alumni network as a community of Schlarman graduates who carry the school's formation into their adult lives and remain connected to its mission.
• Donor stewardship. Ensures every donor is thanked, recognized, and kept connected to the impact of their giving, particularly the impact on students whose education is made possible by tuition assistance.
• Grants and foundation giving. Pursues institutional funding from foundations, corporate partners, and grant programs aligned with the school's mission, including Catholic and diocesan philanthropic resources.
• Events and visibility. Designs the events and touchpoints (galas, reunions, parish appearances, public moments) that build the school's philanthropic and community presence and witness to its Catholic identity.
• Partnership with the Head of School. Prepares the Head for donor conversations and ensures the Head's time is spent on the relationships where it most matters.

Qualifications

• Clearly understands and can communicate the school’s Catholic identity, mission and culture and serves as a visible role model of faith, in keeping with the diocesan standard.
• Bachelor's degree required; CFRE or other fundraising credential valued.
• Experience in advancement, development, fundraising, or comparable relationship-driven work; Catholic school, diocesan, or parish context strongly preferred.
• Strong writing and storytelling skills; ability to articulate the school's mission and the dignity of its students in ways that move people to give.
• Discretion, integrity, and the relational warmth that donors trust.