Director of Advancement

Archdiocese of Miami; Fort Lauderdale (FL); On-site; USD 85,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Fort Lauderdale, FL seeks a mission-driven Director of Advancement to lead major gifts and annual giving campaigns, strengthen stewardship, and coordinate advancement communications.

The role leads a small advancement team and collaborates with Marketing, Finance, Athletics, and Campus Ministry, reporting to the Executive Director or the President. This 11-month schedule runs August through June with July off; compensation is competitive and eligible for a

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent senior-level experience.
• Proven success in relationship-based fundraising (major gifts and/or annual giving).
• Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication.
• Strong project-management and cross-team coordination.
• Working knowledge of CRM/donor systems (Raiser’s Edge preferred).
• Willingness to work evenings/weekends for events.
• Autonomy with accountability and strong ownership mindset.
• Creative storyteller able to translate priorities into donor messaging.

Responsibilities

• Manage a portfolio of prospects and donors; cultivate, solicit, and steward major gifts.
• Build a disciplined major-gift pipeline to support campaign planning.
• Own the annual fund strategy and execution (fall appeal, segmentation, calendar).
• Collaborate with Marketing on donor communications and timely delivery.
• Lead Giving Day planning, donor cultivation, and post-event stewardship.
• Plan donor engagement events and alumni gatherings.
• Drive corporate sponsorship strategy and sponsor recognition.
• Ensure compliant donor operations and audit-ready records.
• Maintain CRM discipline and data-driven reporting.
• Represent the school in tours and constituent engagement.
• Lead and coach the advancement team with clear priorities.

Skills

Major gifts

Annual giving

CRM experience

Project management

Communication

Donor relations

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Tools

Raiser’s Edge

Job description

School - Staff - St. Thomas Aquinas High School

Director of Advancement
Published: 02/06/2026

St. Thomas Aquinas High School, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida seeks a mission-driven Director of Advancement to lead major gifts and annual giving campaigns, strengthen stewardship, and coordinate advancement communications and engagement. The Director will lead a small, specialized advancement team (Data & Special Projects Manager; Alumni & Parent Engagement Coordinator; Donor Relations Associate) and coordinate with cross-campus partners (Marketing; Finance; Athletics; Fine Arts; Campus Ministry; Administration). S/he will report to the Executive Director or the President and have an 11-month schedule from August June with July off. Compensation is competitive and commensurate with experience and eligible for a performance bonus based on pre-established, measurable advancement metrics. The candidate performs all duties and responsibilities with the mission, vision, and values of the Catholic Archdiocese of Miami.

Functions and Responsibilities include:

• Manage a portfolio of prospects and donors; cultivate, solicit, and steward major gifts.
• Build and maintain a disciplined major-gift pipeline to support campaign planning and readiness, partnering with the Executive Director and key volunteers.
• Own the annual fund strategy and execution (fall appeal, segmentation, calendar, results, and stewardship follow-through).
• Partner with Marketing to produce donor-facing communications (appeals, email, video, storytelling) with clear quality control and on-time delivery.
• Lead Giving Day planning and execution, including donor cultivation, challenge design, giving buckets, and post-event stewardship.
• Plan and deliver donor and community engagement experiences (e.g., donor Mass/reception, alumni gatherings, cultivation events).
• Drive corporate sponsorship strategy: prospecting, solicitation support, fulfillment, and accurate sponsor recognition.
• Ensure high-quality donor operations: documentation, restricted gift intent/designations, pledge/wire readiness, acknowledgements, and audit-ready records.
• Maintain strong CRM discipline and reporting; use data for segmentation, strategy, and performance management.
• Represent the school through constituent engagement, tours, and special initiatives as needed.
• Lead and coach the advancement team with clear priorities, timelines, and accountability.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree required; equivalent senior-level professional experience considered.
• Demonstrated success in relationship-based fundraising (major gifts and/or annual giving).
• Strong communication skills (written, verbal, and interpersonal) with close attention to detail.
• Project-management strength: ability to coordinate across teams and manage deadlines.
• Working knowledge of CRM/donor systems (Raiser’s Edge or comparable preferred).
• Flexibility to work evenings/weekends for key events and constituent engagement.
• Self-starter with a high ownership mindset; thrives with autonomy and accountability.
• Creative communicator and storyteller; translates priorities into compelling donor messaging across channels.
• Resilient and persistent; maintains momentum through deadlines, ambiguity, and changing priorities.

Please note: In addition to the eligibility requirements indicated in the Archdiocese of Miami Policy "Creating and Maintaining a Safe Environment for Children and Vulnerable Adults", the selected candidate for this entity must undergo a background screening through the Florida Care Provider Background Screening Clearinghouse and be granted a determination of eligibility as a condition of employment. For more information on the Clearinghouse please visit info.flclearinghouse.com .