Director of Annual Giving

The Blake School; Hopkins (MN); On-site; USD 90,000 - 135,000; Full time

Job summary

The Blake School in Hopkins, MN seeks a strategic, organized Director of Annual Giving to advance Blake’s philanthropy and engage alumni, parents, and the Blake community. You will lead strategy, messaging, and donor stewardship while supervising the Advancement Associate.

You will balance strategy and execution, use data to guide decisions, and partner with IA and school leaders to keep the Blake Fund a philanthropic priority. Evening and weekend events may be required.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree is required
• 4–5 years of fundraising experience with success in annual giving
• Experience identifying, cultivating, soliciting and closing gifts from new prospects
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Proven ability to create communications and campaigns that drive action
• Ability to translate fundraising priorities into clear, donor-centered language
• Strong organizational and project management skills
• Ability to manage multiple projects, set priorities and meet deadlines
• Comfort using data to guide outreach and measure performance
• Proficient with donor databases, CRM systems and Google Workspace
• Represent Blake professionally and contribute to a collegial workplace
• Sound judgment and discretion with confidential information
• Flexible under pressure and eager to learn new skills
• Available for evening and weekend events
• Valid driver's license and good driving record

Responsibilities

• Lead donor-centered strategy and execution for the Blake Fund, including annual goals, donor segmentation, solicitation calendar, stewardship coordination, reporting and more
• Develop fresh, persuasive Blake Fund messaging across print, digital, volunteer and event-based channels
• Manage a portfolio of leadership donors and prospects ($2,500+ annually) and oversee tracking and evaluation of leadership-level giving. Lead the cultivation and stewardship of Blake's leadership giving circle
• Build targeted strategies for key donor segments, including LYBNTs, SYBNTs, lapsed donors, leadership annual giving prospects, reunion classes, young alumni, current parents and more.
• Partner across IA and the school to educate the community about the Blake Fund and its relevance to school success
• Lead overall strategy and execution of Blake's annual giving day
• Partner with alumni engagement to provide strategic oversight of reunion giving
• Supervise, support and guide the Advancement Associate
• Work with the Chief Advancement Officer to set annual giving priorities and support the Board of Trustees' Advancement Committee
• Train, manage and support volunteers in peer-to-peer solicitation and other roles
• Track key performance indicators (participation, retention, average gift) to set benchmarks, measure progress, adjust strategy and report to school leadership and key stakeholders
• Develop stewardship tactics with the Major Gifts, Advancement Services, Donor Relations and the Special Events staff leads
• Stay current on industry trends and participate in peer networks to strengthen donor satisfaction and support
• Perform other duties as assigned

Skills

Fundraising strategy

Donor relations

Project management

Communication skills

Data-driven decision making

CRM proficiency

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Veracross

Raiser's Edge

Google Workspace

Job description

Description

Position Overview:

Blake seeks a strategic, organized and results-oriented Director of Annual Giving to serve as a senior member of the Advancement team. The Director of Annual Giving leads strategy for Blake's annual giving program, growing donor support for the school's mission. Drawing on data, best practices and knowledge of the Blake community, the director engages alumni, parents and guardians, grandparents, employees and others. The director works closely with fellow department directors and the full IA team and supervises the Advancement Associate.

The successful candidate will be a disciplined fundraiser, strong manager, clear communicator and collaborative colleague who can balance strategy and execution, use data to guide decisions, manage staff and volunteers effectively and keep the Blake Fund visible as a philanthropic priority for Blake.

Essential Functions and Responsibilities:

Strategic Planning & Solicitation

• Lead donor-centered strategy and execution for the Blake Fund, including annual goals, donor segmentation, solicitation calendar, stewardship coordination, reporting and more
• Develop fresh, persuasive Blake Fund messaging across print, digital, volunteer and event-based channels
• Manage a portfolio of leadership donors and prospects ($2,500+ annually) and oversee tracking and evaluation of leadership-level giving. Lead the cultivation and stewardship of Blake's leadership giving circle
• Build targeted strategies for key donor segments, including LYBNTs, SYBNTs, lapsed donors, leadership annual giving prospects, reunion classes, young alumni, current parents and more.
• Partner across IA and the school to educate the community about the Blake Fund and its relevance to school success
• Lead overall strategy and execution of Blake's annual giving day
• Partner with alumni engagement to provide strategic oversight of reunion giving

Volunteer & Staff Management

• Supervise, support and guide the Advancement Associate
• Work with the Chief Advancement Officer to set annual giving priorities and support the Board of Trustees' Advancement Committee
• Train, manage and support volunteers in peer-to-peer solicitation and other roles

Analysis, Reporting & Stewardship

• Track key performance indicators (participation, retention, average gift) to set benchmarks, measure progress, adjust strategy and report to school leadership and key stakeholders
• Develop stewardship tactics with the Major Gifts, Advancement Services, Donor Relations and the Special Events staff leads
• Stay current on industry trends and participate in peer networks to strengthen donor satisfaction and support
• Perform other duties as assigned

Minimum Qualifications:

Required:

• Bachelor's degree
• Four to five years of fundraising experience with demonstrated success in annual giving
• Experience identifying, cultivating, soliciting and closing gifts from new prospects
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills; able to convey the mission compellingly
• Proven ability to create communications and campaigns that drive action (e.g., marketing, social media, challenges, incentives)
• Ability to translate fundraising priorities into clear, donor-centered language
• Strong organizational and project management skills
• Ability to manage multiple projects, set priorities and meet deadlines
• Comfort using data to guide outreach, make decisions and measure performance
• Proficient with donor databases, CRM systems and Google Workspace
• Represent Blake professionally and contribute to a collegial workplace
• Sound judgment and discretion with confidential information
• Flexible under pressure and eager to learn new skills
• Available for evening and weekend events
• Valid driver's license and good driving record

Preferred:

• Annual giving experience in an educational setting, ideally with an independent school
• Familiarity with Veracross, Raiser's Edge or similar systems
• Experience managing staff and volunteers
• Commitment to intercultural competency and to inclusive, equitable practice
• Passion for philanthropy

NOTE: This job description is not intended to be all-inclusive. Employees may perform other related duties to meet the ongoing needs of the organization.