Director of Annual Giving & Advancement Operations

Illinois Education Job Bank; Wheaton (IL); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

St. Francis High School in Wheaton, Illinois, is seeking a Director of Annual Giving & Advancement Operations to oversee annual giving programs, donor stewardship, and the Advancement database.

The role focuses on growing philanthropic support, strengthening donor relationships, and ensuring accurate records and reporting. Ideal candidates will possess 3–5 years in fundraising or advancement operations, experience with Raiser's Edge NXT, and strong skills in organization, analytics,

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent relevant experience.
• 3–5 years of experience in fundraising, annual giving, or advancement operations.
• Experience with donor management software, preferably Raiser's Edge NXT.
• Demonstrated ability to manage fundraising campaigns, donor relationships, and financial data.
• Strong organizational, analytical, communication, and project management skills.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel and fundraising reporting.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities, maintain confidentiality, and work collaboratively.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute annual giving strategies, fundraising goals, budgets, and campaign calendars.
• Manage annual appeals, Day of Giving, parent and alumni giving programs, and targeted fundraising initiatives.
• Increase donor participation, retention, recurring giving, and overall annual fund revenue.
• Support scholarship fundraising, leadership giving through the St. Francis Society, and other institutional priorities.
• Collaborate with Advancement, Communications, and school departments to coordinate fundraising initiatives and activities.
• Support major gift and capital campaign activities as needed.
• Manage donor acknowledgment, recognition, and stewardship programs.
• Develop fundraising communications, appeals, and donor correspondence.
• Identify opportunities to engage new, existing, and lapsed donors.
• Help coordinate donor recognition events and activities, such as the annual Gratitude & Impact Report.
• Administer the donor database, maintaining accurate records, giving histories, and constituent information.
• Oversee gift entry, pledge tracking, acknowledgments, and gift reconciliation with the Business Office.
• Develop donor lists, reports, dashboards, and analyses to support fundraising decisions, operational reporting, the annual Gratitude & Impact Report, etc.
• Maintain database integrity, donor confidentiality, and consistent gift-processing procedures.
• Support donor prospect research, segmentation, and fundraising pipeline development.
• Coordinate with school departments to maintain visibility into fundraising activities across campus.
• Represent Advancement at school and donor events, including occasional evenings and weekends.
• Build positive relationships with alumni, parents, faculty, staff, and community members.
• Perform other duties as assigned by the Vice President of Advancement.

Skills

Fundraising

Donor relations

Analytical skills

Project management

Communication

Excel

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent

Tools

Raiser's Edge NXT

Job description

Director of Annual Giving & Advancement Operations

Duties

Position Summary

The Director of Annual Giving & Advancement Operations is responsible for managing St. Francis High School's annual giving programs, donor stewardship, and Advancement database. This position plays a key role in growing philanthropic support, strengthening donor relationships, and ensuring accurate donor records and fundraising reporting. The ideal candidate is a results-oriented professional who supports the school's Catholic mission and models its Franciscan values.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and execute annual giving strategies, fundraising goals, budgets, and campaign calendars.
• Manage annual appeals, Day of Giving, parent and alumni giving programs, and targeted fundraising initiatives.
• Increase donor participation, retention, recurring giving, and overall annual fund revenue.
• Support scholarship fundraising, leadership giving through the St. Francis Society, and other institutional priorities.
• Collaborate with Advancement, Communications, and school departments to coordinate fundraising initiatives and activities.
• Support major gift and capital campaign activities as needed.

Donor Relations & Stewardship

• Manage donor acknowledgment, recognition, and stewardship programs.
• Develop fundraising communications, appeals, and donor correspondence.
• Identify opportunities to engage new, existing, and lapsed donors.
• Help coordinate donor recognition events and activities, such as the annual Gratitude & Impact Report.

Database Management & Advancement Operations

• Administer the donor database, maintaining accurate records, giving histories, and constituent information.
• Oversee gift entry, pledge tracking, acknowledgments, and gift reconciliation with the Business Office.
• Develop donor lists, reports, dashboards, and analyses to support fundraising decisions, operational reporting, the annual Gratitude & Impact Report, etc.
• Maintain database integrity, donor confidentiality, and consistent gift-processing procedures.
• Support donor prospect research, segmentation, and fundraising pipeline development.

School Engagement

• Coordinate with school departments to maintain visibility into fundraising activities across campus.
• Represent Advancement at school and donor events, including occasional evenings and weekends.
• Build positive relationships with alumni, parents, faculty, staff, and community members.
• Perform other duties as assigned by the Vice President of Advancement.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent relevant experience.
• Minimum 3–5 years of experience in fundraising, annual giving, or Advancement operations.
• Experience with donor management software, preferably Raiser's Edge NXT.
• Demonstrated ability to manage fundraising campaigns, donor relationships, and financial data.
• Strong organizational, analytical, communication, and project management skills.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel and fundraising reporting.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities, maintain confidentiality, and work collaboratively.

Additional Notes

About St. Francis High School

Founded in 1956, St. Francis High School is a Catholic, coeducational, college preparatory learning community that promotes spiritual, academic, physical, and social development in the daily presence of Jesus Christ. The school was named a National Blue Ribbon School in 2023 by the U.S. Department of Education and has earned a Microsoft Showcase School designation for seven consecutive years and counting. With approximately 700 students in grades 9-12, the school is distinguished by its exceptional academics, distinctive community spirit, and unique opportunities: minds and spirits thrive inside the classroom as well as on the stage and field. Animated by the Franciscan values of love of God and service to others, the SFHS community is characterized by passion, energy, and warmth. Spiritual growth is a core part of the St. Francis High School experience. The size of the school allows students to be known individually by teachers and faculty, cultivating academic engagement, participation, and leadership among students of all grade levels.