Director of Development

AWSNA: Assoc. of Waldorf Schools of N. America; Richmond (VA); On-site; USD 53,000 - 65,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, Dental, Vision insurance

Retirement plan

Life insurance

Disability insurance

80 hours Paid Time Off

90% Tuition remission

Free Aftercare

Job summary

Richmond Waldorf School seeks a Director of Development to oversee fundraising initiatives and alum relations. The role involves strategic planning for various campaigns, managing communication efforts, and collaborating with the Development Committee on events. It requires a Bachelor's degree and relevant experience.

The school emphasizes holistic education and is located in Richmond, Virginia. Benefits include health insurance, retirement plans, and tuition remission.

Qualifications

• 3 years’ experience in development management or coordinator position required.
• Fundraising experience in a school setting is essential.

Responsibilities

• Plans and executes fundraising initiatives.
• Coordinates community-wide communications strategy.
• Builds relationships with alums.
• Manages creation of the Annual Report.
• Coordinates with Development Committee on events.

Skills

Fundraising

Communication skills

Analytical skills

Relationship management

Project management

Education

Bachelor’s degree in relevant fields

Job description

Opening Statement

Richmond Waldorf School (RWS) seeks candidates for the position of Director of Development.

The Director of Development executes on the school’s fundraising initiatives, grant applications and awards, and alum relations. In partnership with other administrative team members, coordinate communication plans and school events. This position will work closely with other members of the Development Committee. This position reports directly to the Executive Director.

About

Richmond Waldorf School was founded in 1996 with a passion for providing children a holistic education that falls in alignment with their natural human development through hands‑on, nature‑rich, and play‑based experiences. We are dedicated to providing a learning environment that cultivates creative thinking, genuine inquiry, and a love of learning. RWS has grown from a single Kindergarten classroom to a campus that serves 200 students from Pre‑K through 8th grade. Our specialty program includes Movement Arts, French, Mandarin, Biking, Handwork, Music and Strings, Woodwork, Visual Arts, and Latin. Richmond Waldorf School is fully accredited by SAIS (Southern Association of Independent Schools), a member of WECAN (Waldorf Early Childhood Association of North America), and is a Candidate School of AWSNA (Association of Waldorf Schools of North America),. We have a College, Board of Trustees, and Parents Association that help ensure support for the health of the school.

Our school is located on a beautiful, urban campus in the Northside of Richmond, Virginia in close proximity to Virginia Commonwealth University, University of Richmond, and only a few hours from the Blue Ridge Mountains, Washington, DC, and the coastal beaches of Virginia and North Carolina. Richmond is a rapidly growing city with amazing restaurants, a thriving art and music scene, and a plethora of outdoor parks and walking trails. The James River winds its way through the heart of the city, offering four seasons of adventure and beauty.

To read more about our school, please go to our website at www.richmondwaldorf.com.

Essential Job Duties

Essential Functions:

Fundraising

• Strategically plans and executes a Fundraising plan for the fiscal year alongside the Development Committee. This includes but is not limited to: the Annual Fund, fundraising events, Holiday Faire & vendors, May Faire, Gala, Silent Auction, event sponsorships, and donor stewardship.
• Manages the creation and disbursement of the Annual Report, September of each year.
• Create and distribute both mailed and emailed fundraising campaign outreach.
• Gather and track progress towards fundraising goals.
• Advertise fundraising progress to the school community – including goals and progress towards those goals. This includes writing communications, posting on social media, personal communication with top donors, etc.
• Track amount raised, % participation and class rewards earned – and provide updates periodically to the school community.
• Send thank you notes to donors.
• Prepare and share tax deduction receipts with all donors.
• Follow up on pledges not received throughout the spring.
• In the near future, work closely with the Executive Director on a capital campaign.

Grants

• Maintain reporting requirements for all awarded grants.
• Apply for grants that support the school’s long‑range plans.

Communication

• Coordinates and executes on community wide communications strategy for the fiscal year. This includes: weekly Messenger communication, gathering clear and concise information from all realms of the school to share with parents, social media (Facebook, Instagram), external communication for events, campaigns, etc., the Annual Report, and assisting in any one off communications throughout the year relevant to the school’s development efforts, keeping them in line with weekly information shared.
• Creates content for all social media accounts for the school, posting periodically, as it pertains to fundraising and other development associated content.

Alum Relations

• Build upon current alum relationship efforts.
• Coordinate new efforts in consultation with the High School Transition Coordinator and the Executive Director.

School Events

• Co‑coordinates with the Development Committee and Parents Association the project management of school events to be sure communication and expectations are clear, and the needs of our community are met throughout these gatherings.
• Acts as a liaison along with the Development Committee for the Parents Association, guiding in event planning, volunteerism and alignment of PA happenings with the larger community calendar.

General

• Submit internal and external reports in a timely manner.
• Partner with outside contractors and organizations for website development and other content creation.
• Maintains positive relationships with parents and responds to all parent concerns.
• Maintains positive, professional relationships with colleagues and responds to all collegial concerns.
• Engages in on-going professional and personal growth.
• Fulfills other duties, as assigned, relative to the job responsibilities.

Qualifications

Competencies

• Ability to empower and delegate tasks to staff, contractors and volunteers, as appropriate
• Ability to direct and report in clearly on all development workstreams
• Focused analytical skills with an anticipatory mindset
• Ability to balance multiple demands in ways that are well organized
• Ability to demonstrate genuine appreciation and respect for all school community members
• Ability to manage difficult situations with confidentiality and sensitivity
• Excellent human relationship skills with children and adults
• Positive, professional relationships with colleagues
• Positive, professional relationships with parents and volunteers
• Clear and timely communication with parents and colleagues
• Excellent oral and written communication skills

Experience

Required:

• Bachelor’s degree within relevant fields including business administration, communications, non‑profit studies, education, social sciences, or a related field
• 3 years’ experience working in a development management or coordinator position
• Fundraising experience in a school setting

Preferred:

• 5+ years’ experience working in a development management, coordinator or director position
• Understanding of and/or willingness to learn about Waldorf education
• Communication experience in a school setting
• Marketing experience in a school setting
• Experience working in a collaborative environment

Physical Demands

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk and hear. This position is very active and requires standing, walking, bending, kneeling, stooping, crouching, crawling, and climbing. The employee must frequently lift and/or move items up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus.

Employment Details

This Is a 40 Hour Per Week Position. The Salary Rate For This Regular, Full-time, Exempt Position Is $53,000 To $65,000 Per Year, Depending On Exact Experience And Qualifications. This Is a 12-month School Year Position.

Benefits

• Health, Dental and Vision insurance
• Retirement plan with employer contribution
• Life insurance
• Short- and Long-Term Disability insurance
• 80 hours Paid Time Off (PTO) per fiscal year (July 1 to June 30)
• Paid Holidays & School Breaks (~30 days; subject to finalized school schedule each year)
• 90% Tuition remission for dependent child/ren enrolled at RWS
• Free Aftercare for dependent children during scheduled work hours (children must also be enrolled in a school program.)