Director of Development, International Community School

Our Fundraising Search; Decatur (GA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

International Community School (ICS) is seeking a Director of Development to design and implement a comprehensive fundraising strategy across annual gifts, major gifts, foundations, government grants, events, and capital campaigns. The role focuses on building relationships to increase resources and visibility for current programs and new initiatives.

You will lead a high-performing development operation, assess existing practices, and shape strategy, staffing, tools, and partnerships to create

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant field is required.
• Minimum of 5 years of nonprofit fundraising experience.
• Experience in managing annual giving and major gifts programs.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement a comprehensive fundraising strategy to meet goals.
• Identify and cultivate relationships with individual donors, foundations, corporations, and other funding sources.
• Develop stewardship strategies to build lasting donor relationships and recognition.
• Collaborate with the board to support fundraising efforts.
• Oversee potential capital campaigns and coordinate with consultants as needed.
• Build and manage a development team and external resources.
• Research and write grant proposals; manage grant applications.
• Plan and execute fundraising events and donor engagement activities.
• Work with marketing on fundraising materials and campaigns.
• Oversee donor database, gift acknowledgments, and tracking systems.
• Develop budgets and prepare fundraising reports for stakeholders.

Skills

Donor relations

Fundraising strategy

Team leadership

Grant writing

Event planning

Budgeting & reporting

Education

Bachelor's degree in business administration, nonprofit management, communications, or a related field

Tools

Fundraising software

CRM systems

Job description

Job Description (Summary)

The International Community School (ICS) seeks a Director of Development who will be responsible for designing and implementing a comprehensive fundraising strategy including annual individual and major gifts, foundation and government grants, fundraising events, direct marketing campaigns, corporate giving and sponsorship, and capital campaign support. The Director of Development will manage existing and forge new relationships to build IC’s visibility and increase its financial resources for current programs and new initiatives. The Director of Development will have the opportunity and resources to build a high-performing development operation, assessing existing practices, infrastructure, and resources to determine what should be strengthened, refined, or newly established. This leader will shape the department’s strategy, staffing, tools, and external partnerships to create a sustainable, effective fundraising program aligned with the organization’s mission and goals.

Duties & Responsibilities:

As Director of Development, you will play a critical role in revenue-generating activities for IC…

Key responsibilities include:

• Fundraising Strategy: Develop and implement a comprehensive fundraising strategy to achieve annual fundraising goals and long-term sustainability objectives.
• Donor Cultivation: Identify and cultivate relationships with individual donors, foundations, corporations, and other potential funding sources to expand the school's donor base.
• Stewardship and Donor Relations: Develop and implement stewardship strategies to cultivate lasting relationships with donors, including acknowledgment, recognition, and communication.
• Board Engagement: Collaborate with the board of directors to support fundraising efforts.
• Capital Campaign: Manage potential capital campaign, engaging and overseeing a consulting firm as necessary.
• Note: IC…
• Team Leadership: Build and manage a team of development staff, consultants and/or supporting resources to ensure successful implementation of the fundraising strategy.
• Grant Writing and Management: Research grant opportunities, write grant proposals and/or manage the grant application process to secure funding for various school initiatives and projects.
• Event Planning and Management: Plan, organize, and execute fundraising events, including donor engagement and appreciation events, galas, auctions, and community outreach events.
• Note: Currently the school operates two key events to include our annual UN Day and Dash at Dawn with potentially adding an annual gala.
• Marketing and Communications: Collaborate with the marketing team to create compelling fundraising materials, newsletters, and social media campaigns to engage donors and raise awareness about the school's mission and impact.
• Database: Oversee the administration of the donor database, gift acknowledgement process and all tracking systems, policies & procedures.
• Budgeting and Financial Reporting: Work closely with the finance team to develop fundraising budgets, track fundraising metrics, and prepare accurate financial reports for internal and external stakeholders.

Qualifications & Skills:

We are looking for a dynamic and well-connected development leader. To be minimally qualified, you must have:

• Bachelor's degree in business administration, nonprofit management, communications, or a related field
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in nonprofit fundraising or related field, with a proven track record of successful fundraising and donor relations
• Background in managing both annual giving and individual major gift programs
• Experience in strategic and financial planning to include comprehensive annual campaign strategy and execution
• Proficiency in fundraising software and database management systems
• Knowledge of and connection to the Metro-Atlanta donor ecosystem
• Team leadership experience

The following experience is preferred, but not required:

• Educational fundraising experience
• Cultural competence with an international school community
• Experience working with endowments and planned giving vehicles
• Experience with grant writing and/or managing grant writers