Senior Director of Development & Advancement

Diverse Charter Schools Coalition; St. Louis (MO); On-site; USD 95,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical benefits

Dental benefits

Pension plan

21 days Personal Time Off

Job summary

City Garden Montessori School is seeking a Director of Development to lead all fundraising efforts and advance a multichannel strategy. The role collaborates with the CEO and Board to secure 4-5 figure gifts, build donor relations, and expand support for Montessori education.

The position will manage a portfolio of major donors, supervise the Development & Communications Manager, and report to the CEO. On-site with some remote work possible, with a comprehensive benefits package.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required.
• 5+ years of progressive fundraising experience.
• Demonstrated success securing 4-5 figure major gifts.
• Energized by heavy discovery and prospecting work.
• Strong relationship-building and interpersonal skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication abilities.
• Experience working with donor databases and fundraising CRM systems.
• Passion for educational equity and Montessori education.

Responsibilities

• Manage a portfolio of approximately 50–75 major donor and prospect relationships.
• Develop and implement individualized cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship plans.
• Conduct donor meetings, site visits, and stewardship activities throughout the year.
• Prepare and lead major (4-5 figure) gift solicitations in partnership with the CEO and Board members.
• Identify opportunities to increase donor retention and upgrade giving levels.
• Proactively conduct discovery work to uncover new individual prospects.
• Develop and execute the annual fundraising plan.
• Establish annual fundraising goals and key performance indicators.
• Monitor fundraising performance and adjust strategies as needed.
• Build a sustainable pipeline of major gift prospects.
• Oversee foundation and corporate fundraising strategy.
• Develop relationships with key institutional funders.
• Collaborate on grant proposals, reports, and stewardship activities.
• Ensure timely submission of all grant and sponsorship opportunities.
• Support Board fundraising efforts and engagement.
• Build a development committee to assist with donor identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.
• Provide coaching and tools to help Board members manage donor relationships.
• Partner with volunteer leaders and ambassadors to expand City Garden’s network.
• Supervise and support the Development & Communications Manager.
• Foster strong systems, accountability, and collaboration across advancement functions.
• Work closely with school leadership to identify compelling stories and funding opportunities.

Skills

Major gifts

Donor relations

Fundraising strategy

Discovery & prospecting

CRM systems

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Donor databases

Job description

City Garden Montessori School is seeking a Director of Development to lead all fundraising efforts and advance a multichannel strategy. The role collaborates with the CEO and Board to secure 4-5 figure gifts, build donor relations, and expand support for Montessori education.

The position will manage a portfolio of major donors, supervise the Development & Communications Manager, and report to the CEO. On-site with some remote work possible, with a comprehensive benefits package.