Director of Development

The Director of Development is a key member of the Advancement Team, responsible for providing leadership to and executing the School’s fundraising and constituent relations programs—including primary responsibility for all annual giving and foundation relations programs and secondary responsibility for major giving and capital campaigns. The Director develops strategies to strengthen relationships across all School constituencies and works closely with the Advancement Committee and other key volunteer committees to create a culture of philanthropy. The Director of Development reports to the Director of Advancement and serves as a liaison to the Westmark Parent Association (WPA).

Salary Offered: $90,000 – $110,000 annually

RESPONSIBILITIES

●       Annual giving (Westmark Fund and Gala)

o   Develops a detailed plan for the Westmark Fund and Spring Gala, including revenue and expenditures for inclusion in the overall advancement plan;

o   Sets annual giving goals based on historical analysis of donor, prospect base, and School needs. Uses wealth screening, giving history, and other information to determine appropriate ask amounts for each constituent;

o   Establishes a detailed calendar of solicitations by targeted constituency and fundraising strategy and develops targeted campaigns for parents of current students, grandparents of current students, alumni parents, alumni, and faculty and staff;

o   Assists in enlisting Westmark Fund and Gala volunteer chairs and recruits committee members;

o   Staffs the volunteer leadership for the Westmark Fund and the Gala, including ensuring that volunteers receive the appropriate training, support, and recognition;

o   Personally contacts, cultivates, solicits, and stewards prospects, as appropriate, for the Westmark Fund and the Spring Gala;

o    Provides ongoing analysis and evaluation of solicitation programs and monitors results in order to meet goals; and

o   Collaborates with the marketing and communications staff in writing and producing Westmark Fund collateral materials.

●      Foundation Relations

o   Develops and implements a plan to obtain annual and major gift support from foundations;

o   Develops relationships with program officers as appropriate;

o   Tracks top foundations to ensure that a proposal is cued up at all times;

o   Conducts research to identify foundations likely to contribute to School programs and projects based upon giving patterns, areas of interest, and relationships with School administrators, faculty, volunteers, parents, and trustees;

o   Prepares and submits proposals, including tracking progress of proposals through decision making cycle, developing strategies for follow-up and intermediate moves between application and decision, and determining reasons when proposals are rejected;

o   Elicits assistance and involvement of faculty and others as appropriate in the preparation and submission of proposals and in the cultivation and solicitation process;

o   Ensures that thank-you letters and timely follow-up reports are drafted and signed as appropriate; and

o   Establishes and maintains a system for monitoring and reporting the pledged and awarded funds from foundations.

●       Major gifts

o   Supports the Director of Advancement in administering the School’s major gifts program, as directed, including by participating in briefings and committee work.

●       Constituent relations

o   Manages the quality and scope of the relationship between Westmark School and its key constituencies through targeted institutional research;

o   Oversees events, programs, and activities designed to nurture relationships with donors, alumni, parents of alumni, and grandparents of current students;

o   Cultivates constituents personally and with others;

o   Communicates regularly with alumni and parents of alumni to maintain contact and ensure we have updated biographical information in the School database and proactively solicits updated information;

o   Manages and promotes Westmark Connects; and

o   Collaborates with the Director of Admission in securing alumni to attend and speak at events for current and prospective parents.

●       Stewardship

o   Develops a comprehensive stewardship plan designed to build a culture of philanthropy and appropriately thank and recognize donors;

o   Ensures there is ample inventory of mementos and gifts for donors and volunteers to be given in appreciation;

o   Ensures donors are thanked for their Westmark Fund, Spring Gala, and campaign gifts and that communications are thoughtful and inspire donors to give repeatedly;

o   Responsible for post-gift stewardship of each donor with the highest possible degree of personalized attention, arranging for interactions with the Director of Advancement, Head of School, and Trustees, as appropriate; and

● Performs other duties as assigned by the Director of Advancement or the Head of School.

QUALIFICATIONS

● Bachelor’s Degree and 7+ years of solid fundraising experience with a track record of raising significant funds for an independent school or well-known non-profit organization.

● Passionately embraces and effectively communicates the mission and vision of Westmark School to internal and external constituencies.

● Able to conceptualize, plan, and implement a cohesive strategy for development and constituent relations.

● Demonstrate an ability to balance multiple priorities.

● Experienced managing and motivating large groups of volunteers.

● Possess excellent organizational, communication and presentation skills, as well as strong computer skills (fluency in Raiser’s Edge software preferred).

●  Maintain professional and ethical standards for handling confidential information.

● Becomes involved in the life of the School, including attending academic, performing arts, and athletics events.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is required to sit in on meetings and work on a computer for long periods of time; and is occasionally required to walk, reach with hands and arms, balance, stoop, talk, and hear. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 15 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by the job include close vision, distance, distance vision, and the ability to adjust focus.

COVID-19

Westmark School follows CDC and LACDPH protocols for K-12 schools.  All faculty and staff are required to be fully vaccinated for the COVID-19 virus, including any booster shots.

TO APPLY

Please send a letter of interest and resume to:

Attn: Mary-Ellen Lavigne, Director of Advancement

[email protected]

 

Westmark School | 5461 Louise Avenue | Encino, CA 91316

www.westmarkschool.org

Westmark School is an equal opportunity employer and makes employment decisions on the basis of merit and job performance. School policy prohibits discrimination based on race, color, creed, gender, gender identity or expression, religion, marital status, age, national origin or ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical conditions (including genetic characteristics or information), sexual orientation, or any other consideration made unlawful by federal, state, and local laws.