Philanthropy Officer

Job DescriptionJob DescriptionReporting to the Chief Advancement Officer (CAO), the Philanthropy Officer creates a culture of giving by fostering and developing relationships with the school’s key stakeholders. In collaboration with Cooper Board Members, parents, alumni, and other major donors, this major and principal gift fundraising professional will identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward relationships with individuals for whom the school’s mission and vision is of significant meaning and value.

Essential Duties:

The Philanthropy Officer assumes primary responsibility for developing and stewarding a network of The John Cooper School’s individual donors capable of making significant charitable commitments to the organization. The network will consist of individuals representing families of current students and alumni, alumni and friends of the school, extended families, Board members, corporations, and foundations. The Philanthropy Officer will create and implement engagement strategies for potential and current donors and routinely review these engagement strategies with the CAO. In addition to their ability to work independently, the Philanthropy Officer will collaborate with the Head of School, Academic Divisions and Program Leaders, Board members, and other major donors in developing and implementing engagement and solicitation strategies.

Responsibilities:

• Maintain a strategic focus on engagement with individuals within the network, specifically those comprising a portfolio of 75-90 key stakeholders of the School. Consistently interact with, cultivate, and solicit individuals who will expect that the Philanthropy Officer will be highly responsive to their interests and concerns. Spend most time directly or indirectly with these donors.
• As a major and principal fundraising professional, it will be expected that this individual achieves measurable performance in the development of a donor portfolio, donor engagement, direct solicitation, charitable gifts received and renewal rates. Goals will be developed with the CAO on an annual basis in alignment with the current engagement status of individuals in the portfolio, previous year’s performance results and fundraising priorities of the School.
• In collaboration with the CAO, manage, refine, and implement a comprehensive stewardship plan for major and principal donors to the School that includes personalized acknowledgment, recognition, and ongoing communication to ensure a positive and enduring relationship with the School.
• Represent the school in a variety of settings with a knowledge and understanding of school activities and strategic initiatives to drive growth; this includes attending events produced by members of the Advancement Office and other key events as identified by the CAO and Head of School. Attend Advancement meetings as appropriate, fostering a collaborative environment with colleagues, administrators, and high-level volunteers.
• Abide by The John Cooper School’s Employee Handbook and Donor Bill of Rights, maintaining the highest standards of professionalism and ethical behavior.
• Perform additional duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree from accredited institution.
• Prior major gift fundraising experience required with demonstrated results regularly securing gifts of $50,000 or more; experience in NAIS-accredited independent schools or higher educational environment preferred.
• Experience working with fundraising volunteers and/or campaign leadership.
• Demonstrated energy, enthusiasm, and focus to achieve established fundraising goals.
• Exceptional interpersonal, oral, and written communication skills.
• Commitment to advancing Cooper’s current strategic plan including securing contributions to capital, program, and operational initiatives.
• A self-starter and team player with a sense of urgency who is intellectually curious and a problem solver, seeking ways to improve professional skills and programs.
• Aptitude for efficiently meeting deadlines and managing multiple projects concurrently.
• Ability to work with a variety of constituencies such as families of current students and alumni, alumni and friends of the school, extended families, Board members, representatives of corporations and foundations representatives, faculty, and staff in a professional and effective way, with a dedication to customer service.
• Demonstrated ability to maintain confidentiality and handle sensitive information with discretion and good judgment.
• Understanding of database management and donor relations best practices; experience and familiarity with Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge preferred.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office software, especially Excel and Word.

Please upload resume and letter of interest.

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