Advancement Services Associate

Overview of School:

Sonoma Academy is an independent high school located in Santa Rosa, CA on a 34-acre campus, surrounded by 1,000 acres of protected open space, at the base of Taylor Mountain. Founded in 2001, it provides an engaging, challenging, and innovative college preparatory education and a supportive community for motivated learners from Sonoma, Napa, Marin, Lake, and Mendocino counties. The school currently serves 330 students in grades 9 through 12 and is increasing its enrollment each year. Of our 330 students, 31% self-identify as students of color and 6% of our students are international students. Our students come from 80 middle schools, ensuring a broad mixture of students from all over the greater North Bay Area.

Our Mission: Sonoma Academy calls its students to be creative, ethical, and committed to learning. The school nurtures inspiring teachers and engages with the surrounding community, and its students communicate across cultures as they prepare to become leaders in a dynamic world.

Sonoma Academy’s Commitment to Diversity: We believe that learning occurs best in a connected community. Diversity, equity, and inclusivity are essential to an education in which all members of our community thrive. We are committed to cultivating a diverse community that is conscious and welcoming of difference, dedicated to investigating and advancing equity, and engages with our local and global community. If you would like to join us in our work, we would welcome your application. As we are deeply committed to having a staffulty (staff and faculty) and student body which reflects the rich diversity within the North Bay, we strongly encourage candidates from BIPOC and/or educators from communities that are historically underrepresented to apply.

For more information on programs and philosophy, please visit our website: www.sonomaacademy.org.

Position Overview: The Advancement Services Associate (Gift Processing, Recording & Acknowledgement Specialist) provides vital support of all aspects of the Advancement Department. This includes administrative, strategic, and tactical support in our fast-paced, highly collaborative, donor-centered office. As a member of the team, the Gift Processing, Recording & Acknowledgement Specialist plays an integral role in the efficient and successful execution of all development office initiatives. Using Raiser’s Edge this position focuses on the receipt, coding, recording, and acknowledgment of gifts, donations and pledges of all kinds; tracking and generating pledge reminders; creating, maintaining, and implementing constituent-specific thank you templates; and campaign support. This position requires a high degree of accuracy and collaboration with other members of the advancement team, and works to assure accuracy in all aspects of gift processing, reporting, and the timely and effective acknowledgement of donors and volunteers.

Key Responsibilities:

Database Management & Gift Processing

• Maintain Raiser’s Edge records, ensuring accurate biographical data, donor interactions, and gift history
• Accurately process all gifts, pledges, and event donations, ensuring proper tracking, coding, and acknowledgment
• Generate, track, and mail donor acknowledgment letters and pledge reminders
• Run queries, reports, and data exports to support fundraising analysis and planning
• Conduct gift batch reconciliation of gifts with the Business Office
• Cross-reference information with all school databases to ensure data accuracy

Fundraising & Donor Stewardship

• Support Annual Fund, capital campaigns, and donor engagement initiatives
• Assist in tracking donor cultivation, stewardship efforts, and major gift prospects
• Manage the creation and editing of donor correspondence templates
• Assist with solicitation mailings, fundraising appeals, and donor outreach
• Assist in preparing materials for phone-a-thons, board and committee meetings

Special Events & Advancement Support

• Enter and manage RSVPs, auction items, and donor engagement for key fundraising events, such as Big Night Out, Grandparents Day, and donor receptions
• Prepare mailing lists, labels, name tags, and event materials
• Assist in volunteer tracking, and donor recognition efforts
• Support on-site event operations, including check-in, auction coordination, and donor relations, as needed

Administrative & Office Support

• Provide general administrative support, including inventory management, proofreading donor communications, and department organization
• Maintain an ongoing awareness of school-wide events to enhance donor outreach and engagement strategies
• Other duties as assigned

Qualifications

• Expertise in Raiser's Edge or comparable fundraising software required
• Bachelor's degree or commensurate work experience
• Minimum two years' experience in a development office, preferably at a school
• Excellent interpersonal, written and oral communication skills, ability to work well within a team
• Ability to work independently and be a self-starter
• Excellent organizational skills, good follow through, and attention to details, even in a fast-paced environment

Compensation:

The salary range for this position is $25hr - $30hr (based on experience) and is competitive with independent schools throughout the Bay Area

Physical Requirements and Work Environment:

• Occasionally lift up to 30 pounds
• Generally works in standard office conditions and climate
• May work in varied extreme outside weather conditions during special activities and fundraising events
• Must work some nights and weekends
• Works in a fast-paced environment dealing with a wide variety of challenges, deadlines and a diverse array of contacts
• May work at a desk and computer for extended periods of time

Perks of working at SA:

• Comprehensive benefits package, including 100% paid health, dental, and vision insurance for employees with several plan options to meet individuals’ specific needs
• Generous retirement plan contribution of 7% of annual income
• Commitment to professional development, including generously- funded training opportunities and a dedicated “exploratory fund” of $450 annually for learning opportunities unrelated to work
• Healthy and nutritious lunch service offered at no cost to employees during the school year (when on campus and our kitchen operational)
• A professional work environment defined by teamwork, collegiality, trust, agility, and altruism

Sonoma Academy is an equal opportunity employer. Sonoma Academy does not discriminate in employment opportunities or practices on the basis of race, color, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, age, or any other characteristic protected by law.