Director of Major Gifts

Mission
St. Mary's Academy (SMA), founded by the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary in 1859, is a Catholic high school for young women. It provides a challenging college-preparatory education in a vibrant learning environment. Guided by the values and charism of the Sisters, St. Mary's fosters a diverse community and educates the whole person by nurturing spirituality, encouraging creativity, promoting justice, and inspiring a sense of global interdependence to prepare students for service and leadership.

Position Description

St. Mary’s is seeking an experienced fundraising professional to join our team and help grow the mission of our all-girls Catholic college preparatory school. Rooted in the values of the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary, we believe that all-girls makes all the difference and exist to create the next generation of women leaders. As we continue to grow, our next Director of Major Gifts will help to prospect and inspire leadership gifts (at the four-, five-, and six-figure levels). They will work closely with the Director of Advancement and Senior Director of Leadership Gifts to create a strong major gifts pipeline and strategy.

The Director of Major Gifts is integral to the St. Mary’s Academy development department and reports to the Director of Advancement. This position is responsible for strategic leadership and implementing all aspects of a major gifts program, including prospecting, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship. Constituent types are, but not limited to, St. Mary’s current parents, parents of alumnae, grandparents, and corporate partners and foundations. The Director of Major Gifts will manage a personal portfolio of donors and secure major annual gifts across all areas of giving, including special events, annual giving, endowment, and capital campaign(s). The Director of Major Gifts will collaborate with other development team members to create donor stewardship and cultivation content and events.

Job Duties

• Manage a portfolio of major gift donors and prospects, including current parents, parents of alumnae, grandparents and friends, and business/corporate partners. The goal is to deepen relationships and increase giving through consistent cultivation, solicitation, stewardship, and meaningful engagement opportunities.
• Develop a pipeline of major gift prospects and implement strategies to increase major gift revenue across all campaign categories, including formalized donor-giving circles and a partnership program implemented in collaboration with other fundraising team members.
• Work closely with the Director of Advancement and Senior Director of Leadership Gifts to design and implement a multi-year strategic development plan to grow unrestricted support for the school and increase participation across constituent types.
• Conduct in-person visits with prospects and portfolio members.
• Identify best practices, opportunities for capacity building and growth, solicitation strategies, and stewardship for the major gift program.
• Other duties as assigned by the Director of Advancement

Position Qualifications/Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree and minimum of 5-10 years of fundraising experience
• Proven record of successful fundraising results, including direct solicitation experience and relationship-building skills
• Ability to plan and execute a multi-faceted major gift program, including target goals, growth opportunities, strategic analysis of constituent groups and benchmarks
• Proficiency in MS Office Suite, Raiser’s Edge experience desired
• Excellent organizational skills: ability to manage and prioritize multiple tasks with attention to detail
• Desire to work under deadlines in a dynamic, fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment
• Preferred background in the planned giving field, including annual planned giving strategy development and ability to work with planned giving donor prospects
• Commitment to donor-centered fundraising and exemplary follow-through
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with experience writing engaging and persuasive fundraising appeals
• Ability to build strong relationships with a range of individuals
• Ability to maintain confidentiality of sensitive materials
• Self-directed, team player, accountable for scope of responsibility
• Willingness to work some evenings and weekends related to events, donor stewardship opportunities, etc.
• Proven ability to understand the needs and interests of major gift donors to develop relationships between them and St. Mary’s Ability to connect St. Mary’s mission with all fundraising activities
• Commitment to the equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging priorities of the school
• Desire to fully engage in the life of the school and community
• Willingness to embrace the Catholic tradition, the charism of the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary, all-girls college preparatory education, and develop a passion for the school’s unique mission

Physical Requirements:

• Ability to sit and/or stand for extended periods of time.
• Ability to occasionally lift up to 20 lbs.
• Ability to stoop, bend, walk, and effectively communicate at levels normal for someone performing work with the public, primarily in the office environment with the SMA community or off campus. Communication forms can include but are not limited to in-person verbal and non-verbal, written, email, telephone, and public speaking to medium-to-large groups.

Salary

Salary is commensurate with qualifications and experience. A comprehensive benefits package is included.

St. Mary's Academy is an equal-opportunity employer. For positions where religious affiliation directly affects the position, St. Mary's Academy can set prerequisites regarding religion.

Position is open until filled. Qualified applicants may submit resume, cover letter and three professional references. Please submit a single pdf with cover letter, resume and professional references. No phone calls.

Applications will be reviewed as they are received.

ALL OFFERS OF EMPLOYMENT ARE CONTINGENT UPON THE SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF A BACKGROUND INQUIRY.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $80,000.00 - $90,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance

Schedule:

• Evenings as needed
• Monday to Friday
• Weekends as needed

Experience:

• Fundraising: 5 years (Required)
• Microsoft Office: 1 year (Preferred)

Ability to Commute:

• Portland, OR 97201 (Preferred)

Ability to Relocate:

• Portland, OR 97201: Relocate before starting work (Preferred)

Work Location: In person

Salary : $80,000 - $90,000