Director of Advancement

To apply for this position, or for additional information on the opportunity, please send a copy of your resume with a cover letter to Victoria Silverman at apply@cooksilverman.com.

 

ABOUT DREW SCHOOL (“What High School Should Be”)

Drew believes in teenagers – their ideas, their dreams, their opinions, and their potential. That’s why they’ve created a high school community that challenges the traditional definition of success and celebrates achievement one student at a time. The result is that Drew students develop into fascinating individuals who are sought after by colleges and who know themselves well when they step out into the world.

Founded in 1908, Drew School is an independent urban high school in San Francisco enrolling students in grades 9 through 12. The school community is centered on experienced, dedicated, and passionate faculty, and engaged, committed students. Drew’s hallmark approach to education is progressive and student-centered. The school combines its academically rigorous curriculum with a focus on experiential learning, global awareness, local community involvement, and support of individual talents and strengths.

 

Drew’s Mission Statement:

“Drew knows and believes in teenagers. We engage each student in a process of intellectual discovery to develop an individual voice, the confidence to express it, and the empathy to understand its impact.”

For more information, please visit https://www.drewschool.org.

 

POSITION OVERVIEW

This is an exciting opportunity for a values-driven, proven advancement professional to help spur the next stage of evolution of an innovative, progressive school in San Francisco. Under the dynamic leadership of Head of School David Frankenberg (now in his sixth year) and bolstered by a nimble and innovative culture, Drew is emerging from the pandemic reaffirmed in its approach to education and with big ambitions about how to continue to pursue a modern, student-centered pedagogical model. A key component of these plans is the continued growth of its fundraising programs as well as the launch of an endowment campaign – securing the long-term financial standing of the school as well as providing the means to allow the school to realize its ambitions and thrive.

The Director of Advancement will play a key role in this process by creating and administering a comprehensive program of fundraising and constituent relations efforts to advance the mission and programs of the school. The Director will oversee all fundraising strategy and efforts, including the annual fund, major gifts, capital campaigns, planned giving, alumni relations, grant writing and foundation support, and must have a keen sensibility around brand development and management, communications, and marketing.

 

REPORTING RELATIONSHIPS

The Director of Advancement reports to the Head of School and directly oversees the Senior Advancement Manager. They will work in close partnership with the Head of School, the Board of Trustees, and are an integral member of a highly collaborative administrative leadership team.

 

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Define and clearly articulate a mission-driven vision and strategy of advancement for Drew, eschewing conventional fundraising practices when appropriate, ensuring a growth mindset approach in office strategies so that Drew’s advancement operation serves as a model of advancement for all independent schools.
• Systematize the strategy through all aspects of Advancement, including annual giving, parent/grandparent and alumni giving, major gifts, planned giving special events, capital campaigns, corporate and foundation grants, alumni relations, and communications and marketing.
• Provide expertise and staffing for the Head of School, Board of Trustees, Advancement Committee, and school personnel to establish short and long-term advancement goals, strategies, and objectives to achieve growth and sustainable resource outcomes.
• Manage a portfolio of leadership-level annual fund and major gift prospects and execute comprehensive fundraising and stewardship plans for each donor/ prospect.
• Work closely with the Head of School and Board of Trustees to strategically manage and solicit major gift donors.
• Supervise and collaborate with the Senior Advancement Manager in the execution of special events.
• Develop and manage constituent cultivation strategies and programs with particular emphasis on alumni development.
• Create and implement alumni relations programs, reunion giving and class giving activities and events.
• Help run the PGA and other parent volunteers – providing assistance and organization with elections, events, and meetings.
• Collaborate with the Senior Advancement Manager to institute a data-driven, results-oriented approach to fundraising by monitoring Raiser’s Edge database functions, including accountability for integrity of its data.
• Be a visible and warm presence throughout the community – attending events, school activities, and connecting with various constituencies.
• Coordinate and lead all scheduled Board of Trustee Advancement Committee meetings; attend Committee on Trustees, and Finance Committee meetings, as well as Board of Trustee meetings.
• Partner with the communications and admissions teams to advance the Drew brand.
• Work closely with Admissions to ensure timely and successful onboarding of new families.
• Perform additional duties as requested by the Head of School.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s Degree required; Master’s Degree preferred
• Five plus years of leadership experience in the advancement/development field; preferably in an independent school environment or a comparable non-profit, mission driven organization
• Proven record developing and executing fundraising initiatives through an innovative, culturally appropriate, best-practice approach
• An ability to cultivate, solicit, and secure major contributions through excellent relationship management skills
• Experience with digital media campaigns for fundraising, capital campaigns, alternative giving programs, alumni giving programs, and marketing and event management
• An inspiring leader with the capacity to transmit the school’s value proposition and engage, manage, and mentor staff to meet ambitious goals
• Strong strategic planning skills coupled with the willingness to “roll up your sleeves and get work done”
• Highly organized, capable of balancing and prioritizing concurrent projects and deadlines, excellent attention to detail
• Outstanding analytical skills and proven success in using data-analytics and prospect wealth screening resources to develop programs and drive results
• High degree of emotional intelligence, self-awareness, a commitment to growth and curiosity, and the ability to maintain high levels of confidentiality
• Deep cultural competency and commitment to equity, inclusion, and diversity
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Willingness to work extended hours, including evenings and weekends
• Demonstrated proficiency with technology including Raisers Edge, MS Office products, wealth screening tools, Google docs, and other marketing tools
• Demonstrated passion for the mission of Drew School

Note: All Drew School employees are fully vaccinated and boosted.

This position is 100% on campus.

SALARY OR SALARY RANGE

The salary range for this position is $165,000 – $185,000 plus benefits.

In keeping with our commitment to equity and equal pay for all, Cook Silverman Search posts salary ranges on all its job descriptions.

 

TO APPLY

To apply for this position, or for additional information on the opportunity, please send a copy of your resume with a cover letter to Victoria Silverman at apply@cooksilverman.com.

All applications and inquiries will receive a response and be kept strictly confidential.

Drew School is an equal opportunity employer and candidates with diverse backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply. Drew does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, ethnicity, age, marital status, citizenship, disability, or any other characteristic protected by law.