Annual Giving & Donor Relations Manager, York House School

Summary Of Position
Reporting to the Executive Director of Advancement, the Annual Giving & Donor Relations Manager supports the design and execution of fundraising strategies and stewardship programs to develop and sustain community engagement and philanthropic giving to advance the school’s strategic plan. They will be an experienced, dynamic, confident fundraiser dedicated to quickly building strong and authentic relationships with the York House community. The Annual Giving & Donor Relations Manager will be responsible for leading, implementing, and delivering a comprehensive Annual Giving program with the goal of increasing funds and participation rates from all constituent groups. They will also be responsible for designing, implementing, and evaluating a comprehensive donor relations program that consistently promotes interaction with and recognition of donors at all levels to maintain and deepen philanthropic relationships with the school.
Responsibilities

• Coordinate personalized and group donor recognition events with the Advancement Events Officer as and when required
• Consideration and implementation of practices that promote Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Knowledge, Skills and Experience
• Work collaboratively with the Associate Director, Alumnae Relations to grow alumnae participation in the Annual Giving program through segmented alumnae appeals
• Develop and execute stewardship strategies for Annual Giving donors and volunteers, including recognition events and multi-platform communications
• In collaboration with the Advancement Events Officer, oversee the implementation of Annual Giving related special events, including the annual York House Day of Giving and regular volunteer-led solicitation/stewardship phone-a-thons
• Develop and implement a comprehensive donor relations programme that will enhance the donor experience and promote a culture of philanthropy through the acknowledgement/stewardship process
• Lead, recruit, and train Annual Giving volunteer (parent) co-chairs and committee members in facilitating appeal awareness, community participation/engagement and events, including phone-a-thons
• With oversight of the Director of Communications and Marketing, develop and implement all Annual Giving creative, collateral and branding for a variety of channels and platforms
• Track and capture constituent engagement and activity in the Raisers’ Edge database
• Collaborates with the Executive Director of Advancement to coordinate donor recognition plaques
• Create and write sponsorship proposals to support individual and corporate solicitations
• Support the identification of prospective leadership and major gift donors, develop engagement strategies for increasing participation, and move donors to higher giving levels
• Liaise with Advancement Services to oversee the timely processing and acknowledgment of gifts
• Collaborates to design, write, and distribute recognition through various mediums and other stewardship tactics and communications
• Develop, maintain and steward a curated portfolio of prospects and donors in support of school fundraising priorities, programs and events
• Support new parent engagement strategies, attend school and local-area events to build and deepen relationships and develop a personal profile in the York House community
• Write and create Annual Giving donor impact reports, stories, articles/features
• Design, implement and execute a comprehensive Annual Giving program with targeted solicitations, appeals and activities to increase participation and donations from all constituency groups
• Develop and implement accurate and creative written impact reports across a variety of media to keep donors at all levels informed and engaged
• Lead the strategic planning process to develop the Annual Giving program, including the appeal business plan, calendar of activities/events, optimal solicitation and segmentation methods, donor stewardship and recognition, volunteer coordination, program budget, data analysis and campaign evaluation/progress updates

Requirements
Knowledge, Skills and Experience

• A Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE) credential and/or membership of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) or other related professional networking associations is an asset
• Ability to work independently, combined with skills to thrive in a team-based environment Qualifications
• Minimum of three years of fundraising and/or Annual Giving and/or Donor Relations program experience, preferably in the independent school or post-secondary environment or a comparable not-for-profit organization
• Open-minded, flexible and has a sense of humour
• Results-driven, ability to establish goals/action plans
• Knowledge of and experience in independent school culture is an asset
• Experience in developing/managing event-related sponsorship programs is an asset
• Outstanding organizational skills, ability to prioritize and complete multiple tasks to deadlines
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, including writing, editing, verbal presentation and public speaking. A second language is an asset
• Excellent computer skills. Strong knowledge of Raiser’s Edge and/or RE NXT is preferred. Familiarity with Mac, Google Suite and graphic design software is an asset
• Demonstrated ability to identify, foster, build rapport with and manage a broad range of personal relationships with members of the YHS community and constituency groups
• Demonstrated talent for recruiting, managing and inspiring volunteers
• Adept at using traditional and social media in prospect/donor communication, engagement and stewardship
• Experience as a fundraising / Annual Giving professional with a proven record of achieving goals/targets, developing engagement/participation tactics and stewardship strategies
• Degree from an accredited post-secondary institution in a related area of study, or an equivalent combination of education and experience
• High level of initiative, proactive and creative approach to problem-solving
• Analytical, creative, innovative and a strategic thinker
• Seeks to stay current and be at the leading edge in their field; self‐motivated and self‐directed
• Ability to demonstrate sound judgment, integrity, diplomacy, and exercise confidentiality when working with constituent/donor information
• Flexibility to travel locally and work flexible hours when required
• High level of attention to detail

Benefits
Salary: $85,000 - $90,000
York House School offers a competitive compensation and benefits package including four weeks of vacation to start, extended health & dental, and an RRSP matching plan.
Work format: Onsite. Flexible work hours.
Application deadline: We are accepting rolling applications until the position is filled.
Check status of the search process here: https://www.gerardsearch.com/searches.html
Contact [email protected] for more information.