Vice President of Development, Gesu School

Posted by Gesu School on December 7, 2015

Vice President of Development

Reporting to the President, the Vice President of Development is responsible for all fundraising activities including, but not limited to: Major Gifts, EITC/OSTC programs, Sponsor A Child program, Planned Giving, Annual Fund, Special Events and Corporate and Foundation Relations. Additionally, the Vice President will oversee communications and marketing and ensure that Gesu’s message and branding are clear and consistent with the mission.

This position will manage a talented team of development professionals (4) and will ensure strong communication and collaboration. The Vice President is ultimately responsible for the execution of all development related tasks and programming.

Position Responsibilities:
 Understand, appreciate and value the mission of Gesu School and the critical role the Jesuits and Sister Servants of Immaculate Heart of Mary play.
 Manage a pool of 150-175+ major gift prospects. Further cultivate and steward this cohort with an aim to secure deeper engagement as well as continued and increased giving.
 In collaboration with the President and Board of Trustees, identify new and prospective supporters and develop a plan to engage these individuals in a way that moves them along the development continuum (identification, cultivation, solicitation and stewardship.)
 Work closely with the President to create a comprehensive development strategy that will engage Gesu’s constituents and encourage continued and greater support. Report out to the Board of Trustees progress on the strategy and how each Trustee can be of assistance in helping to ensure its success.
 Work closely with the Director of Finance to ensure that the donor’s intent is relayed with each gift. Note when special restrictions are made by the donor. Ensure open and ongoing conversation with the Director of Finance.
 Lead Gesu’s Development Committee to further advance the mission and maximize potential donor support by way of individual, corporate and foundation giving. Identify and invite key friends and supporters of Gesu to join this committee
 Oversee all fundraising and cultivation related events on behalf of Gesu School. In particular, work closely with the President and Principal to identify Gesu’s Spirit Medal recipients for the annual Gala. Additionally, identify and solicit Co-Chairs for the Gala.
 Lead weekly prospect meetings and report out monthly statistics on meetings secured, phone calls made, emails sent, etc. Participants for this meeting include the Director of Development, Director of Annual Fund and Special Events, Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations. The President may also attend these meetings.
 Exercise due diligence when researching prospects. Utilize Raisers Edge as a prospect management tool and fully explore results from Donor Search. Brief the President with key information regarding any prospect prior to a visit, phone call, email or letter.
 Identify opportunities to partner with companies in various industries in an effort to increase awareness of Gesu School, serve as a volunteer site and secure a spot on a company’s list of philanthropic priorities.
 Work with the President, Director of Finance and the Finance Committee of the Board to set fundraising goals. Prepare fundraising projections based on a full analysis of all development activity.
 Plan and organize a bi-annual Development retreat off –site to discuss fundraising strategy and assess what has worked and/or needs improvement. Two days in the summer and one day in the winter.
 Hire, manage and develop the development staff. Exercise bi-annual reviews that revolve around performance and overall job satisfaction.

Education and Experience Required
 Bachelor’s degree required and Master’s degree and fundraising certification (CFRE) preferred.
 Candidate must exhibit a genuine commitment to the mission and philosophy of Gesu School.
 3-5 years of management experience required with excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
 5-7 years of fundraising experience required with a successful track record soliciting and securing six and seven figure major gifts.
 Proven ability to network across diverse groups of constituents
 Expertise utilizing Raisers Edge

General
The Vice President of Development is an executive level position that reports directly to the President. He/she will work very closely with the Board of Trustees and various sub committees of the Board. This role will also work closely with the Principal and the Director of Finance and must recognize the impact that the development effort has on these parties in particular. This role requires a good deal of regional travel (Tri-State area) with some additional travel to Florida every other year for prospect purposes. Additionally, this position will be expected to participate in Gesu events taking place in the evenings, on weekends and off-site. Candidate must have car and valid driver’s license.

Please address cover letter and resume to Bryan Carter, President & CEO.

Application should be submitted to Andrea Kellner at Andrea.Kellner@GesuSchool.org