As members of the international network of Sacred Heart schools, we are committed to attracting and retaining faculty with a passion for teaching, who demonstrate an active faith, practice a deep respect for intellectual values, promote social awareness, build community, and value personal growth and responsibility. Sacred Heart Greenwich is an Equal Opportunity Employer and welcomes candidates who will enhance the cultural diversity of our community.
Interested in joining the Sacred Heart team? Connect with Human Resources via email.
Openings
Director of Advancement Search
Sacred Heart Greenwich
Greenwich, Connecticut
Director of Advancement
Start Date: July 1, 2024
shgreenwich.org
Overview
Founded in 1848, Sacred Heart Greenwich (SHG) is an all-girls, independent, Catholic school, that educates and empowers students to pursue excellence, build courage and confidence, and lead lives of purpose and integrity. As the oldest all-girls Catholic school in Connecticut, Sacred Heart Greenwich serves as a leading advocate for girls' education. They provide a powerful, transformative learning environment for the students.
Located on a beautiful 110+ acre campus in Greenwich, the School offers girls and young women access to state-of-the-art facilities, inspiring and experienced teachers, and a dynamic curriculum that forges values with leadership formation. Sacred Heart Greenwich is part of the Sacred Heart network of schools located in 41 countries that share a mission and vision exemplified by a common set of Goals and Criteria focused on FAITH, INTELLECT, JUSTICE, COMMUNITY, and WISDOM. The School envisions a world where all girls and women can shape the future through learning and service.
Now, Sacred Heart Greenwich seeks an experienced and mission-aligned fundraising professional to serve as the School’s next Director of Advancement. Reporting to the School’s President, Michael Baber, the Director of Advancement will also work closely with the Board of Trustees, serve on the executive leadership team, Institutional Leadership Team and work with administrative colleagues to ensure that the School’s strategic goals are supported by philanthropic activities. Leading a gifted and dedicated Advancement team and deep bench of committed volunteers, the Director of Advancement will oversee all aspects of the School’s fundraising program. Compelling candidates will demonstrate extensive experience in development and constituent relations along with an understanding of and commitment to both Sacred Heart Greenwich’s unique mission and the Sacred Heart Network’s Goals and Criteria.
Mission
Sacred Heart Greenwich, an all-girls, independent, Catholic school, educates and empowers students to pursue excellence, build courage and confidence, and lead lives of purpose and integrity.
Vision
Sacred Heart Greenwich envisions a world where all girls and women are able to shape the future through learning and service, defined by our Goals and Criteria. We transform the world, one girl at a time.
Established: 1848
Total enrollment: 615
Students of color: 29%
Total faculty: 110
Faculty of color: 17%
Faculty with advanced degrees: 85%
Student/teacher ratio: 7:1
Financial aid budget: $4.8M
Students receiving aid: 21%
Endowment: $49M
Annual operating budget: $34.3M
Campus size: 110 acres
Opportunities and Challenges
The next Director of Advancement at Sacred Heart Greenwich is joining the School at an exciting time. President Michael Baber, in his second year leading the school, is both an experienced fundraiser and a former beloved faculty member serving multiple roles in the School community from 2000-2015. He brings a deep understanding and commitment to the mission and values of a Sacred Heart education and will be a terrific partner to the Director of Advancement.
Building on a solid foundation of philanthropy, the Director of Advancement will inherit a healthy and vibrant giving program, dedicated team members and a committed school community. The Fund for Sacred Heart, the School’s annual giving program, received over $2.3 million last year and enjoys healthy participation from all constituencies.
With the conclusion of the most recent capital campaign in 2015, along with the recent creation of both a campus master plan and an exciting strategic framework, Pursuing Excellence, early planning for the next campaign to support the plan’s goal has commenced. The Director of Advancement will play a vital role in all aspects of fundraising with a particular focus on the campaign’s planning and successful execution.
The priorities, challenges, and opportunities ahead include:
· Serving as the lead architect of the upcoming capital campaign, the Director of Advancement will partner with School and Board leadership to coordinate all aspects of campaign planning;
· Acquiring and overseeing fundraising counsel to support the school for its major gifts and campaign efforts;
· Providing leadership, mentorship, and coordination to the School’s Advancement Office;
· Partnering with the School’s operational leaders (President, Director of Admissions and Financial Aid, Director of Communications, and Chief Financial Officer)
· Liaising with the Parents and Alumnae Association to ensure the creation and implementation of shared goals;
· Ensuring that the Advancement program utilizes best practices for fundraising operations;
· Representing the school and its mission at all times;
· Understanding and appreciating Sacred Heart Greenwich’s diverse community and navigating complex conversations with key stakeholders.
Responsibilities
In addition to embracing Sacred Heart’s mission, supporting its President and leadership, and representing the school at professional and public forums, the new DOA has a number of primary responsibilities:
· Oversee all advancement and community relations activities at the School;
· As manager of the Advancement Office, hire, train, supervise, and evaluate all members of the team;
· Serve as primary lead for the capital campaign;
· Provide strategic direction for all external relations programs;
· Serve as a member of the Administrative Leadership Team and form collaborative and productive partnerships with the Director of Admission and Financial Aid, Chief Financial Officer, and Director of Communications;
· Integrate all external activities at the School into a coordinated initiative;
· Provide support and guidance to the President, Board of Trustees, volunteers, and the Advancement Committee for all prospect outreach activities, with a special focus on the cultivation and solicitation of major gifts;
· Assess and enhance prospect research, donor stewardship, and planned giving programs;
· In coordination with the Director of Special Events, coordinate Parents’ Association goals and programs;
· In support of the Director of Alumnae Relations, develop meaningful engagement programs for the School’s graduates;
· Steward the School’s past parents;
· Undertake additional responsibilities as assigned by the President.
Qualifications and Personal Attributes
The most competitive candidates will offer most or all of the following qualifications and qualities:
· 10+ years of fundraising experience. Independent school experience, along with knowledge and understanding of the Greenwich area, are preferred but not required.
· Deep grounding in all aspects of development work including annual giving, capital campaigns, major gifts, prospect research, alumni relations, communications, and special events;
· An understanding of the importance of mentoring and supporting the advancement team;
· The ability to cultivate and build strong and authentic relationships with a broad array of colleagues and constituents;
· A desire and ability to build community in an inclusive and thoughtful manner;
· Extensive organizational and people skills with experience in working independently;
· Respect for the importance of confidentiality and discretion;
· Excellent verbal and written communication skills;
· Interest in engaging in a lively and busy school environment;
· A joyous spirit and a fine sense of humor.
As members of the international network of Sacred Heart Schools, Sacred Heart Greenwich is committed to attracting and retaining employees who demonstrate an active faith, practice a deep respect for intellectual values, promote social awareness, build community, and value personal growth and responsibility. Sacred Heart Greenwich is an Equal Opportunity Employer and welcomes candidates who will enhance the cultural diversity of the community.
Learn More
Click on the links below to learn more about Sacred Heart Greenwich.
To Apply
Interested and qualified candidates are invited to contact the consultants in confidence. Candidates will ultimately need to submit the following materials as separate PDF documents:
· A cover letter expressing their interest in this particular position;
· A current résumé;
· Samples of professional writing: newsletter, articles, communication to school community;
· A list of five professional references with name, relationship, phone number, and email address of each (references will not be contacted without the candidate’s permission) to:
Sara Shulman
Practice Leader – Development and Finance/Senior Consultant
Jonathan Ball
Managing Associate