POSITION DESCRIPTION | MARY IMMACULATE CATHOLIC SCHOOL
INSTITUTIONAL CONTEXT
Mary Immaculate Catholic School has served the families of Farmers Branch, Texas since 1959. The school operates as a
ministry of Mary Immaculate Parish, within the Diocese of Dallas. The Catholic faith is not incidental to what happens
here. The faith is the foundation.
The school's guiding conviction is that wonder leads to knowing. At MIS, curiosity is the starting point of formation:
intellectual, moral, and spiritual. The school's mission is to provide a Christ-centered learning environment that fosters
wonder and excitement, igniting in each student a love for learning and a desire to grow in faith and character. The
school's vision is to develop students who are prepared to lead, serve, and succeed in the 21st century, rooted in
academic rigor, moral integrity, and a profound appreciation for the Catholic faith.
Approximately 470 students from preschool through eighth grade are enrolled. The parish community that sustains the
school numbers several thousand families, making Mary Immaculate one of the most active Catholic communities in
North Texas.
The advancement operation at MIS spans major gifts, annual giving, planned giving, two signature fundraising events,
an active grant portfolio, and capital project strategy, all managed by a single full-time professional. The program has
grown consistently year over year and most recently surpassed $2,000,000 in philanthropic revenue for the first time in
the school's 66-year history.
POSITION OVERVIEW
The Director of Advancement & Mission is the senior advancement and institutional strategy officer at Mary
Immaculate Catholic Church & School, responsible for philanthropic revenue, major donor relationships, capital project
leadership, and grant development. The role sits within the institution's senior leadership team and carries direct
accountability for the financial resources that make the school's mission possible.
Mary Immaculate runs a single-person advancement operation. The Director sets the strategy, manages donor
relationships, produces communications, leads events, and closes gifts. The work is varied, the pace is consistent, and
the expectation is high.
This is a role for someone who finds meaning in that kind of work, who takes ownership without being prompted and
brings the same care to a thank-you letter as to a major gift conversation.
Mary Immaculate Catholic Church & School | Farmers Branch, TX | mischool.org
REPORTING STRUCTURE
Reports to: Pastor, Father Alfonse Nazzaro
CORE RESPONSIBILITIES
Philanthropic Revenue & Major Gifts
– Lead the institution's Annual Fund strategy, including goal-setting, segmentation, solicitation, and stewardship
across all donor levels. North Texas Giving Day serves as the Annual Fund's primary giving initiative, and the
Director owns full campaign architecture: constituent outreach, peer-to-peer engagement, grade-level giving
competitions, and appeals that push beyond conventional approaches toward something genuinely memorable.
– Manage a personal portfolio of major gift prospects and donors, executing moves management from
identification through stewardship.
– Cultivate and solicit planned giving commitments in partnership with the pastor and principal, maintaining the
institution's Legacy Circle.
– Build and manage a year-round corporate sponsorship strategy, consolidating event and institutional
sponsorships into a single annual catalog.
Signature Events
– Serve as the institution's primary liaison and executive lead for the Heart of Gold Auction and Gala. Working
alongside the volunteer event chair, the Director carries full operational and strategic accountability from
concept through close: strategy development, venue contracting, sponsorship fulfillment, volunteer team
management, vendor coordination, live program execution, and post-event reconciliation and review.
– Serve as the institution's primary liaison and executive lead for the MIS Golf Classic. Working alongside the
volunteer event team, the Director carries the same full accountability: course contracting, registration
management, sponsorship fulfillment, volunteer coordination, day-of execution, and post-event reconciliation
and review.
Donor Stewardship & Communications
– Maintain a consistent, personal cadence of stewardship for all major and mid-level donors, including written
correspondence, phone outreach, campus visits, and recognition events.
– Produce and oversee all advancement communications, including donor acknowledgment letters, case
statements, campaign materials, and stewardship reports.
– Partner with the Pastor and Principal on donor-facing correspondence, briefings, and cultivation events.
– Manage the institution's Legacy Circle, including recognition, ongoing cultivation, and periodic communication.
Capital Projects & Facilities Strategy
– Serve as the institution's primary point of contact for architects, engineers, and general contractors on major
capital improvement projects.
– Align donor strategy, naming opportunities, and project scope to support capital priorities identified by senior
leadership.
– Manage project documentation, vendor relationships, and timeline accountability in coordination with the
facilities team and Church Business Manager.
– Provide leadership in the development and communication of capital campaign priorities to major donors and
institutional stakeholders.
Grant Development & Compliance
– Identify, research, and pursue grant opportunities across Catholic, diocesan, private foundation, and federal
funding channels.
Mary Immaculate Catholic Church & School | Farmers Branch, TX | mischool.org
– Lead all grant submissions from concept through application, including stakeholder coordination, narrative
development, budget documentation, and compliance requirements.
– Manage active grant relationships with program officers and ensure all reporting obligations are met on
schedule.
– Coordinate with diocesan contacts, school administration, and external partners on grant eligibility, project
alignment, and application strategy.
Advancement Systems & Data
– Manage and maintain Blackbaud Raiser's Edge NXT as the institution's primary constituent relationship
management system.
– Build and maintain donor segmentation, prospect pipelines, action logging, and gift reporting across all funds
and campaigns.
– Produce a weekly advancement report for senior leadership covering progress on active fundraising campaigns,
event status, grant activity, and capital projects, drawing on RENXT data to surface trends and support informed
decision-making.
– Ensure gift acknowledgment within 48 hours as a standing institutional standard.
Institutional Leadership
– Serve as an active member of the senior leadership team, contributing to strategic planning and institutional
decision-making in service of the school's broader mission.
– Represent the institution at diocesan, professional, and community functions.
– Pursue ongoing professional development through conferences, workshops, and peer networks relevant to
Catholic advancement and institutional leadership.
KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS
The Director is evaluated annually against the following measures:
– Annual Fund revenue and donor retention rates, year over year
– North Texas Giving Day performance against goal
– Major gift portfolio size, movement through the moves management cycle, and dollars secured
– Total institutional giving across all funds and campaigns
– Signature event revenue against budgeted goal
– Grant submissions and awards secured
– Capital project milestones met on schedule and within scope
– Donor acknowledgment turnaround and stewardship touchpoint frequency
– RENXT discipline: constituent records, action logging, and pipeline accuracy
– Proactive use of data and metrics from RENXT to drive institutional decision-making
