Position Summary
Verde Valley School seeks a visionary, strategic, and relationship-driven Director of Advancement to lead the school's philanthropic efforts at one of the most exciting and consequential moments in its history. As Verde Valley School approaches its 80th anniversary, the school is building momentum toward a future capital campaign while strengthening the philanthropic foundation that will make its long-term vision possible.
Reporting directly to the Head of School and partnering closely with the Board of Trustees and senior leadership, the Director of Advancement will lead a comprehensive advancement program with a primary focus on significantly growing the Seven Warriors Fund, Verde Valley School's annual fund. Building the Seven Warriors Fund into a $1 million annual fundraising program will be a defining institutional priority, creating the broad-based culture of philanthropy and sustainable annual support needed to launch a successful capital campaign and secure the school's future.
This is an opportunity for a transformational advancement leader who thrives on building relationships, inspiring generosity, and creating momentum. The Director will lead all aspects of advancement, including annual giving, major gifts, alumni and parent engagement, stewardship, advancement communications, and fundraising operations, while partnering with school leadership to prepare Verde Valley School for its next era of philanthropic growth. The successful candidate will strengthen lifelong connections with alumni and families around the world, expand the school's base of philanthropic support, and help position Verde Valley School for a landmark 80th Anniversary Campaign.
Advancement Leadership & Strategy
- Develop and execute a comprehensive advancement strategy aligned with Verde Valley School's strategic vision and long-term institutional goals.
- Lead an ambitious multi-year effort to grow the Seven Warriors Fund to $1 million annually, increasing both donor participation and total dollars raised while building a sustainable pipeline of leadership annual donors.
- Design strategies that move annual donors into major gift and planned giving relationships, creating a strong donor continuum.
- Partner with the Head of School and Board of Trustees to identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward leadership and major gift prospects.
- Expand philanthropic participation among alumni, current and past parents, grandparents, trustees, and friends of the school.
- Build the fundraising infrastructure, volunteer leadership, and donor engagement necessary to position Verde Valley School for a successful capital campaign in celebration of the school's 80th anniversary.
- Establish clear fundraising metrics, dashboards, and accountability systems to measure progress and drive continued growth.
Building a Culture of Philanthropy
- Champion a culture in which philanthropy is understood as an investment in the student experience and the future of Verde Valley School.
- Inspire increased participation across alumni, current and past parents, grandparents, faculty, staff, trustees, and friends of the school.
- Develop compelling cases for support and mission-centered storytelling that clearly communicate the impact of unrestricted annual giving.
- Elevate stewardship and donor recognition to strengthen retention, increase donor loyalty, and encourage higher levels of annual support.
Alumni & Community Engagement
- Develop innovative strategies to reconnect and engage Verde Valley School's diverse and global alumni community.
- Expand alumni communications, volunteer leadership, reunion programming, and regional engagement opportunities.
- Create meaningful pathways for alumni and parents to remain connected through mentorship, volunteerism, and philanthropy.
- Build a stronger pipeline from alumni engagement to consistent Annual Fund participation and long-term major gift support.
Board & Volunteer Engagement
- Partner with the Head of School and Board of Trustees to strengthen trustee engagement in philanthropy.
- Support the Board Advancement Committee in establishing fundraising goals, volunteer expectations, and ambassador training.
- Collaborate with parent volunteers, alumni leaders, and other community advocates to broaden philanthropic participation.
Advancement Operations & Communications
- Oversee advancement systems, donor database management, gift processing, reporting, and data integrity.
- Develop dashboards and performance metrics to evaluate fundraising effectiveness and inform strategic planning.
- Partner with the communications team to ensure compelling, mission-driven messaging across fundraising appeals, stewardship, publications, and digital communications.
- Manage the advancement budget and contribute to annual planning and institutional forecasting.
Leadership & Collaboration
- Supervise and mentor staff while fostering a collaborative and high-performing team culture.
- Serve as a member of the school's senior leadership team.
- Participate actively in campus life, school events, admissions and community initiatives, and key institutional celebrations.
- Collaborate across departments to support strategic initiatives that advance student success and strengthen the Verde Valley School community.
- Support the school's ongoing commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging, and sustainability.
Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree preferred.
- Five or more years of progressively responsible experience in fundraising, advancement, nonprofit leadership, or a related field.
- Demonstrated success securing major gifts and leading annual fundraising initiatives.
- Experience developing fundraising strategies, donor pipelines, stewardship programs, and advancement operations.
- Strong relationship-building skills with the ability to engage trustees, alumni, parents, faculty, volunteers, and community partners.
- Excellent written, verbal, organizational, and analytical skills.
- Experience with donor CRM systems, fundraising analytics, and advancement reporting.
Personal Qualities
- Deep appreciation for Verde Valley School's mission and commitment to experiential education, global citizenship, and environmental stewardship.
- Relationship-centered leader with exceptional interpersonal skills and emotional intelligence.
- Strategic thinker who can translate long-term vision into measurable results.
- Entrepreneurial, proactive, and comfortable building systems, partnerships, and new initiatives.
- Collaborative, ethical, and highly professional.
- Energetic, adaptable, and eager to be an active member of a vibrant boarding school community.
Benefits
Verde Valley School offers a comprehensive benefits package, including health, dental, vision, retirement benefits, paid time off, and professional development opportunities. On-campus housing is provided, along with meals in the dining hall while school is in session, offering the opportunity to be fully immersed in the life of this vibrant residential community.
As a member of the school's leadership team, the Director of Advancement will play an active role in campus life and should expect occasional evening and weekend commitments for school events, Board meetings, alumni gatherings, and donor engagement activities.
Please submit a resume with a cover letter detailing your interest and qualifications.
Job Type: Full-time
Pay: $70,000.00 - $80,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Dental insurance
- Health insurance
- Life insurance
- Paid time off
- Retirement plan
- Vision insurance
Work Location: In person
