POSITION DESCRIPTION
The Development Director is responsible for planning, developing, maintaining, and implementing all fundraising activities for the school to advance Concord Academy’s mission, broaden and accelerate its capacity, and promote community awareness of the school. The ideal candidate is a fundraising professional with marketing, event planning, and sales experience, who fully supports Concord Academy’s mission to prepare students with learning differences for lifelong success. The individual must promote the school’s culture of respecting neurodiversity, promoting equity and inclusion, and empowering students to succeed. This full-time, exempt, year-round position reports to the Executive Director and works cooperatively with the entire Concord professional team.
JOB DUTIES
- Works with the Executive Director and other members of the development team to support the school’s fundraising efforts, including campaign development, donor research, cultivation and stewardship, major fundraising events, and related communications and marketing.
- Leads the planning and implementation of an annual development plan, to include events, annual fund, scholarship support, and other campaigns, and solicits donor gifts.
- Communicates fundraising initiatives to constituents effectively and in a timely manner.
- Clearly articulates the school’s case for support and prepares annual impact report.
- Leads the planning and implementation of major fundraising events, including golf scramble, 5K run, and gala/auction, as well as student and family fundraising activities. Solicits sponsorships and donations for fundraising events and recruits/manages event volunteers.
- Assists in planning and implementing school events such as graduation, awards ceremony, talent show, spirit week, and field day.
- Acts as an ambassador for the school at community events and in the media.
- Develops and implements a successful marketing strategy with Executive Director and Board Marketing Committee.
- Designs and creates new, compelling, and engaging content for social media, emails, newsletters, donor communications, video, blog posts, and other communication channels.
- Identifies and recommends new marketing opportunities and advertising channels.
- Maintains and updates the school’s website, public school profiles and business profiles.
- Cultivates and maintains productive relationships with community partners, organizations, and vendors.
QUALIFICATIONS
- Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited college or university.
- Three (3) or more years of professional work experience in nonprofit fundraising, event management, or a related field.
- Two (2) or more years of management/supervisory experience.
- CFRE certification preferred.
- Must have experience in creating a comprehensive development plan, organizing and coordinating special events, designing written and oral communications, and managing volunteers.
- Must have a commitment to the school’s mission and to building mission-aligned partnerships.
- Must be able to work independently with a high degree of initiative while achieving high impact results and work effectively as part of a team.
- Must be able to skillfully navigate complex and nuanced situations.
Must be proficient in the following programs/platforms:
- Office 365 Suite, including Outlook, Word, Excel, Powerpoint, and OneDrive
- Remote meeting platforms such as Zoom or Microsoft Teams
- Donor management software, such as Bloomerang, Blackbaud/Raiser’s Edge, Network for Good, GiveSmart, etc.
- Adobe Creative Suite (primarily Photoshop and InDesign)
- WordPress, including Visual Builder, CSS, and some
- Email marketing software such as MailChimp, Constant Contact, etc.
- Social media platforms and scheduling software
- Donor management software such as Bloomerang, GiveSmart, Raiser’s Edge, Blackbaud, etc.
BENEFITS
The following benefits are available after 90 days of employment:
- Group health, dental and vision coverage
- Paid time off and generous holiday schedule, including most school holidays
- Professional development opportunities and tuition reimbursement
- Elective supplemental insurance benefits
- Employer-paid 403(b) retirement plan – 4% of gross
ABOUT CONCORD ACADEMY
Concord Academy is the premier school for students with learning differences in the Mid-South. Concord was founded in 1983 by a group of concerned parents who recognized that their children with learning differences were falling behind or falling through the cracks in other educational settings. The school was established to provide the best environment for student growth in all aspects of development, including specialized academic instruction, post-secondary readiness, and social/emotional growth.
WHY WORK AT CONCORD?
Our teachers and staff appreciate the small, safe, and supportive learning environment; the specialized curriculum and programs; and the faculty's experience and expertise in special education. They find Concord's administration welcoming and accessible, responsive to concerns, and communicative on school matters. They say their work is respected and valued, the school's priorities are aligned with its mission, and they feel a strong sense of belonging to the school community. In a recent faculty/staff survey, Concord exceeded expectations and received a "net promoter score" of +87 (scale of -100 to +100). If you have a passion for supporting students with disabilities to succeed in learning and in life, consider joining our team.
Apply at https://concord-academy.org/career-opportunities/
