ServingSchools · 2 months ago
Director of the Kents Hill Fund
Kents Hill, ME
Full-time
Onsite
Lead/Staff, Director/Executive
5+ years expServingSchools is committed to reshaping educational experiences, and they are seeking a Director of the Kents Hill Fund to lead their annual giving program. This role involves designing strategic initiatives to enhance donor engagement and grow fundraising efforts while also managing a small team as the program expands.
Education
Responsibilities
Design and implement a comprehensive, year-round annual giving strategy
Develop and manage a detailed annual calendar of Kents Hill Fund activity, including direct mail, email, social media, texting, phone outreach, giving days, and special campaigns
Build and refine segmentation strategies to deliver more personalized and strategic appeals
Establish clear goals and metrics for dollars raised, participation, leadership annual giving, and donor retention and reactivation
Collaborate closely with colleagues in communications and marketing to ensure that Kents Hill Fund messaging is compelling, consistent, and integrated across channels
Design and grow a leadership annual giving program serves as a bridge between the annual fund and major giving
Create clear giving levels and recognition strategies that encourage donors to deepen their engagement and move up the giving ladder over time
Manage a portfolio of annual giving prospects
Partner with the Director of Major and Planned Giving (once in place) to ensure a smooth pipeline between annual giving and major gift portfolios
Plan and execute multi-channel appeals, including concepting, writing, and coordinating production of print and digital campaigns
Create and manage special initiatives such as giving days, reunion giving efforts, parent and family campaigns, senior class or young alumni challenges, and other targeted drives
Develop stewardship and impact communications for annual donors that express gratitude and demonstrate the tangible difference their gifts make
Use data and testing to continuously improve campaign performance
Recruit, train, and support volunteers (such as class agents, reunion committee members, parent volunteers, young alumni leaders, and students) to serve as ambassadors and peer-to-peer fundraisers
Provide volunteers with tools, talking points, and timely data to make outreach easier and more effective
Recognize and celebrate volunteer contributions, nurturing long-term engagement and leadership
Partner with Advancement Operations to ensure accurate tracking of annual fund results within the CRM (Raiser’s Edge NXT) and related systems
Develop clear, usable reports and dashboards
Collaborate with colleagues in Major and Planned Giving, Alumni and Parent Engagement, and Communications & Marketing to ensure a coordinated, relationship-centered experience for donors
Serve as a thought partner to the Chief Advancement Officer on annual revenue forecasting and the role of the Kents Hill Fund in campaign strategy
In the near term, function as a highly hands-on, solo or small-team practitioner responsible for planning and executing much of the work yourself
Over time, help define the staffing structure and/or vendors needed to support a growing annual giving program
Play a key role in recruiting, onboarding, and coaching future team members as resources allow
Evolve into a player-coach leader, balancing continued direct work with team management, mentoring, and program oversight
Qualification
Required
Bachelor's degree
5–8+ years of progressive experience in annual giving, development, nonprofit fundraising, or a related field
Demonstrated success in planning and executing multi-channel annual giving campaigns and in meeting or exceeding revenue and participation goals
Experience with segmentation, data analysis, and donor lifecycle strategies (acquisition, retention, upgrades, and reactivation)
Familiarity with leadership annual giving and the role of the annual fund in building a pipeline for major gifts and campaigns
Strong writing and storytelling skills, with experience creating compelling appeals and donor communications across print and digital channels
Demonstrated experience with modern CRM systems, reporting tools, and standard productivity software
Experience working in a growing or evolving advancement operation, with demonstrated comfort operating without a large existing team or fully built-out systems
Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail, with the ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines
Willingness and ability to work occasional evenings and weekends and to participate in events, meetings, and activities that support the Kents Hill Fund
Ability and willingness to travel domestically and internationally, as needed
Preferred
Experience in independent schools, higher education, or educational nonprofits is a plus
Raiser's Edge experience a plus
Benefits
Competitive salary commensurate with experience and qualifications
Comprehensive benefits package
Company
ServingSchools
ServingSchools is an online marketplace providing schools, agencies and job seekers a fast and easy way to find each other.
51-200 employees
Funding
Current Stage
Growth StageCompany data provided by crunchbase