Leadership Giving Officer

Carney, Sandoe & Associates, an educational recruitment firm has been retained by The Thacher School, a rigorous college preparatory school in Ojai, California to find their next Leadership Giving Officer.

The Leadership Gifts Officer is responsible for identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding major gifts and Annual Fund leadership gifts. They will also collaborate closely with other Leadership Gift Officers and other teams and spearhead the Planned Giving Program. In this role you will work with prospective donors to determine their philanthropic interests related to the School’s fundraising goals through the Annual Fund, Endowment, Capital, and Planned Giving Programs.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Manage a personal portfolio of 125-150 gift prospects (for both Annual Fund and Major Gifts), which may include current parents, alumni, parents of alumni, and grandparents.
• Serve as a point person for the Boot Hill Society, Thacher’s legacy giving society, and manage the marketing of this program.
• Craft proposals, talking points, contact reports, and cultivation/stewardship correspondence as needed and in partnership with the Leadership Giving Team.
• Plan and execute a target of 120+ prospect visits per year.
• Prepare and submit goals that contain specific timelines, projected results, and outcomes.
• Assist in the identification of annual giving leadership prospects in partnership with annual giving and alumni relations.
• Advocate for the direction of the School and its leadership.

Professional Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree
• Alignment with and an ability to articulate the mission and values of The Thacher School, the School’s commitment to equity and inclusion, and its current direction of strengthening the school culture.
• Strong interpersonal, oral, and written communication and database skills.
• Experience in successfully cultivating and securing major gifts is required and experience with planned gifts is preferred.
• A proven record of accomplishment in solicitations and cultivation of prospective donors, or comparable experience in sales and client development.
• Knowledge of fundraising culture is an asset and experience with secondary or higher education and moves management is preferred but not required.
• Impressive track record in fundraising.
• Ability to work independently and as a member of a team in a fast-paced environment.
• Experience communicating with constituents across demographics.
• Ability to prioritize and manage multiple tasks effectively and efficiently.
• Alignment with the School’s focus on inclusion and belonging work.
• Experience with Raiser’s Edge or an equivalent CRM.

Potential Benefits: Compensation and benefit packages are competitive but will differ by school and will typically depend on geographic location, your experience, and your level of degree.

Competitive pay