Forest Aide jobs in Seattle, WA

THE ROLE: Under minimal supervision, the high performing position of Director of Development at Forest Ridge School of the Sacred Heart plays a strategic leadership role in advancing the mission of the School. A thought partner to the Head of School and a member of the Senior Leadership Team, the Director of Development serves as the chief fundraiser of the School, oversees a team of talented professionals, is the primary liaison to the Development Committee of the Board of Trustees, and assumes oversight for all Development Office budgets. The Director of Development is responsible for achieving the School’s annual fundraising goal through a variety of fundraising endeavors, including the Forest Ridge Fund (the School’s annual fund), special benefit events, major gifts, planned giving, grant writing, alumnae events and programming, and donor stewardship.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Creates, refines, and implements an annual development plan that includes fundraising goals, program metrics, and clear articulation of evaluation tools and reporting plans.
• Develops and manages a portfolio of prospects with an emphasis on high-capacity gift levels.
• Works in collaboration with Head of School to identify strategic development priorities and benchmarks to ensure that a culture of philanthropy continues to grow Forest Ridge School of the Sacred Heart.
• Oversees the day-to-day operations of the Development program, including Annual Giving, fundraising events, and ongoing major gift cultivation and stewardship.
• Develops relationships with the whole school community: colleagues, students, parents, grandparents and alumni, and fully participates in the life of the school.
• Develops and executes a stewardship plan for donors that includes frequent in-person and written communication with donors and prospects.
• Collaborates with the Communications Team and other appropriate colleagues to draft and publish school-wide fundraising communications including, but not limited to, solicitation and campaign materials, an alumni newsletter, and an Annual Report.
• Analyzes data to inform and guide the fundraising process and to produce clear, concise, and timely reports for the Development Committee and Head of School.
• Facilitates Development Committee meetings and attends Board meetings.
• Establishes and cultivates community relations by maintaining a positive and open dialogue with all the school’s constituencies, including acting as a liaison between the Parent & Guardian Association and the leadership team.
• Participates on the Committee on Trustees with the Head of School as needed.
• Engages in cultural fluency work and supports the School's diversity, equity and inclusion values and policies and practices.
• Recruits, trains, and manages volunteers in philanthropic activities.
• Collaborates with the appropriate constituents to review and revise development policies as needed.
• Collaborates with the Finance department to ensure proper allocation of endowed funds and restricted gifts.
• Works in collaboration with the Director of Finance to determine and manage yearly department budget.
• Represents Forest Ridge at local and regional mission-related events.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

• Commitment to Forest Ridge’s Sacred Heart mission.
• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited four-year college or university required; master’s degree preferred.
• A minimum of 5 years of development and fundraising experience.
• A minimum of 3 years of management experience preferred.
• Independent school experience preferred.
• A proven track record of developing and implementing and growing a nonprofit fundraising program.

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:

• Demonstrated success with nonprofit fundraising, including annual fund giving, planned giving, capital campaigns, strategic planning, communication, and major gifts cultivation.
• Experience planning and executing events from conception to completion.
• Detail-oriented, with excellent time-management skills.
• Ability to be autonomous, self-motivated, and driven, while also working well with other team members.
• Outstanding communication skills with the ability to communicate with a variety of constituents.
• Proven ability to delegate and transfer accountability to others with a supportive leadership approach.
• General digital literacy (use of a laptop, connecting to the network, internet safety, operating a network phone system and copier system, etc.).
• Advanced skills in MS Office Suite products (Outlook, OneNote, OneDrive, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, SharePoint, etc.), web applications such as Google Suite, video conferencing software, and database management software; ability to master common automated systems, and confidently learn new technology.
• Experience working with donor database software and Raiser’s Edge.
• Open and collaborative management style.
• A high degree of integrity and ethics, with an unwavering commitment to confidentiality.
• Strong customer service orientation and the ability to represent Forest Ridge in a professional manner.
• Flexibility, maturity, and a good sense of humor.

SALARY/BENEFITS: Forest Ridge School of the Sacred Heart is committed to attracting and retaining outstanding employees through a competitive compensation and benefits package including paid time off, medical/dental/vision insurance, 403(b) plan, supplemental benefits and tuition remission. The salary range for this position is $115,000 - $130,000, based on education and experience.

TO APPLY: Qualified applicants should email the following documents to careers@forestridge.org:

• Cover letter
• Updated CV/Resume
• List of three professional references