Advancement Director

Advancement Director

West Catholic High School is seeking an Advancement Director who will be responsible for advancing the mission of West Catholic through the solicitation of major gifts, fundraising strategy, alumni relations and the development of funds to support operations. The Director of Advancement will work collaboratively with other areas of operational vitality at West Catholic as we further the school’s mission.

The following are characteristics of an ideal candidate:

Passionate about West Catholic and the mission of Catholic education
Innovative and responsive to manage a hard-working team and build a strong rapport with colleagues and members of the community
Collaborative through effective listening and proactive communication
Eager to promote the mission of West Catholic to form disciples of Christ through a dynamic, excellence-driven Catholic education
Responsibilities:

Develops and implements a comprehensive fundraising strategy to support the financial needs of the school, including annual giving campaigns, major gifts, planned giving and special events
Leads a team of employees for their hiring, onboarding, training, scheduling, supervision and performance reviews
Establishes standard operating procedures, work performance standards, work schedules and basic job descriptions for development staff
Develops procedures for the processing of gifts to the school
Coordinates meetings with benefactors
Collaborates with the school leadership team for the cross-departmental work of events, communications and relationship management
Maintains databases of all donor information, alumni information, and data trends of philanthropic giving to the school
Stays informed on emerging practices in nonprofit institutional advancement strategy
Manages and enhances the school’s alumni relations, fostering connections and
engagement with former students through events, newsletters, social media, and alumni networks
Attends major events in the greater Grand Rapids area for the development of alumni relations and donor relations
Works in conjunction with the development committee of the governing board
Meets regularly with the President/CEO and attends all appropriate meetings with the Diocese of Grand Rapids
Maintains and implements the advancement plan that includes communication timelines, development strategy and avenues for maintaining donor relationships
Upholds the mission of West Catholic to form Disciples of Christ through a dynamic, excellence-driven Catholic education, with value placed on the dignity of work and the dignity of the human person
Performs other duties as assigned by the president
Job Qualifications:

Dedication to the mission of Catholic education
Three years of relationship management experience
One year of supervisory experience
Maintain, or willingness to become and maintain, certifications and training necessary for Catholic school institutional advancement
Minimum bachelor’s degree in a related field
Willingness to work off-site when necessary and travel 2-3 weeks per year
Practicing Catholic preferred
Benefits: Medical, dental, vision, life insurance, holidays and paid time off benefits, student tuition discount benefit of up to 80% after 1 year of service

Interested candidates should complete an application for employment or send resumes to Human Resources Director Don St. Andre at dstandre@grdiocese.org.