Director of Major Gifts in New York, New York at Ethical Culture Fieldston School

Who we are?

Ethical Culture Fieldston School is a progressive PreK-12 independent school that has been serving students from throughout New York City and the surrounding suburbs since 1878. ECFS offers a rich curriculum in the arts, sciences, and humanities. A co-ed, nonsectarian school, it serves an inclusive community of about 1,700 students on two campuses -- one in the Riverdale section of the Bronx and the other in Manhattan.

What is essential about working at our school?

The Ethical Culture Fieldston School has a long history of inclusion and belonging deeply rooted in our mission and the educational philosophy of our founder, Felix Adler. We embrace all aspects of an individual, including their ancestry, family, identity, culture, and beliefs. We affirm both our differences and commonalities and strive to balance individuality and community. In keeping with our progressive tradition, we are dedicated to increasing our students’ cultural literacy to help them understand multiple perspectives and see the world beyond the self.

We expect members of our community to engage in open dialogue about living and learning in an inclusive environment inside and outside the classroom. We see this work, with its creative tensions, as a catalyst for individual and collective growth. On a daily basis, we are committed to making this vision of a democratic, pluralistic, and progressive school a reality.

Position Summary
Ethical Culture Fieldston School (ECFS) seeks an experienced fundraising professional to serve as the School’s Director of Major Gifts. Reporting to the Chief Advancement Officer Rose Turshen and working in close partnership with the CEO/Head of School, the Director of Major Gifts will lead leadership-level fundraising for the School's capital campaign, manage a portfolio of the School's most significant prospects, and serve as the primary staff partner to campaign volunteers. Beyond the campaign, the Director will build the practices of identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship required to sustain a robust major gifts program for years to come.

The full-time salary range for this position is $200,000-$225,000. The starting salary is based upon, but not limited to, several factors which include years of experience, education background, and expertise.

Opportunities and Challenges will include:

Advance leadership giving for a transformational campaign

ECFS is in the quiet phase of an exciting and ambitious campaign anchored by a new science and innovation center. The Director of Major Gifts will manage a portfolio of leadership prospects, partner with the CEO and the Chief Advancement Officer in cultivating and soliciting the School's most significant

donors, and bring the focus and discipline that move conversations from interest to commitment. The Director will also help broaden the case for support, connecting the project to the full breadth of the ECFS program and the innovation it will make possible across every division.

Strengthen the culture of philanthropy

ECFS families care deeply about the School, and giving through the Orange Fund has grown steadily. The opportunity now is to build a culture in which philanthropic leadership is clearly communicated, expected, and celebrated. The Director of Major Gifts will be a visible and energizing presence in the community, attending school events, athletic contests, and performances, meeting families one on one, and helping donors feel genuinely connected to the School's leadership and vision.

Strengthen prospect identification and pipeline development

With more than 1,700 students across four divisions and two campuses, ECFS has significant untapped philanthropic capacity among current and past parents, grandparents, former trustees, and alumni. Working closely with the advancement team's research and data functions, the Director will lead a disciplined approach to discovery, qualification, and portfolio management, learning what motivates each prospect and advising School leadership on whom to approach, when, and how. Deliberate attention to younger families will build the pipeline for the decades ahead.

Partner with campaign volunteers

The Director will serve as the primary staff partner to the Campaign Cabinet, preparing volunteers for prospect meetings, structuring cabinet meetings and follow-through, and ensuring that assignments are clear and progress is tracked. The successful candidate will help trustees and volunteers grow confident in their roles as advocates and solicitors, and will bring a clear plan, steady momentum, and contagious optimism to the work.

Elevate stewardship and donor recognition

The School has secured meaningful early commitments to the campaign, and those founding donors deserve thoughtful, personal stewardship. The Director will design a stewardship and recognition strategy that celebrates early leadership, demonstrates the impact of every gift, and keeps donors engaged well beyond the moment of commitment, laying the groundwork for future generosity.

Collaborate across Advancement and the School

The Director of Major Gifts joins a collaborative, hands-on Advancement team that includes the Director of Development, who leads the annual fund and database team, and the Associate Director of Strategic Initiatives, who manages leadership giving, endowment, and planned gifts. The Director will also work closely with the CFO and Business Office on gift agreements, pledge documentation, and reporting. Crafting proposals, briefings, and correspondence in the voice of School leadership will be central to the role.

A full search description of this high-profile opportunity may be viewed at: https://www.carneysandoe.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/ECFS-Campaign-Director-10.05-2.pdf

Qualifications

The ideal candidate will be an accomplished frontline fundraiser with a record of securing leadership gifts and the strategic and organizational skills to build a lasting major gifts program. Ethical Culture Fieldston School strives to hire people committed to the School's mission and values. The following qualifications are sought in the ideal candidate:

• Minimum of seven years of progressive fundraising experience; campaign experience is preferable.

• Demonstrated track record of cultivating, soliciting, and closing significant gifts.

• Capital campaign experience, ideally including a campaign for a new facility.

• Experience in prospect research, qualification, and portfolio management, with comfort using data and donor databases to inform strategy.

• Experience staffing senior leaders, trustees, and campaign volunteers, and preparing them for successful solicitations.

• Ability to design and execute a clear, measurable fundraising plan and ensure consistent follow-through.

• Experience developing stewardship and donor recognition programs that demonstrate impact.

• Working knowledge of gift agreements, pledge documentation, and endowed and planned gifts, and the ability to partner effectively with finance colleagues.

• Exceptional writing skills, including proposals, briefings, and correspondence in the voice of senior leadership.

• Commitment to fostering an equitable and inclusive community and demonstrated skill working with families and donors of all backgrounds.

• A commitment to confidentiality and good judgment on sensitive matters.

• Independent school experience preferred; higher education experience or other mission-driven

organizations welcome.

• Bachelor's degree required.
  

Personal Attributes

• Magnetic, warm, and confident, with the energy to inspire enthusiasm and the conviction that ambitious goals are achievable.

• Strategic and organized, able to create a clear plan and execute it with discipline.

• Highly relational with strong social intelligence, able to read people and situations with nuance and understand each donor's capacity and passions.

• Polished and professional, comfortable representing the School with sophisticated and high-capacity donors.

• Collaborative and generous with information, ready to step in wherever needed in keeping with the team's ethos.

• A quick study who readily adopts the voice and style of School leadership.

• Passionate about being present on campus and connecting with families at school events,

performances, and games.

• Self-starter able to manage multiple priorities, meet tight deadlines, and adapt to changing demands.

• Deep commitment to the mission of ethical learning and progressive education.

To apply
Carney Sandone has been retained by Ethical Culture Fieldston School, to conduct a national search for a Director of Major Gifts. Interested and qualified candidates are invited to contact the consultants in confidence. Candidates will ultimately need to submit the following materials as separate PDF documents:

• A cover letter expressing their interest in this particular position;

• A current résumé;

• A list of five professional references with name, relationship, phone number, and email address

of each (references will not be contacted without the candidate’s permission) to:

Myles Amend, Consultant, myles.amend@carneysandoe.com
Sara Shulman, Practice Leader,Development and Finance/Senior Consultant, sara.shulman@carneysandoe.com

EEO
ECFS is an equal opportunity employer. We seek to be a welcoming community of professionals that broadly reflects the people of the metropolitan New York City area, our students, and families. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of race, color, religion or religious practices, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, citizenship status, national origin, age, ability status, military status, unemployment status or any other category protected by applicable local, state, or federal laws. We are committed to hiring practices that ensure all candidates are given fair consideration in alignment with our institutional mission and goals.