Advancement Operations and Stewardship Coordinator in San Diego, California at ACADEMY OF OUR LADY PEACE

The Academy of Our Lady of Peace seeks a detail-oriented, mission-aligned professional to serve as Advancement Operations and Stewardship Coordinator, reporting directly to the Chief Advancement Officer (CAO). This role supports OLP’s mission by ensuring the integrity of donor data, the accuracy and timeliness of gift processing, and the quality of donor stewardship across the advancement program. Every gift received, and every donor thanked, is an expression of the charism of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, unifying love in service to the dear neighbor without distinction, and this role carries that charism into the daily work of gratitude.

As part of a lean, highly collaborative advancement model, every member of the advancement team serves as a fundraiser. The Coordinator serves as the Raiser’s Edge NXT administrator, partners with Finance to build the data infrastructure, reporting, and recognition programs that will support OLP’s next comprehensive campaign, and carries direct solicitation responsibility for a defined, database-driven segment of donors, where the research lens of database management and the relational work of stewardship come together.

This is an early-career professional role with a clear growth path in advancement, ideal for someone energized by systems, accuracy, gratitude, and relationships, and who is a mission-aligned ambassador of the Academy’s Catholic, all-girls identity and the values of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet.

Essential Responsibilities

These are intended only as illustrations of the various types of work performed. The omission of specific duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related, or a logical assignment to the position.

Advancement Services and Gift Administration

• Serve as Raiser’s Edge NXT administrator (funds, campaigns, appeals, packages, user security, and integrations with Finalsite, Mailchimp, and online giving and registration forms) and as primary contact for Blackbaud support;
• Maintain constituent records and conduct ongoing data hygiene, including deduplication, household and relationship linking, and code management;
• Process and batch all gift types (cash, check, credit card, recurring, pledges, stock, donor-advised fund, matching, sponsorships, in-kind, and faculty and staff payroll giving administered with HR and Finance) with quality review;
• Reconcile gifts with Finance against BBMS disbursements and bank deposits; produce month-end reports, reconcile Raiser’s Edge to the general ledger, and support the annual audit;
• Apply gift acceptance and restriction policies; issue timely, IRS-compliant acknowledgments and tax

Annual Giving and Database-Driven Solicitation

• Serve as a fundraiser for OLP, as every member of the advancement team does, with solicitation responsibility for a portfolio segment defined by giving data and assigned annually by the CAO (such as lapsed donors or recurring giving conversion);
• Build, work, and track that segment in Raiser’s Edge NXT, using LYBUNT and SYBUNT reports and giving history to solicit by personal outreach, calls, and written appeals, and record contact reports and results;
• Lead the faculty and staff giving campaign with the CAO, inviting colleagues to give in support of OLP’s mission;
• Identify and qualify planned giving prospects from the database using giving longevity, consistency, class year, and life-stage indicators, manage legacy society communications with Marketing and Communications, and bring qualified prospects to the CAO for solicitation;
• Steward legacy society members and document planned gift expectancies and estate commitments in Raiser’s Edge NXT

Stewardship and Donor Relations

• Execute the annual stewardship calendar, including tiered recognition, impact communications, endowed and named fund reports, year-end giving statements, and annual report donor listings;
• Manage giving societies, including the Lacemakers and Scholarship Benefactors, and fulfill recognition commitments such as bricks, tiles, plaques, naming signage, and donor walls;
• Coordinate personalized touchpoints, including thank-you calls and student notes, for the Head of School, the CAO, and gift officers, and approach every acknowledgment as an act of gratitude reflecting the charism of unifying love, so that each donor, whatever the size of the gift, is received as the dear neighbor without distinction;

Campaign Analytics, Events, and Team Support

• Build and maintain campaign coding, gift-counting rules, and pledge tracking, and produce campaign progress reports, gift range charts, and fiscal year-to-date, annual fund, giving day, and participation updates for senior leadership and the Board of Trustees;
• Support prospect research and moves management for the gift officers, including wealth screening, profile development, donor meeting briefings, portfolio assignments, proposal stages, and segmented lists such as LYBUNT and SYBUNT reports;
• Manage event data and logistics for signature events, including the Golf Tournament, Women’s Symposium, Alumnae Homecoming, Alumna of the Year Luncheon, Grandparents’ Day, and donor receptions, including registration, check-in, sponsor benefit fulfillment, and scheduling in QWare and on the school calendar;
• Manage advancement office operations, purchasing, and intern and volunteer coordination; document procedures and best practice protocols for Raiser’s Edge NXT;
• Make certain that all advancement operations, solicitations, events, and communications reflect the mission of OLP, the charism of unifying love of the sponsoring Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, and the formation of faith-filled young women leaders;

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree required; a degree or coursework in nonprofit management, business, or data systems preferred;
• 1-2 years of experience in advancement operations, gift processing, donor relations, frontline fundraising, or nonprofit database administration; independent school or higher education experience a plus;
• Donor database experience required; Raiser’s Edge NXT strongly preferred, with training provided;

Skills and Competencies

• Comfort making a direct ask and building donor relationships; willingness to learn annual giving and planned giving practices (training provided);
• Advanced Excel (lookups, pivot tables) and Google Workspace proficiency; Mailchimp or Finalsite a plus;
• Exceptional attention to detail, accuracy with financial reconciliation, sound judgment, and discretion with confidential donor, estate, and financial information; willingness to learn gift accounting, IRS acknowledgment rules, and fund restrictions;
• Highly organized, collaborative, and adaptable, able to manage multiple projects, deadlines, and recurring cycles with accuracy in a lean and evolving advancement environment;
• Strong written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills, with a warm and professional manner in engaging donors, alumnae, families, volunteers, and colleagues;
• Ethical, donor-centered approach, with a commitment to the mission of OLP and Catholic education, the charism of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, and the formation of young women leaders; familiarity with Catholic education and single-gender learning environments preferred;

Other Requirements

• Participate in school activities and in evening and weekend events (Golf Tournament, Homecoming, Women’s Symposium, reunions) and other duties as assigned; overtime is paid in accordance with California law;
• Participate in the faith life of the school community, including liturgies, retreats, and mission formation, and grow in understanding of the CSJ charism as it shapes the work of advancement;
• Ability to travel for donor visits and off-site event venues; valid driver’s license required.

Required Documents & Pre-Employment Requirements:

Applicants must submit a cover letter, resume, and two professional references from current or former supervisors. Candidates must also provide official transcripts, a current negative TB test result or TB Risk Assessment Questionnaire, complete required training, and successfully complete Livescan fingerprinting. Employment is contingent upon obtaining fingerprint clearance from the California Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). In accordance with California Assembly Bill 2534 and Senate Bill 848, finalists must also complete OLP’s school employment verification form, disclosing all prior employment with any public, private, or charter school, and authorize OLP to contact each prior school employer to verify employment and to inquire about any substantiated allegations of egregious misconduct. Employment is contingent upon satisfactory completion of this verification.

Equal Opportunity Employment

The Academy of Our Lady of Peace is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to creating an inclusive environment where all qualified applicants receive equal consideration for employment. OLP prohibits discrimination and harassment based on race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, age, genetic information, marital status, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic under federal, state, or local law.