Annual Fund Director at Forman School – Litchfield, Connecticut

Reports To: Director of Advancement

12-month position

Position Overview

As Forman School approaches its centennial celebration and continues to expand the work of its new Cognition and Learning Building and Assessment Center, there has never been a more exciting time to join a visionary team of leaders and educators, taking the science of learning and the strengths of neurodiverse learners to the next level.

Forman School seeks a Director of the Annual Fund. Reporting directly to the Director of Advancement, the Director of the Annual Fund is responsible for the design, strategy, and implementation of Forman’s Annual Fund. The ideal candidate is a dynamic, creative, innovative, analytical, and strategic leader with proven experience growing annual fund support. The Director must possess exceptional oral and written communication skills, along with the ability to work effectively in a fast-paced and dynamic environment. Travel for donor meetings, as well as occasional evening and weekend work, will be required.

Forman’s Mission, Promise, and Core Values

Forman School is an independent, coeducational, college preparatory school for boarding and day students with identified learning differences. Forman develops the whole student, based on each individual’s learning profile, so that all graduates become educated, confident self-advocates throughout life.

Forman is committed to sustaining an inclusive environment that fosters a deeper understanding of differences in race, gender, sexual orientation, age, ethnicity, religion, socioeconomic status, geographical origin, physical ability, and family structure.

We believe society is strengthened when we learn from and embrace those whose experiences and perspectives differ from our own. Our community values truth, respect, and kindness.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop an effective annual strategy and operating plan to achieve annual giving goals
• Analyze data to evaluate progress towards goals and refine strategies of the Annual Fund program as needed
• Oversee segmentation and targeting of all constituents
• Manage an assigned prospect pool of Annual Fund leadership donors and meet a yearly goal of personal solicitation
• Collaborate with the Marketing and Communications Office and the Director of Parent and Alumni Engagement to maximize donor engagement and work with the parent association
• Promote a philanthropic culture across the school community
• Lead the creation and implementation of all annual giving communications, including appeals, campaigns, and donor acknowledgements, in collaboration with the Marketing and Communications Office
• Recruit, train, and support Annual Fund volunteers
• Implement appropriate and beneficial stewardship strategies
• Attend on-campus and off-campus events to represent the school and engage with constituents, as appropriate
• Provide accurate and timely data to support reports to the Board of Trustees
• Perform other duties as assigned

Educational and Experiential Background and Credentials

Required:

• Minimum of five years of development experience, preferably in an independent school or higher education setting
• Excellent written and oral communication, planning, and organizational skills.
• Flexible, self-motivated, and team-oriented, with the ability to work collaboratively and maintain a positive attitude in a fast-paced, goal-driven environment.
• Strong ability to manage multiple tasks simultaneously, with keen attention to detail and the ability to prioritize to meet deadlines.
• High level of computer proficiency, with strong skills in MS Office and Google Suite

Preferred:

• Experience with Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge or other CRM database software
• Understanding of an independent school
• Familiarity with inclusive language related to learning differences