St. Stephen's Episcopal School, a day and boarding school of 705 students (grades 6-12), seeks a full-time Director of Major Gifts.

St. Stephen’s Episcopal School is in the advanced gifts phase of the most ambitious comprehensive campaign in the history of the school. As the school community plans to celebrate its 75th anniversary, the Advancement team is focused on an increased volume of visits, particularly to alumni, for intentional conversations about the exciting future of St. Stephen’s made possible through this transformative campaign. 

Reporting directly to the Director of Advancement, The Director of Major Gifts (DMG) will serve as a frontline fundraiser with primary responsibility for cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding major (25K+) and planned gifts for the School’s top philanthropic priorities, with a secondary responsibility of securing leadership gifts ($5K+) for St. Stephen’s annual fund in conjunction with their major and planned giving outreach. This position will be expected to heavily engage with 150+ prospects with a focus on donor retention, increased giving, and strategic stewardship. The DMG will lead the growth of the major and planned giving efforts as well as be responsible for strategic oversight of the major and planned giving program and pipeline. The DMG will manage one to two gift officers, leading by example and setting the pace for the gifts team.

Responsibilities:

• Through strategic and intentional visits, work with prospects and donors throughout the giving continuum to maximize engagement and fundraising for the school;
• Identify, qualify, cultivate, solicit, and steward major ($25K+) and planned giving prospects to advance School priorities and meet and exceed fundraising goals;
• Proactively and strategically manage a major and planned gifts portfolio and generate a high level of strategic activity and prospect contact to move relationships forward;
• Oversee the strategies, goals, and pipeline of the Legacy Council's planned giving program including communications, events, and volunteer opportunities. Meet or exceed goals and report regularly on status to the Director of Advancement;
• Expand the Legacy Council planned giving program and serve as the point of contact for donors with an expressed interest in planned gifts;
• In support of the comprehensive campaign goals and 75th anniversary, oversee the re-branding of the Legacy Council;
• Direct new or current special campaign planned giving initiatives as part of a comprehensive campaign;
• Solicit and steward leadership giving ($5K+) for the St. Stephen’s annual fund in conjunction with major and planned gift outreach;
• Lead and manage a team of frontline fundraisers with individual expectations, deliverables, and accountability as well as inspire team collaboration;
• Partner with the Director of Advancement on all gift officer portfolio management;
• Stay current with trends in philanthropy and technical details on all forms of planned gifts and tax law changes, keeping St. Stephen’s staff and constituents informed of such changes as appropriate. Serve as a knowledgeable resource for St. Stephen’s staff, donors, and prospects;
• Contribute to the development and execution of a comprehensive stewardship plan, with focus on major and planned donors for campaign and special giving priorities, and track progress on this portion of the plan to ensure donors feel informed and appreciated;
• Provide regular reports on major and planned gift activity and contribute stories that celebrate leadership and major giving in School publications and newsletters.

Professional Qualifications

The most competitive candidates will offer most or all of the following qualifications:

• A bachelor’s degree and a minimum of five years of professional fundraising experience;
• Independent school, college, or university experience preferred;
• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills;
• Excellent interpersonal, analytical, and organizational skills, and ability to prioritize and execute responsibilities in the face of competing priorities and deadlines;
• Demonstrated experience in planned giving;
• Demonstrated experience managing direct report(s);
• Experience with fundraising databases; Raiser’s Edge preferred;
• A demonstrated ability to work independently and as a collaborative team member;
• Ability to handle complex situations with professionalism, poise, maturity, and flexibility;
• Ability to handle confidential information with discretion and integrity;
• Ability to travel, to work flexible hours as necessary, including evenings and weekends for special events, meetings, or other commitments;
• Desire to be a part of and engage in the life of the School;
• A clear understanding and commitment to St. Stephen’s culture that celebrates diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Qualified candidates should submit their resume and a letter of interest addressing their qualifications for this role.

About St. Stephen's Episcopal School

St. Stephen's Episcopal School is a coeducational boarding and day school that was founded by the Episcopal Diocese of Texas in 1950. It is a caring, diverse community, inclusive of all faiths and grounded in the Christian tradition, which nurtures moral growth and values the potential and dignity of every human being. St. Stephen's challenges motivated students to live intelligently, creatively, and humanely as contributing members of society. The school develops the whole person within a balanced program of academics, athletics, and the arts. Students also participate in a wide variety of clubs and organizations, outdoor education and recreation programs, service learning activities, daily chapel services, and study abroad opportunities.

In accordance with our founding mission, St. Stephen's Episcopal School infuses diversity, equity, and inclusion practices in everything we do, from admission policies, curriculum, and professional development to our hiring practices. We seek qualified candidates who are committed to these values and ready to work in community to create a more just society. We celebrate every individual, recognizing that our unique stories, histories, and voices are essential to creating a vibrant living and learning space. As such, we strongly encourage people with diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and identities to apply to become members of our community.

Equal access to employment, programs, and services is available to all. With respect to its employment practices, St. Stephen's Episcopal School does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, gender or gender identity, national origin, disability, age, or sexual orientation or identity.