Director of Advancement

OVERVIEW

Donahue Academy is the parochial elementary, middle, and high school of Ave Maria Catholic Church, which

serves more than 1,400 households through liturgy, evangelization, formation, education, and ministry activities.

Donahue Academy provides a faithful Catholic, classical education, including a robust athletics program, to

children from Pre-Kindergarten to Grade 12 in an authentically Catholic, tight-knit community environment. The

Advancement Director advances the school’s mission and vision by crafting and delivering on a multi-year

strategic plan to include major gift, capital campaign, endowment, and other initiatives to address the school’s

needs in the short, medium, and long terms thereby advancing the Kingdom of God in the earthly city.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Provide strategic and ambitious advancement vision and know-how to the school’s leadership team through the

development of a comprehensive, multi-year major giving campaign, multi-phase capital campaign, endowment

fund, and planned giving, as well as other long-range funding and other initiatives that achieve the school’s

short-, medium-, and long-term objectives.

• Assist Principal and Board in recruiting, engaging, and nurturing a diverse Advisory Board of Directors that can

supply talent, time, and treasure especially in the areas of strategy, finance, facilities management, and mission

advancement to complement the existing Board composition.

• Liaise with the Director of Stewardship to cultivate beneficial relationships with school’s donors.

• Liaise with the Director of Operations to align infrastructure, end-to-end processes (e.g. admissions,

advancement), and broader operational activities (e.g. communications, marketing) with the overall

advancement strategy.• Liaise with Business Manager to review, revise, and/or generate budgets and reporting in support of

advancement goals.

• Attend advancement events to keep a pulse on active donors’ interests, desires, and feedback.

• Work with Principal and the Advisory Board to cultivate donor prospects and strengthen the school’s ties to and

visibility with persons and institutions in the Ave Maria and greater Naples areas.

CREDENTIALS, SKILLS, AND EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor’s degree plus 6+ years of experience or combination of education and experience; master’s degree in

business or education is preferred.

• Minimum 5 years of experience in fundraising (direct solicitation) in a major giving capacity is required.

• Understanding of the giving process and donor behavior, strategic outlook regarding fundraising goals and donor

interests, and cross-functional collaboration experience is required.

• Demonstrated ability to manage sensitive and confidential information and competing priorities is required.

• Expert knowledge of board and trustee recruiting, engagement, and management is required.

• Proven track record of success in an education setting is preferred.

• Familiarity with the classical model of education is desired.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

• Must be a practicing Catholic.

• Must abide policies and procedures as set forth in the Diocese and Donahue Academy Employee and Family

handbooks.

• Willingness to undergo background check.

• Must be able to work remotely and independently.

• Must demonstrate flexibility, creativity, and empathy.

• Must demonstrate strong business and financial acumen and exemplary relationship management, negotiation,

and communication skills.