Associate Director of Advancement - Cranbrook Schools

Associate Director of Advancement - Cranbrook Schools

Founded by Detroit philanthropists George and Ellen Booth in 1904, Cranbrook Educational Community is one of the world's leading centers of education, science, and art. Comprised of a graduate Academy of Art, contemporary Art Museum, Center for Collections and Research, House and Gardens, Institute of Science, and more than 1,600 students attending our Pre-K through 12 independent college preparatory Schools, Cranbrook welcomes thousands of visitors and students to its campus each year. Critics have called Cranbrook "the most enchanted and enchanting setting in America" and in 1989 it was designated a National Historic Landmark. The campus is located in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, about 20 miles north of downtown Detroit. For more, please visit our website: www.cranbrook.edu.

Reporting to the Director of Advancement, the Associate Director of Advancement will be primarily responsible for the coordination and management of the department's Annual Fund, Major Gifts, and Stewardship programs at Cranbrook Schools. The Associate Director assumes responsibility for major donor prospects and manages and motivates a staff of experienced, productive frontline fundraisers to achieve aggressive goals while assuming personal responsibility for top level individual donor prospects. The incumbent will work closely with the Director of Advancement, the Director of Schools, the Schools' Board of Governors, and members of the CEC Advancement Staff to achieve success.

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

PROGRAM MANAGEMENT:

Gift Prospect Management

• Manage a personal portfolio of 75-90 major gift prospects, which may include alumni, current parents, parents of alumni, and grandparents.
• Conduct regular prospect visits relating to discovery, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship with the goal of securing major and planned gifts.
• Work with the Director of Advancement to create and implement a strategic plan for major gifts.
• Collaborate with CEC Director of Planned Giving for prospecting and securing planned gifts.

Portfolio Evaluation

• Evaluate the portfolios of all Advancement prospect managers, including quarterly check-ins with each prospect manager to strategize, discuss, and optimize prospect lists.
• Establish metrics to help all prospect managers achieve goals and timetables and set appropriate strategies for prospect progress and success.
• Identify, research and qualify prospective donors.
• Direct high-level cultivation and solicitation activity to the Director of Schools and Director of Advancement when appropriate and support those activities as needed.

Annual Fund

• Supervision of the Annual Fund Program.

Reunion Fundraising

• Create, execute, and evaluate broad reunion major gift efforts, including the creation of an 18-month overlapping reunion major gifts cycle for identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.
• Lead one or more major gift reunion class effort(s).

Stewardship

• Develop, evaluate, and streamline systems to support the stewardship of donors and volunteers.
• Conduct research on best practices, suggest content based on a donor's area of giving or interest and will also make recommendations regarding the format of donor reports.

ADMINISTRATION:

• Evaluate the performance and progress of annual fund and major gift officers consistent with Schools and department protocols.
• Help plan and execute fundraising and/or donor cultivation events.
• Participate actively in staff meetings, retreats and Board meetings when requested.
• Contribute content for organizational communications and marketing materials for the website and alumni magazine.
• Support the Director of Advancement in the overall management of the department.

Supervisory Responsibilities: Responsible supervision of Director of Annual Fund and Major Gifts Officer.

Requirements:

• A Bachelor's degree is required; a Master's degree is preferred.
• A minimum of seven years fundraising or sales experience, preferably in the education sector; major gift, campaign experience, or other applicable experience required.
• Management of a Major Gifts Program and a team of fundraising professionals.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and high-level organizational skills.
• Requires excellent written and verbal communication skills to work effectively with diverse user groups.
• Discretion is essential for handling highly confidential and potentially sensitive information.
• Capable of working with major donors, high level volunteers and major administrators.
• Collaborative and inclusive decision-making style.
• Enjoys and appreciates building relationships with colleagues, alumni, and other school families.
• Enthusiasm to join and support a vibrant, diverse, and inclusive school community.
• Calmness under pressure with sense of humor.
• Takes initiative with a positive, energetic, can-do spirit.
• Independent School experience preferred.
• Computer fluency and high degree of comfort with Excel and relational/administrative databases. Familiarity with Blackbaud Razors Edge preferred but not required.
• Valid Michigan driver's license with satisfactory driving record required.

Cranbrook offers competitive compensation and benefits that include medical, dental, life insurance, long-term and short-term disability, and retirement programs with employer contribution. We also offer generous paid time off, 11 paid holidays and 3 floating holidays, employee discounts, and a unique environment in an educational setting that values collaboration.

For consideration, please submit a resume and cover letter.