Monday, August 4, 2008

Advancement Officer: Assistant Director of Annual Giving, Shady Side Academy - Pittsburgh, PA

Posted: 8/4/08

JOB DESCRIPTION
The Assistant Director of Annual Giving, Advancement Services assists the Director of the Annual Giving and the Office of the Vice President of Advancement in all phases of the Annual Giving including Pennsylvania’s Education Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) Program and specific areas research and stewardship. Reporting to the Director of the Annual Giving and the Vice President of Advancement, the position requires an overall commitment to all areas of advancement operations. Major areas of responsibility include:

Publications/Acknowledgements
Manage donor acknowledgements (for President’s, VP of Advancement, and Annual Giving Director’s signatures; includes form letters and special acknowledgements; mailing of receipts when they need to be further personalized and personalized thank you notes)

Annual Reports, Direct Mail Pieces, Alumni News Magazines, Website (assist in all phases of research, including gathering of various reports, donor lists, proofreading)

Donor Cultivation

Work with Director to focus on getting to know reunion year classes, lead volunteers and lead donors
Conduct research and develop profiles on current and future members of the school’s constituencies for possible major gift solicitation and cultivation using print and electronic sources
Actively proved updates to community database in Raiser’s Edge: BlackBaud programs for current contact and background information for alumni, parents, faculty, friends, grandparents, etc.

Volunteer network development and execution of volunteer-driven events
Assist Director of Annual Giving in coordination & recruitment of parent and alumni volunteers:

Enhance volunteer leadership selection process by assisting in the identification of prospective volunteers by providing research and other relevant information.
Assist in recruiting volunteers to attend phonathon
Assist in all aspects of phonathon planning, preparation, execution and follow-up.
Assist lead volunteers in their efforts to secure new volunteers and retain current ones.
Specifically attend to recruitment and retention of Class Agents

Gift Entry Management

Receive and review all gifts coming in, then give to Director of Database
Resolve any difficulties that may arise with specific donations, contact information, and records, etc.
Begin to learn/train as gift entry assistant to help in heavy gift entry times.

Implement Matching Gifts Program with Director of Annual Giving

Strengthen database and information in the database to better identify those constituents who have the potential to match
Set up program to mail at least once a year to targeted constituents who have the potential to send a matching gift.

Coordinate Pledge Reminder Process with Director of Annual Giving

Improve pledge reminder system to maximize collection of recorded pledges.

Event Planning and Coordination

Assist in coordination of Alumni/Development Events
Special events include: Phonathons, Homecoming, Gala, Alumni Events
Phonathons (planning, invitation and data preparation, on-site management with materials, post-phonathon changes and follow-up)

General Office Expectations -

Handling Confidential Information. The Assistant Director has access to confidential financial information, records and documents that are to be filtered to the proper administrators and staff in accordance with the Alumni & Development office’s confidentiality policy.
Additional Training. The Assistant Director is expected to attend training sessions and conferences in order to obtain better understanding of gift policies, RE and other software applications.
General Office Duties. As a member of a team-based office, the Assistant Director assists others with shared responsibilities such as answering the telephone, office coverage during lunch breaks and Parents’ and Alumni Weekend activities.

Qualifications
Qualified candidates will have a Bachelor's degree and preferable in English, Writing, or Communications, and preferable three to five years experience in independent school alumni/development responsibilities or related field with transferable skills. S/He will have exceptional organizational skills and attention to detail, ability to multitask, prioritize workload, an assertive approach to problem solving, superior interpersonal skills and excellent written and oral communication skills. This person also needs to possess a proficient level technology skill set, including Word and Excel and experience using a relational database; proficiency and passion for Raiser’s Edge software. We are looking for a person who becomes energized by troubleshooting, problem solving, and working with logical, efficient, and effective systems. Strong written and verbal communication skills are essential.

SALARY & BENEFITS
Full Time/Benefits: Commensurate with qualifications and experience. Salary is competitive with area independent schools.

TO APPLY: Please send cover letter and resume immediately to Rick Munroe, Advancement Office, Shady Side Academy, 423 Fox Chapel Road, Pittsburgh PA, 15238 or rmunroe@shadysideacademy.org fax: 412-968-3178

Shady Side Academy is an equal opportunity employer.

About Shady Side Academy Shady

Side Academy offers an exceptional K-12 academic and balanced educational experience by challenging each student to realize his or her potential in a stimulating and nurturing environment.

As the Pittsburgh region’s largest independent school, Shady Side Academy is a 124 year-old, co-educational, college preparatory school serving a diverse student body. As an accredited private academic school, Shady Side Academy devotes itself to the principles of a developmentally appropriate education. Teachers and staff are responsible for the development of students’ analytical, artistic and physical abilities.

Visit the school’s web site at www.shadysideacademy.org.

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