The Opportunity

The Angeletti Group invites nominations and applications for The Southport School’s next Director of Development. The institution seeks a dynamic leader to oversee its development program, particularly the major gifts and campaign efforts, to increase philanthropic support.

Reporting to the Chief Advancement Officer, the Director of Development will be responsible for implementing The Southport School’s relationship-building and major gift fundraising activities. The Director of Development will dedicate the majority of his/her time to major gift identification, outreach, and solicitation. The selected candidate will be an externally-focused development professional with a passion for the mission of The Southport School.

About The Southport School

The Southport School, offers co-educational elementary, middle, and summer school programs in Southport, CT, in Fairfield County. The School provides transformative educational experiences for students with language-based learning differences such as dyslexia and ADHD/ADD. At The Southport School, students can safely take risks and are championed by an expert faculty that is student-focused and uses research and evidence-based approaches.

Since its founding 37 years ago, The Southport School has unlocked the potential of more than 3,500 students. With a total of 56 faculty/staff members, and 121 students in kindergarten through 8th grade, Southport School’s Student/Faculty Ratio is 4:1. Students typically spend 3-4 years at The Southport School and approximately 60% go on to attend independent or parochial schools while 40% attend public schools.

Over the years, the school has served students from 45 communities. Students currently come from more than 18 communities in Fairfield and Westchester County with the largest town representation from Darien, Fairfield, New Canaan, Norwalk, Weston, Westport, and Wilton.

Vision

At The Southport School, our vision is a world where people with language-based learning differences and ADHD are embraced for their strengths and potential, and where all teachers have access to training in best educational practices and current research.

Mission

Our mission is to provide transformative educational experiences that have lifelong impact on our students as well as thought leadership that engages the learning differences community.

Approach

The Southport School is dedicated to creating an environment for LD and ADHD students in kindergarten through 8th grade that recognizes individual strengths, promotes independent thinking, develops self-esteem and self-advocacy, and supports a successful transition for continued academic achievement. Through our teacher training, professional development, and community outreach programs, we inform families, educators, and other professionals on how to implement those practices in the lives of people with language-based learning differences and ADHD.

The Director of Development

The Director of Development will be a development professional of exceptional skill, impeccable ethics, and proven experience. The selected candidate must be an energetic professional with a track record of building donor relationships and closing gifts of $25,000 and above.

In conjunction with the Chief Advancement Officer and Head of School, the Director of Development is responsible for creating and executing a major gifts development plan.  An important component of the position will be to serve as an active community member who will personally cultivate and solicit a portfolio of major gift prospects as well as engage school leadership in ways to add the greatest value.

Areas of Emphasis for Director of Development

• With the Head of School and Board of Trustees, implement a metrics-driven, major gift program; establish measurable fundraising goals along with appropriate metrics. Track and report progress using specific metrics.    
• Develop and manage the cultivation and solicitation of a personal portfolio of prospects including current and past parents, alumni, corporations, foundations, and community members.
• Utilize resources including the donor database, volunteers, faculty/staff, publications and the internet to identify potential major gift prospects.
• Coordinate prospect research on major and planned gift prospects and donors.
• Support the Head of School in his cultivation and solicitation efforts.
• Maintain frequent personal contact and communication with prospects, donors, board members and other key constituents to strengthen relationships.
• Advise on strategic communication activities that support relationships between the school and its external constituents, such as trustees, alumni, parents, donors, and friends.
• Oversee grantwriting process and reporting to funders.
• Oversee the maintenance of the database and ensure consistent database use across the development department.
• Oversee the gift acknowledgement process and ensure appropriate recognition of all donors.
• Attend meetings of the Board of Trustees, Development Committee, other volunteer leadership teams as needed.

Qualifications & Preferences

• Five years of progressively responsible fundraising experience, including at least three years of major gift ($25,000 and above) fundraising experience.
• Track record of identifying, cultivating, and soliciting major gifts.
• Experience in an independent school setting a plus.
• Excellent interpersonal, organizational, time management, and communication skills (both oral and written).
• Creative, innovative, and able to devise new approaches to philanthropy.
• Ability to think and act independently as well as collaboratively with peers, Board leadership and School leadership.
• Experience with fundraising databases.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office.
• Bachelor’s degree required.

Application Procedure

Applications will be accepted until position is filled. To be considered, candidates should submit a resume and cover letter including a statement of interest to search@theangelettigroup.com.

Nominations and confidential inquiries made to:

The Angeletti Group

365 South Street

Morristown, NJ 07960

(973) 540-1400

search@theangelettigroup.com