Friends Seminary educates students from kindergarten through twelfth grade, adhering to the values of the Religious Society of Friends. We strive to build a diverse school where students exercise their curiosity and imagination as they develop as scholars, artists and athletes. In a community that cultivates the practices of keen observation, unhurried reflection, critical thinking, and coherent expression, we listen for the single voice as we seek unity. The disciplines of silence, study, and service provide the matrix for growth: silence opens us to change; study helps us to know the world; service challenges us to put our values into practice. At Friends Seminary, education is rooted in the Quaker belief in the Inner Light – that of God in every person. Guided by the testimonies of integrity, peace, equality, and simplicity, we prepare students to engage in the world that is and to help bring about a world that ought to be.

About Friends Seminary

Founded in 1786, Friends Seminary is the oldest continually operating coeducational, independent school in New York City. The Office of Institutional Advancement drives all fundraising for the School. The Benefit Auction, Annual Fund, Alumni Relations, Constituent Relations, Stewardship, Advancement Services, Planned Giving, Major Gifts, and the Capital Campaign are all functions of the Institutional Advancement Office.

Job Purpose

Friends Seminary is seeking a Major Gifts Associate to support major giving at Friends, including a capital campaign, reporting directly to the Director of Major Gifts and Planned Giving/Campaign Director. The Associate will play an important role in execution and strategy of a future campaign. They will support and advance Friends’ mission as an integral part of the Advancement team, staying actively engaged in the day-to-day running of the campaign, while managing a portfolio of their own prospects, and acting as a collaborative member of the Advancement team. The Associate will work with all constituencies in the Friends community and have exposure to major gifts, planned giving, and overall development of departmental strategy.

Responsibilities

Campaign Support and Coordination

•Coordinate communications, scheduling appointments and meetings, follow-up, and other support tasks as needed for the Campaign Director/Director of Major Gifts so they may remain focused on the cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of prospective donors.

•Support volunteer management efforts to ensure they are engaged and prepared with the materials they need to be effective spokespeople for the campaign and the School.

•Produce first draft of all campaign collateral, research materials, proposals, and additional meeting materials as needed for the Campaign Director/Director of Major Gifts, Director of Institutional Advancement, and Head of School.

•Monitor and report on the major gift pipeline to ensure all prospects progressing towards a major gift in a timely manner.

•Own the campaign pipeline, ensuring it is always up to date and accurate.

•Help identify and prioritize prospective campaign donors, support regular prospect pipeline meetings, and drive action to move them forward.

•Conduct thorough prospect research and create comprehensive profiles that can be used by staff and volunteers to prepare for meetings with prospects.

•Collaborate with Database Manager to maintain dashboards and activity reports, and track progress.

•Serve as an advocate and spokesperson for the campaign on the Advancement team and in the full School community.

•Be highly visible within the community.

Portfolio Management

•Manage an assigned portfolio of prospective donors, creating and executing a cultivation strategy for each prospect.

•Maintain complete and up-to-date records in the database.

•Support outreach to specific constituencies, particularly Parents of Alumni and Grandparents, including drafting bimonthly newsletter.

Advancement Office Support

•Assist and support Advancement and School sponsored events, as needed.

•Participate in weekly Advancement team meetings and provide overall support for Advancement goals, including the Annual Fund, as needed, and Special Events, coordinating with everyone across the team to contribute to departmental strategy, execution, and a positive team environment.

Qualifications

•Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, with the ability to draft clear and persuasive proposals and stewardship materials.

•Ability to draft reports and dashboards with a clear understanding of cash projections and fundraising financials.

•Minimum of 4-5 years in Development, preferably with direct Major Gifts experience and a track record of successfully soliciting gifts.

•Discretion and the ability to maintain confidentiality and act with sensitivity.

•Strong attention to detail with good proofreading skills.

•Commitment to Friends values of integrity, peace, equality, and simplicity, with an understanding of or interest in Quakerism a plus.

•Experience with donor databases and knowledge of G Suite a plus.

Compensation

The expected salary range for this position is $90,000 – $100,000, commensurate with experience.

Benefits

Friends Seminary offers excellent benefits including paid time off, health, dental, vision, 403(b) with a School-paid match; wide-ranging opportunities for professional development, including tuition support and summer grants; and a talented and dedicated team of teaching colleagues and supportive administrators. Successful candidates will join a dynamic and forward-thinking teaching community of over 150 educators.

To apply, please submit the following:

1.Completed Friends Seminary employment application

2.Cover letter and resume in a single PDF

3.Contact information for three personal references

When submitting your materials, kindly be sure to reference your first and last name, the position for which you are applying, and where you heard about the position in the subject line. i.e. [last name], [first name] – Major Gifts Associate – Friends Seminary website. You will receive a confirmation email when you submit your application. No phone calls, please.

Submit all materials to: advancementjobs@friendsseminary.org

Friends Seminary actively promotes diversity, equity, inclusion, and anti-racism in all its programs and operations, including admissions, financial aid, hiring, and all facets of the educational experience. To form a community which strives to reflect the world’s diversity, we do not discriminate on the basis of race or color, religion, nationality, ethnicity, economic background, physical ability, sex, gender identity or expression, or sexual orientation. Friends Seminary is an equal opportunity employer. Candidates of color and members of other underrepresented groups are strongly encouraged to apply. We urge all applicants to identify and express their individuality and the ways in which they might enrich and diversify the School community.

Moreover, all successful applicants, whether for a faculty or administrative staff post, must demonstrate an ongoing commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and anti-racism in their professional lives. Applicants for a faculty position should highlight ways their curriculum, pedagogy, and classroom culture may advance these goals. Applicants for an administrative staff position should highlight ways they seek to promote these goals in their office work, programming, or operational endeavors.