Director of Annual Giving

Available Position: Director of Annual Giving
Department: Office of Community Engagement
Reports to: Assistant Head of School for Advancement
Status: Salaried, Exempt, 12 Month
Date Posted: February 2022
Start Date: On or Before July 1, 2022
About Saint Mary’s Hall

Founded in 1879, Saint Mary’s Hall is an independent co-ed day school serving students and families of all faiths. Since its founding, Saint Mary’s Hall has called four campuses home. Though the faces and structures change over time, the heart of Saint Mary’s Hall endures from generation to generation.
Situated on a picturesque, tree-covered 60-acre bluff above Salado Creek in Northeast San Antonio since 1968, the campus at 9401 Starcrest Drive serves all students in beautiful state-of-the-art facilities. Saint Mary’s Hall is a special place built on strong community bonds, rich traditions, and a culture of belonging for all students. Graduates leave Saint Mary’s Hall confidently armed with the skills, knowledge, study habits, and self-awareness needed to thrive in college and find fulfillment in life.

Position Description

Saint Mary’s Hall seeks an innovative Director of Annual Giving to lead its robust program as a leader in the Office of Community Engagement. The Director is responsible for leading The SMH Fund, the School’s annual fund and philanthropic priority. The SMH Fund is a primary driver behind the School’s culture of philanthropy and currently accounts for 5% of the annual operating budget. The Director is responsible for managing the Form Leader volunteer program and creating appealing, unique, and diverse programs and communications to engage and steward the entire SMH community. Working across campus, the Director cultivates relationships as an involved member of the community to help tell stories and demonstrate the impact of philanthropy on campus. The Director will be a data-driven storyteller who demonstrates impact through verbal and written communication. The Director will cultivate, steward, and directly solicit philanthropic support from parents, alumni, grandparents, faculty/staff, and friends. Finally, the Director will strengthen the School’s relationship within the community through systematic outreach and continued volunteer recruitment. This position reports directly to the Assistant Head of School for Advancement. This is a non-supervisory role.

Responsibilities

- Work closely with colleagues in the Office of Community Engagement, school leadership, and all departments on campus to build and strengthen relationships and support for the School
- Set annual goals and action plans and develop a strategic vision for the growth of The SMH Fund over the coming decade, using data, donor research, and annual giving trends
- Develop an annual growth plan for volunteer management, including the addition of an SMH Fund Executive Committee
- Coordinate the solicitation process, including the segmentation and annual review of the donor database to ensure a strong connection between the community and the School’s mission, and in-person, digital, written, and other solicitation strategies
- Work collaboratively with all members of the Development Team to strengthen the database and the reporting of relevant data
- Oversee the Form Leader volunteer program, including the cultivation, recruitment, training, and stewardship of volunteers
- Strengthen and help manage the stewardship program, including the execution of annual donor events as appropriate for the School’s culture of philanthropy, and Thank-A-Thons, Head of School calls, gift receipts, thank you letters, and more
- Act as an external officer working directly with donors, cultivating relationships, and personally soliciting annual gifts to The SMH Fund
- Collaborate with the Director of Alumni Relations to create a robust strategic plan to strengthen alumni support, increase involvement, and build exceptional alumni and reunion gift programs, including an alumni volunteer structure to support solicitations and solidify the Reunion Giving Program volunteer base
- Collaborate with the Communications Office to manage all aspects of the website regarding The SMH Fund and other philanthropic areas, including the writing of monthly impact stories for digital publications, donor stories for The Shield, and more
- Manage the annual Impact Report with the Assistant Head, including the development of donor lists and donor stories
- Coordinate a grandparent program to encourage volunteer involvement and philanthropic support
- Collaborate closely within the Office of Community Engagement to support activity and programs across campus, including events, communications, Grand Day, and other programs as they develop.
- Remain connected to peer school institutions and current on Independent School best practices
- Represent SMH in an official capacity as needed and requested
- Support activities, initiatives, and events sponsored by the Office of Community Engagement as needed

Qualifications

- Bachelor’s degree (required)
- Independent school experience as a teacher, coach, or advisor (preferred)
- Proficiency in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
- Experience with advancement at the independent school or collegiate level, or comparable experience
- Expertise with the Veracross database (preferred) or other similar databases (required)
- A student-centered, collaborative, and transparent leader who is accessible to volunteers, students, parents, colleagues, and other key stakeholders and is adept at building relationships
- A leader with extraordinarily high expectations of themselves and the ability to inspire and motivate others
- A genuine care for people and desire to serve, through a high level of customer service
- Exceptional written and verbal communications skills (required)
- Strong understanding of how to use social media as an effective platform for engaging and communicating
- Unquestioned integrity and an impeccable reputation, where commitments are honored and peopled are approached in a straightforward and personal way
- An entrepreneurial, bright, highly motivated, hard-working, and enthusiastic personality with a serious commitment to excellence
- A leadership style marked by enthusiasm, desire to innovate, tenacity, follow-through, the courage of conviction, and setting an example for others
- Well-developed interpersonal skills to deal effectively with a wide range of constituents
- The ability to move comfortably in social settings and forge relationships within the community
- An ability to think systematically and be detail-minded while remaining focused on the big picture and the School’s mission
- A well-organized, results-oriented mindset with a high energy level and a strong sense of urgency

Dynamic Leadership

Len Miller joined Saint Mary’s Hall as the 25th Head of School in July 2020. Len came to San Antonio after a 25-year career in independent schools. He served previously at some of our nation’s top schools, including The Hill School, The Lawrenceville School, and The Shipley School. His tenure has been hallmarked by a deep commitment to the quality of the academic program, the student experience, and the long-term sustainability and growth of the institution. He has been at the forefront of developing innovative academic programs and recruiting and retaining dynamic teachers. Robust, intentional student wellness programs are the result of his collaborative leadership.

Len’s forward-thinking efforts in strategic planning, enrollment, advancement, and fiscal matters have underpinned the overall strength and quality of the schools he has served. As a leader, he strives to empower his leadership team to build programs, effect change, and make significant and meaningful impacts on the students, faculty, staff, and School culture. Len is committed to educating the whole student with a deep focus on connection and belonging among the student body.

Physical Requirements/Working Environment

- May require business travel for events, conferences, and professional development
- May occasionally work events, nights, or weekends
- Works mostly in a temperature-controlled office setting with occasional exposure to the outdoors or any number of elements
- May involve frequent bending, moving, lifting, and carrying materials less than 25 lbs.
- Operates various types of office equipment
- Work in a rigorous academic environment dealing with a wide variety of physical and intellectual challenges, deadlines, and a varied and diverse array of contacts

Other Information

This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required by the employed. Other duties, responsibilities, and activities may change or be assigned at any time with or without notice.

If you are interested in joining our dynamic professional and learning environment that encourages innovation, send us a cover letter, resume, writing sample, and complete our SMH employment application. Please email your documents to jobs@smhall.org. You can download our employment application by visiting www.smhall.org/about/employment-opportunities. Applications will be processed as they are received.

Jim Bob Womack, Assistant Head of School for Advancement
Saint Mary’s Hall
9401 Starcrest Drive, San Antonio, Texas 78217
www.smhall.org