Changing the lives of students and families, McLean Schoolprovides a comprehensive and academically rigorous full-scopecollege preparatory school program for bright, college-boundstudents, including those with dyslexia, anxiety, and ADHD. Forover 65 years, the school has helped students realize their fullpotential with a curriculum that is traditional without beingrigid, challenging without being intimidating, and designed withthe real world in mind.
McLean recognizes that all children are natural learners, butthat they learn in different ways. The School’s Abilities Model® isa more complete way to understand how a student’s mind works. Thisapproach recognizes each child for their strengths, providingsupport in areas of need and fostering resilience, transforming howstudents view themselves and their futures. McLean focuses on whata child can do, not what they can’t--all within a collegepreparatory program that incorporates challenging academics,championship sports teams, visual and performing arts, robotics,service learning, and more.
Reaching all corners of the McLean experience, the school’scommitment to diversity and equity is an extension of its missionto make education accessible, stimulating, and meaningful to abroad range of learners. McLean embraces diversity and values theintegrity of all individuals. This recognition enriches thecommunity and encourages students to be better leaders and moreresponsible citizens.
Director of Development & Alumni Relations
McLean School (mcleanschool.org), a K-12 co-educationalindependent school in Potomac, Maryland, seeks applicants for aDirector of Development & Alumni Relations. This position iscurrently open and can offer an immediate start or a July 1 start,dependent upon candidate availability. McLean School has forover sixty-five years been helping bright students realize theirfull potential by providing a comprehensive college preparatoryprogram that emphasizes small classes and differentiatedinstruction. Through our Abilities Model®, we embrace bothtraditional learners and ones with mild to moderate learningchallenges. We recognize and teach to individual strengths,responding to areas of challenge, but never defining students bythem.
This exciting opportunity will challenge a dynamic and drivenprofessional to establish an ambitious development plan,strengthen relationships, expand the major giving donor base, andmake an impact as a key player in the emerging culture ofphilanthropy at McLean. The candidate will bring strategicexperience, energy that inspires others to give and furtherrelationships, and a creative approach to compelling communicationsin alignment with the School’s strategic priorities. The Directorof Development & Alumni Relations will report directly to theAssistant Head of School for Advancement until July 2023, and tothe Interim Co-Head of School for the 2023-24 school year, workingclosely with the Administrative Team and Board of Trustees.
The Director of Development & Alumni Relations will play aleading role in identification, cultivation, and solicitation andfollow-up with the most philanthropically capable families toensure increasing levels of endowment gifts, major gifts, grants,planned gifts, and campaign gifts during campaign years. Thisposition is external-facing and accomplished through management ofa team that includes an Annual Giving Manager, Alumni EngagementManager, and potentially a Database Manager, as well as throughcollaboration with the Board of Trustees, and by effectivelyleveraging the skills and contributions of McLean’s parents,trustees, friends, alumni, faculty, staff, and volunteers.
Key Responsibilities
- Collaboratively designs, implements, and oversees acomprehensive short-term, annual, and long-range fundraisingprogram to build a culture of philanthropy and secure significantfinancial resources from trustees, parents, alumni, foundations andothers to support McLean’s mission and strategic priorities.
- Oversees all major fundraising efforts and programs, includingleadership annual giving, major gifts, special fundraising events,grants, capital campaigns, planned giving, donor prospecting andresearch, and office administration to meet or exceed annual andlong- range development plan income goals.
- In coordination with the Assistant Head of School forAdvancement, leads and coordinates the efforts in theidentification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of aportfolio of major gift donors ($2,500+) with a focus on buildinglong-term relationships with top prospects and donors.
- Manages a portfolio of 100-150 leadership annual giving donors,sets clear goals for cultivation strategies, executes suchstrategies that result in the highest level ask for the School’sfundraising priorities and provides reporting of progress towardsgoals.
- Manages a team and works collaboratively with the Annual GivingManager, the Alumni Engagement Manager, the Parent EngagementCoordinator and potentially a Database Manager.
- Actively guides and supports the Assistant Head of School forAdvancement and Board Development Committee to evaluate annualgiving programs, and develop goals and objectives for the followingyear.
- Develop and present an annual development plan to the Board ofTrustees, and collaborates with Trustees to cultivate and stewardmajor gift donors, and identify new individual and corporatefunding opportunities to reach fundraising goals.
- Attends and participates in a variety of fundraising,stewardship, community-building, and campus events throughout theyear in order to stay informed, connected, and updated on schoolactivities.
- Articulate a compelling case for support to all constituents;responsible for collaborating on overall priorities with theAssistant Head of School for Advancement.
- With the Assistant Head of School for Advancement, draft andimplement Gift Policies and A Philanthropy Education Action Planthat will help to educate and inspire members of the McLeancommunity.
Experience
- Bachelor’s Degree
- 5-7 years of fundraising and related organizational developmentexperience.
- Demonstrated success cultivating and securing leadership andmajor gifts.
- Excellent interpersonal, verbal, and written communicationsskills.
- Experience with Blackbaud’s Raiser’s Edge or similarrelationship development software.
Leadership Requirements
- A charismatic, experienced, action-oriented leader who createsenthusiasm in giving.
- Demonstrated experience managing people and building teamrelationships.
- Ability to manage and lead professional and volunteer staff,including recruiting, training, and professional development.
- Highly detailed individual with strong work ethic andfollow-up.
- Ability to establish clear directions and sets goals,objectives, and benchmarks.
McLean School is an equal opportunity employer and considers allqualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color,religion, ancestry, national origin, age, sex, marital status,sexual orientation, gender identity, family responsibilities,disability, genetic status, or any other characteristic protectedby applicable law. If you need a reasonable accommodation due to adisability during the recruitment process, please contact ExecutiveSupport Manager, Robin Speller.
Interested applicants should fill out anonline Application, and upload their cover letter,résumé, and list of references.