Director of Advancement & Mission

Diocese of Dallas Schools•Farmers Branch, TX

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The Director of Advancement & Mission is the senior advancement and institutional strategy officer at Mary Immaculate Catholic Church & School. This role is responsible for philanthropic revenue, major donor relationships, capital project leadership, and grant development. The position sits within the institution's senior leadership team and carries direct accountability for the financial resources that make the school's mission possible. Mary Immaculate runs a single-person advancement operation, and the Director sets the strategy, manages donor relationships, produces communications, leads events, and closes gifts. This is a role for someone who finds meaning in that kind of work, who takes ownership without being prompted and brings the same care to a thank-you letter as to a major gift conversation.

Requirements

Experience managing a personal portfolio of major gift prospects and donors.
Experience cultivating and soliciting planned giving commitments.
Experience building and managing a corporate sponsorship strategy.
Experience serving as a primary liaison and executive lead for fundraising events.
Experience managing donor stewardship.
Experience producing and overseeing advancement communications.
Experience serving as a primary point of contact for capital improvement projects.
Experience managing project documentation, vendor relationships, and timeline accountability.
Experience identifying, researching, and pursuing grant opportunities.
Experience leading grant submissions.
Experience managing active grant relationships and reporting obligations.
Experience managing a constituent relationship management system (e.g., Blackbaud Raiser's Edge NXT).
Experience building and maintaining donor segmentation, prospect pipelines, action logging, and gift reporting.
Experience producing advancement reports for senior leadership.
Experience serving as a member of a senior leadership team.
Experience representing an institution at professional and community functions.
Experience pursuing ongoing professional development.

Nice To Haves

Experience in Catholic advancement.
Experience in institutional leadership.

Responsibilities

Lead the institution's Annual Fund strategy, including goal-setting, segmentation, solicitation, and stewardship across all donor levels.
Manage a personal portfolio of major gift prospects and donors, executing moves management from identification through stewardship.
Cultivate and solicit planned giving commitments in partnership with the pastor and principal, maintaining the institution's Legacy Circle.
Build and manage a year-round corporate sponsorship strategy, consolidating event and institutional sponsorships into a single annual catalog.
Serve as the institution's primary liaison and executive lead for the Heart of Gold Auction and Gala, carrying full operational and strategic accountability from concept through close.
Serve as the institution's primary liaison and executive lead for the MIS Golf Classic, carrying full accountability.
Maintain a consistent, personal cadence of stewardship for all major and mid-level donors, including written correspondence, phone outreach, campus visits, and recognition events.
Produce and oversee all advancement communications, including donor acknowledgment letters, case statements, campaign materials, and stewardship reports.
Partner with the Pastor and Principal on donor-facing correspondence, briefings, and cultivation events.
Manage the institution's Legacy Circle, including recognition, ongoing cultivation, and periodic communication.
Serve as the institution's primary point of contact for architects, engineers, and general contractors on major capital improvement projects.
Align donor strategy, naming opportunities, and project scope to support capital priorities identified by senior leadership.
Manage project documentation, vendor relationships, and timeline accountability in coordination with the facilities team and Church Business Manager.
Provide leadership in the development and communication of capital campaign priorities to major donors and institutional stakeholders.
Identify, research, and pursue grant opportunities across Catholic, diocesan, private foundation, and federal funding channels.
Lead all grant submissions from concept through application, including stakeholder coordination, narrative development, budget documentation, and compliance requirements.
Manage active grant relationships with program officers and ensure all reporting obligations are met on schedule.
Coordinate with diocesan contacts, school administration, and external partners on grant eligibility, project alignment, and application strategy.
Manage and maintain Blackbaud Raiser's Edge NXT as the institution's primary constituent relationship management system.
Build and maintain donor segmentation, prospect pipelines, action logging, and gift reporting across all funds and campaigns.
Produce a weekly advancement report for senior leadership covering progress on active fundraising campaigns, event status, grant activity, and capital projects.
Ensure gift acknowledgment within 48 hours as a standing institutional standard.
Serve as an active member of the senior leadership team, contributing to strategic planning and institutional decision-making in service of the school's broader mission.
Represent the institution at diocesan, professional, and community functions.
Pursue ongoing professional development through conferences, workshops, and peer networks relevant to Catholic advancement and institutional leadership.