Director of Development

Georgetown Day School•Washington, DC

1d•Onsite

About The Position

Georgetown Day School seeks a strategic, relationship-driven, and results-oriented Director of Development to help lead and grow the school’s philanthropic program. Reporting to the Chief Advancement Officer, the Director of Development is responsible for advancing the school’s annual giving program, strengthening the pipeline of major gift donors, and managing the team to transformational success. Serving as lead and manager for the development team, this role plays a crucial role in fostering a culture of philanthropy across the GDS community. The Director of Development combines strategic approach with strong execution, bringing a data-informed and relationship-centered approach to all aspects of fundraising. The Director of Development directly manages the Director of Individual Giving, indirectly manages the Advancement Associate of Annual Giving, and may have the potential for additional direct reports in the future as dictated by program growth and needs.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree required.
At least 7 years of experience in development or fundraising required.
Experience in an independent school, higher education, or education-related non-profit environment preferred.
At least 3 years experience managing staff and volunteers, including fundraisers, with the demonstrated ability to lead, prioritize, and develop team members is required.
Demonstrated success in closing major gifts and managing annual giving are required.
Experience using donor databases such as Raiser’s Edge or similar CRM systems is required.
Strong strategic thinking and organizational planning skills.
Exceptional relationship-building and communication skills.
Strategic fundraising and donor engagement.
Data-informed decision making.
Relationship building and donor stewardship.
Volunteer leadership and community engagement.
Planning and project management.
Ability to collaborate effectively with team leadership, school leadership, volunteers, and colleagues.
Professional communication and representation of institutional priorities.
Ability to work evenings and weekends, as needed, in support of events and donor engagement.
Motivation to use a range of resources that represent diverse cultures, experiences and viewpoints.

Nice To Haves

Experience in an independent school, higher education, or education-related non-profit environment preferred.

Responsibilities

Partner with the Chief Advancement Officer to create and implement a comprehensive annual development plan aligned with the school’s strategic priorities.
Support staff in strengthening the Hopper Fund through thoughtful donor segmentation, leadership giving strategy, and peer-to-peer engagement.
Implement strategies that support sustainable philanthropic growth and long-term donor engagement.
In partnership with the Director of Advancement Operations, monitor and evaluate fundraising performance, using data and trends to inform strategy and decision-making.
Support the Director of Individual Giving in devising and executing Hopper Fund strategy, including alumni, parent, alumni parent, grandparent, and community giving.
Identify opportunities to increase both donor participation and leadership-level giving.
Collaborate with volunteers and school leadership to expand engagement and strengthen donor relationships.
Monitor and analyze giving trends to guide strategy and improve outcomes in partnership with the Director of Advancement Operations.
Identify, cultivate, and solicit prospective major donors in partnership with the Chief Advancement Officer and school leadership.
Develop and manage a portfolio of high-capacity donors, with clear goals for cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship activity.
Create and execute individualized engagement strategies to move prospects through the donor pipeline.
Partner with the Chief Advancement Officer on leadership-level gift strategy and key donor relationships.
Design and oversee a comprehensive donor stewardship program that ensures timely, personalized, and impact-driven recognition and communication.
Ensure donors experience meaningful connection to the mission, students, and programmatic impact of GDS.
Collaborate with the Director of Community Relations to create thoughtful donor engagement opportunities through events, communications, and campus experiences.
Partner with the Director of Community Relations to strengthen relationships with alumni families and community supporters.
In partnership with Chief Advancement Officer and Advancement colleagues, engage and support volunteers, including parent leaders and Board members, in fundraising strategy, outreach, and peer-to-peer engagement.
In collaboration with the Director of Individual Giving, establish clear structures and expectations that enable volunteers to be effective partners in building a culture of philanthropy.
Provide day-to-day leadership and management of the Director of Individual Giving ensuring strong performance, accountability, and professional growth.
Establish clear goals, priorities, and workflows to support effective execution of development operations, data management, and reporting.
Partner with advancement operations to ensure accurate portfolio management, donor tracking, and pipeline reporting and to track fundraising progress and develop accurate revenue forecasts.
Collaborate with the Director of Communications to develop compelling messaging that communicates the impact of philanthropy.
Accomplish all tasks as appropriate.
Other duties outside this description may be assigned as necessary.