Planned Gift Director - Higher Ed. jobs in North Carolina

Saint Mary's School is an independent, Episcopal, college-preparatory, boarding and day school for girls in grades 9–12. The School is the fourth oldest girls’ boarding and day school in the country and is located on a beautiful 23-acre campus in the heart of Raleigh, within walking distance to many restaurants and attractions the City of Oaks has to offer. Raleigh-Durham, NC is ranked as one of the best places to live in the United States by US News & World Report.

Saint Mary’s School is offering a unique and exciting opportunity to work on a beautiful historic campus for the 2023-24 year. This benefited position possibly offers campus housing provided by the School where Residential Faculty members can participate in a vibrant campus life with other families and students and enjoy meals in the dining hall.

We are looking for candidates who demonstrates a high degree of cross-cultural competency and inclusion in all aspects of school life. Saint Mary’s School seeks candidates who believe every learner deserves to have her needs met through learning communities that value diversity, compassion, and fairness. Our teachers work to create equitable classrooms providing students with equal access to learn and achieve their full potential. We are seeking faculty members who are looking for opportunities to share in the residential-life responsibilities and engage in the community by coaching a sport and/or coordinating extra-curricular activities in the evenings or weekends.

Summary:

Director of Planned Giving plays a central role in leading Saint Mary’s School’s planned, estate, and deferred giving programs to unprecedented levels of success. The Director of Planned Giving is responsible for the overall leadership and direction of the planned gift program, which focuses on marketing and closing planned gifts, and partnering with gift officers to incorporate planned gifts into solicitations.

Responsibilities:

Planned Giving Program Development, Leadership and Management:

• Plan and coordinate major gift and estate planning programs to promote deferred giving by alumnae, faculty, supporters of the school.
• Complete gifts using instruments such as unitrusts, annuity trusts, bequests and insurance contracts.
• Develop marketing strategies for planned gifts including annual appeals, group presentations, and educational materials.
• Coordinate activities with prospects, prospect attorneys, and/or financial advisors along with internal departments to determine the most appropriate method of deferred giving, make necessary arrangements, ensure appropriate documentation and compliance with government regulations and investment policies.
• Provide leadership and strategic vision for Heritage Society planned giving program.
• Provide direction to staff and colleagues for implementation/deployment of strategic ideas and plans regarding planned giving for multi-faceted asks.
• Ensure effective use of all technology available for tracking, reporting, prospecting and sourcing planned giving leads.
• Monitor legal changes in estate planning, including wills, trusts and estate and gift tax laws - and the subsequent changes to policies, processes and opportunities to leverage such changes.

Prospect and Portfolio Management:

• Cultivate and solicit a minimum of 25-50 prospective donors each year within a portfolio of 50-80 prospects through personal one-on-one visits and other means.
• Travel to cultivate, solicit and steward six-and-seven-figure donors and prospects in strategic collaboration with the development and head of school offices.
• Track interactions with prospects through effective use of our development database.
• Effective use of planned giving resources and tools to ensure effective prospecting, analysis, and interactions with potential donors.

Reporting:

• Align planned giving strategies and activities with departmental plans and strategic plans.
• Create a system to provide monthly, quarterly, and annual reports and metrics to be shared with key stakeholders.
• Provide detailed reports for Board of Trustee Development meetings and Schoolwide report.
• Ensure effective evaluation of gift planning marketing efforts from direct mail, electronic, new media, face-to-face, and volunteer solicitation strategies.

Other Responsibilities:

• Maintain working knowledge of institutional priorities that may match donors’ interests.
• Monitor professional literature to remain current in the planned giving field.
• Prepare development proposals and present fundraising priorities effectively.
• Assist as necessary with other development activities such as annual fund, fundraising events, etc.
• Other duties as assigned.

Perform weekend and night responsibilities to support the life of the residential community and the academic program as required by your position or requested by your manager/supervisor.

This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by an employee in this position. Employees are required to follow other job-related instructions and to perform other job-related duties requested by those authorized to give instructions or assignments.

• Bachelor’s degree required.
• Minimum of eight (8) years of progressive development experience required to include at least five (5) years of related planned giving experience or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Fundamentals of development with mastery knowledge of gift planning strategies, marketing and communications.
• Working knowledge of wealth management, financial planning, tax and charitable gift laws and planned giving vehicles and methods.
• Working knowledge of planned and major giving strategies and the ability to educate and inform donors about appropriate giving vehicles.
• Ability to interact with trust lawyers, counsel office, and other partners.
• Strategic, results-oriented leader with proven ability to execute.
• An understanding of fundraising campaigns in a complex institution where gift planning is central to the overall campaign and experience in building and achieving results.
• Experience in advancement with a focus on planned giving, management, and creating a culture of philanthropy.
• A deep appreciation for, and an ability to articulate eloquently, the mission of Saint Mary’s School, its curriculum, programs, aspirations, and the unique experience it provides to students.
• An ability to strategically build a program, to implement, to drive towards numerical goals and to produce results.
• Excellent communications and active listening skills including but not limited to, able to convey and receive verbal and written information effectively and efficiently as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
• Proven skills necessary to develop and coordinate estate planning programs to promote deferred giving required.
• Ability to travel frequently including overnights and weekends.
• Proficiency in use of development database(s) and Microsoft Office.

Physical Requirements and Work Environment

• Generally works in standard office conditions and climate
• Ability to stand and/or sit for extended periods of time
• Standing, bending, reaching and moving about to coordinate work
• Some walking up and down stairs
• May work in varied extreme outside weather conditions during special activities and fundraising events
• Works in an environment dealing with a wide variety of challenges, deadlines and a diverse array of contacts
• May work at a desk and computer for extended periods of time
• Willingness and ability to travel extensively by automobile, train or plane
• Valid Driver’s License
• Ability to drive at night