This position is primarily responsible for building a young alumni giving program which seeks to increase alumni participation and giving to the School’s Annual Fund and other fundraising priorities. The Assistant Director of the Annual Fund will serve as a key member of a dynamic Annual Fund team, working within the larger context of the School’s Development and Alumni Relations efforts.

This is a full-time, year-round, benefits eligible, exempt staff position.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Using data to drive strategy, design and implement a comprehensive plan to engage, cultivate, and solicit young alumni 1-15 years past graduation.
• Cultivate, solicit, and close leadership gifts from a select portfolio of prospects and donors and build and expand the engagement of Choate’s young alumni leadership donors.
• Manage fundraising efforts for assigned alumni reunion classes with a focus on increasing participation and overall class giving.
• Spearhead large-scale participation challenges including recruitment of volunteers, development of strategy, and execution of marketing plan, in coordination with senior members of the Annual Fund and Development Communications.
• Manage Senior Class Gift initiative including recruitment, education, and training of student leaders and supervision of their fundraising efforts.
• Manage calling program including recruitment and training of student and/or alumni callers and partnering with colleagues to strategize key outreach throughout the year (i.e. Reunion Class calling nights).
• Interview and supervise student workers during call center hours and manage donor follow up.
• Build strategic and collaborative relationships with partners across the Choate community.
• Develop and maintain a thorough understanding of Choate’s strategic priorities and goals.
• Perform data entry and record keeping for all personal fundraising activity to ensure proper moves management and tracking of solicitation and cultivation progress.
• Participate in larger events including Parents Weekend, Deerfield Day, Reunion Weekend, future campaign launches and donor events.

Requirements:

• Three years minimum experience in fundraising, preferably in private secondary school education or five years comparable experience in the private sector, i.e. sales/marketing, customer service or political activities.
• Bachelor’s degree required.
• Demonstrated excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to take initiative, work independently, and manage multiple projects.
• Highly developed organizational and analytical skills.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office applications and working with database software.
• Ability to work nights and weekends as required for prospect meetings, events and phonathons.
• Must be available and willing to travel.

Working at Choate: Choate Rosemary Hall is a coeducational, independent secondary school located in central Connecticut with 850 boarding and day students and over 400 employees. Choate serves intellectually gifted and motivated students of diverse backgrounds from across the globe whose commitment to serious study is enhanced in an academically challenging and personally supportive setting.

Choate provides students with transformative and meaningful experiences that instill lifelong habits of learning, leadership, and service, shaped by innovative and passionate educators. Teaching faculty at Choate are innovative, collaborative, and committed to our students’ intellectual, social, emotional, and character development. Our faculty understands that each of our students has the potential for growth and works to encourage students to develop their own ideas and voices in learner-centered environments.

For its students and employees alike, Choate strives to be a diverse and inclusive community where all feel valued and embraced. On our campus, principled individuals from diverse backgrounds are united through common purpose, active engagement, and mutual respect. We celebrate differences and the richness of our varied backgrounds and experiences. Recognizing that working in an inclusive community can also present challenges, we embrace those challenges through ongoing dialogue and interaction, enhancing empathy and appreciation for those whose perspectives differ from our own.

Choate prohibits in all its programs, including hiring and employment practices, discrimination against or harassment of any member or group based upon age, gender, race, color, national origin, ancestry, religion, marital status, sexual orientation, disability, genetic information, gender identity or expression, veteran status, or any other category protected by Connecticut or federal law, except in the case of a bona fide occupational qualification.