Director of Advancement

*** Risen Christ Catholic School ***

Risen Christ is locally and nationally recognized as a high-performing K-8 school with a history of serving low-income students of color and achieving extraordinary outcomes.

Risen Christ is Minnesota's only Catholic dual immersion school, empowering students to overcome the challenges of poverty and language barriers while preparing them for academic and professional success. Committed to accessibility, Risen Christ provides 96% of students with tuition assistance, ensuring that no child is ever turned away due to financial need. This is made possible through the generosity of foundations, parishes, and individuals who believe that Catholic education should be accessible to all children who desire it.

Immersed in both Spanish and English each day across all academic subjects, students at Risen Christ graduate bilingual, benefiting from the rich diversity of students, faculty and staff from different linguistic, racial, ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds. Grounding all academics in the Gospel teachings, students learn to embrace each other as God's children and respect each student's inherent dignity being made in the image and likeness of God.

Risen Christ students and families take pride in their education and make school a priority, with an average daily attendance rate of 95% last year and nearly 100% participation in parent/teacher conferences. Small class sizes, academic support from Title tutors, social-emotional support from City Connects and a school social worker provide an environment in which all students thrive.

Risen Christ teachers and staff receive discounted tuition for their children at the school, and free undergraduate tuition for their dependents at St. Mary's University of Minnesota.

View our video (https://youtu.be/gLKoBGoxn0o), our website (www.risenchristschool.org) and strategic plan (http://risenchristschool.org/about-us/strategic-plan/) to learn more about Risen Christ Catholic School.

*** Position ***

Risen Christ is hiring a full-time Director of Advancement.

The Director of Advancement at Risen Christ plays a vital leadership role in ensuring the long-term sustainability and success of the school. With approximately 75% of the school's annual income made possible through the generosity of philanthropic partners, cultivating strong relationships with donors, businesses, volunteers, and community members is essential.

Reporting directly to the President and serving as a key member of the leadership team, the Director of Advancement is responsible for developing and implementing comprehensive fundraising strategy and leading the Advancement team. The individual in this role participates as an active member of the school's leadership team, works closely with the Board of Directors and its Advancement Committee, and manages the Advancement team.

Starting Salary Range: $75k-90k commensurate with qualifications and experience.

*** Responsibilities ***

Teachers and staff at Risen Christ must fulfill many different responsibilities in order to make the school run effectively. Therefore, this description is not intended to be all-inclusive as much as it is to help define what some of the major responsibilities will be. These are:

1. Direct efforts and meet revenue goals for the school's top fundraising priorities, including: major gifts, annual Gala, grants, alumni engagement, planned giving and other fundraising activities aligned with the school's strategic plan.
2. Identify, evaluate and recommend opportunities for improved fundraising efforts, particularly with regard to major, capital and planned gifts so that both donors' interests and organizational needs are met.
3. Direct the following facets of the Annual Gala to meet set financial goals: serving as the point of contact for the event venue and other event partners, cultivating major gifts and underwriting, planning the live auction and special appeal and other foundational components of the event. Oversee all other aspects of Gala planning through delegation to other Advancement staff or volunteers.
4. Work collaboratively with the President and Advancement staff to ensure the implementation of comprehensive, high-quality and effective communications that advance the mission of Risen Christ, including a quarterly newsletter, email blasts, targeted communications for lead donors and key partners and other strategic communications as appropriate.
5. Continually evaluate fundraising initiatives so that the success of such efforts can be measured and improved.
6. Supervise and provide work direction for Advancement staff.
7. Serve as a staff liaison to the Advancement Committee of the Board of Directors and attend all meetings of the committee and Board.

*** Qualifications ***

Minimum Requirements: A bachelor's degree, development experience and demonstrated achievement in generating major philanthropic support to reach identified goals and objectives. Excellent oral and written communication skills along with the ability to plan, implement and follow-up on events involving board members, donors, volunteers and staff. Strong interpersonal skills and a proven record of establishing and maintaining relationships with donors, volunteers, staff, businesses and community members. Strong leadership and management skills. Commitment to the school's mission as an urban Catholic school of excellence which is bilingual, multicultural and financially accessible.

Preferred: Experience working in a diverse, urban setting and an understanding of educational programs. Proficiency with relational databases, Apple computers, Microsoft Excel and desktop publishing software. Understanding of IRS regulations regarding the management of charitable contributions.

*** Application Instructions ***

Submit the following materials as PDF attachments to Michael Rogers, President, at [email protected]:

- completed application for employment (PDF form)
- cover letter
- resume
- three references or letters of recommendation