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  • Director of Development
    Location: 1004 N. Mangum St. Durham, NC 27701
    Salary: $70,000 - $100,000

Description

Key Responsibilities

 

1. Strategic Leadership & Institutional Advancement

  • Executive Leadership: Serve on the Head of School’s Leadership Team, contributing to school-wide strategic planning and institutional decision-making.
  • Campaign Management: Lead the strategy for the school’s upcoming 25th Anniversary and potential capital initiatives, ensuring the growth of the school’s endowment and scholarship funds.
  • CASE Standards: Maintain absolute adherence to the CASE Global Ethics and Reporting Standards, ensuring the highest level of transparency and data integrity.

 

2. High-Level Philanthropy & Moves Management

  • Portfolio Ownership: Proactively manage a high-level portfolio of 60–80 individuals, corporations, and foundations, moving them through the qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship cycle.
  • Principal Gifts: Orchestrate the involvement of the Head of School and Board Chair in the solicitation of transformational six- and seven-figure gifts.
  • Planned Giving: Formalize a legacy giving program to secure the school’s future through bequests and deferred gifts.

 

3. Team Management & Mentorship

  • Staff Supervision: Direct and mentor the Assistant Director of Community Engagement, providing clear KPIs and professional growth opportunities.
  • Internship Program: Lead and oversee development interns, who will implement development, marketing and communications plans.

 

4. Board & Volunteer Engagement

  • Board Liaison: Act as the primary staff liaison to the Development Committee of the Board of Trustees, empowering them to meet their personal and collective giving goals.
  • Special Events: Provide strategic oversight for annual, ensuring these events serve as high-level cultivation touchpoints for new and existing major donors, with the ability to make adjust.

 

5. Flexible Institutional Support

  • Adaptable Non-Profit Leadership: Act as a collaborative partner within a small school ecosystem. This includes actively participating in school-wide events and initiatives, showcasing a "no task too small" team spirit, and performing additional responsibilities as assigned by the Head of School to meet evolving institutional needs.

 

Key Competencies

  • Collaborative Team Player: Thrives in a tight-knit, small non-profit environment; possesses a genuine willingness to cross departmental lines to support colleagues and overall school success.
  • Strategic Thinker & Executive Mindset: Ability to see the big picture and align fundraising strategies with the overarching vision and strategic plan of Durham Nativity School.
  • High-Impact Communication: Exceptional interpersonal, writing, and presentation skills, with the ability to engage authentically and build trust with a diverse range of stakeholders, from community leaders to student families.
  • Data-Driven & Detail-Oriented: Strong analytical skills with the ability to leverage donor data, predictive modeling, and CRM insights to drive fundraising strategies.
  • Resourceful & Self-Directed: Highly organized and proactive, with the capability to manage multiple high-level priorities and moving pieces simultaneously in a lean nonprofit setting.

Annual Time Allocation Framework

To meet fundraising targets, the Director of Development must prioritize relationship-driven, public-facing activities. Over half of the total annual hours are explicitly reserved for direct donor interaction and solicitation.

 

Functional Area

Annual Time %

Strategic Focus & Core Responsibilities

Direct Revenue Generation & Cultivation

55%

  • Major Gift Planning & Donor Cultivation (35%): Customizing individualized strategies; leading solicitation pitches alongside the Head of School and Board; building long-term relationships with parents, grandparents, friends, and alumni.
  • Campaign & Grant Management (20%): Leading annual, capital, and endowment initiatives. This includes dedicated cycles for grant prospecting, proposal writing, compliance, and funder relationship management.

Strategy, Leadership & Communication

25%

  • Fundraising Strategy (10%): Formulating, reviewing, and shifting comprehensive development plans to hit long-term benchmarks.
  • Governance & Communications (10%): Partnering with the Head of School and the Advancement Committee; preparing metrics-driven reports; aligning board members to act as solicitors.
  • Volunteerism (5%): Recruiting, training, and guiding volunteer committees to expand the school's networking and solicitation capacity.

Operations, Events & Stewardship

20%

  • Event Management (10%): Overseeing high-impact events (receptions, auctions, alumni gatherings) with a strict emphasis on donor conversion and stewardship rather than pure logistical delivery.
  • Data & Budget Management (10%): Managing gift processing, donor database integrity, and acknowledgment tracking. Partnering with the Director of Finance to ensure proper restriction accounting and budget compliance.

 

Operational Reality: Seasonal Fluctuations

While the percentages above represent the macro-level distribution over 12 months, the execution shifts drastically based on the academic and fiscal calendar of Durham Nativity School. The position requires adaptability across four distinct quarterly phases:

 

  • Q1: Launch & Event Execution (September – November): High emphasis on the annual impact report and volunteer onboarding. Strategy gives way to active public engagement and community presence.
  • Q2: The Year-End Giving Surge (December – February): Maximized focus on Major Gifts and Donor Cultivation (surpassing 70% of total weekly hours during December). 
  • Q3: Spring Events & Grant Deadlines (March – May): Balanced execution of major annual spring events, final capital push, and aggressive grant application submittals for the upcoming fiscal cycle.
  • Q4: Evaluation, Compliance & Strategy (June – August): Heavy tilt toward Data and Budget Management. Focus shifts to database cleanup, comprehensive auditing with the Director of Finance, writing grant outcome reports, and designing the next fiscal year's strategic roadmap.

 

 

 

Requirements

Professional Qualifications & Requirements

  • Experience: 7–10 years of progressive advancement experience, ideally within a private secondary school or higher education environment.
  • Proven Track Record: Demonstrated success in personally soliciting and closing six-figure gifts and managing complex fundraising events.
  • Technical Expertise: Advanced proficiency in Raiser’s Edge NXT or similar sophisticated CRM, including the ability to generate predictive modeling and longitudinal giving reports.
  • Education & Certification: Bachelor’s degree required (Master’s degree preferred). CFRE (Certified Fundraising Executive) or ACRE certification is highly desirable.
  • Commitment to the Mission: A profound commitment to the mission of Durham Nativity School and the ability to engage authentically with a diverse range of stakeholders, from community leaders to student families.



 

Compensation & Benefits

  • Salary: $75,000 – $100,000 (Commensurate with experience).
  • Benefits: Full medical/dental/vision, retirement matching, and a generous holiday schedule aligned with the academic calendar.


 

Next steps

  • Join Our Mission: If you are a dynamic, mission-driven leader ready to shape the future of our young men and elevate Durham Nativity School to its next chapter of growth, we want to hear from you! If your interests, experience, and leadership competencies align with this vision, please reach out to Tiffany Alrefae at talrefae@durhamnativity.org to submit your resume and cover letter.