Asst. Director of Advancement, Annual Campaign

Founded in 1958, Sequoyah School is an independent progressive K-12 day school in Pasadena, California, built on the belief that diversity of all kinds is fundamental to a powerful education. Students find joy and deep learning as they navigate curriculum while teachers guide problem-centered classrooms, fostering curiosity through intellectual exploration and opportunities for application. The school’s mission to challenge the mind, nurture the heart, and celebrate human dignity is evidenced in its place-based program and signature experiences like Field Studies, the Social Innovation Program, Talking Leaves Thesis Presentations, and more.

The Assistant Director of Advancement, Annual Campaign, is responsible for building and executing a year-round fundraising plan for the Annual Campaign, the foundation of the school’s philanthropic initiatives. This role focuses on securing $1,000,000 in the first year with a mission-critical goal of 100% participation from faculty and current families. This is a collaborative, year-round position focused on identifying, cultivating, and stewarding meaningful relationships with established and potential donors.

Roles and Responsibilities

1. Annual Fund Leadership & Strategy

Create and manage a comprehensive, multidimensional appeal schedule leveraging direct mail, electronic solicitation, and face-to-face meetings.
Work with communications to develop Annual Campaign collateral and a comprehensive Giving Tuesday Campaign.
Set specific dollar, participation, and qualitative goals for the annual giving program.
Personally manage a pool of prospects, cultivating relationships and moving donors through the pipeline.
Identify potential major gift and planned giving prospects.

2. Volunteer Coordination & Training

Manage the Annual Campaign volunteers, including recruitment, management, and training of parent representatives.
Create and update a Solicitor’s Training Guide annually to empower volunteers in their outreach.
Update volunteers on a weekly basis regarding their prospects and progress toward the 100% participation goal.
Organize phonathons and participation-based challenges as needed.

3. Database Management & Administration

Utilize Raiser’s Edge NXT to track visits, produce contact notes, and conduct consistent constituent follow-up.
Coordinate gift entry and acknowledgment with the Business Office to ensure timely recognition of gifts.
Draft solicitation and acknowledgment letters, including providing notes for the Head of School to personalize thank-you letters. Acknowledge first-time donors.
Analyze results by tracking progress year-over-year and generating reports for the quarterly Advancement Committee meetings.

4. Events & Community Collaboration

Work with the advancement team to execute the annual Community Auction.
Contribute content to school publications and social media to highlight donor impact.
Participate in the expansion of the alum program.
Attend on-campus and off-campus events to build community relationships.

Minimum Qualifications

Education: Bachelor’s degree or equivalent.
Experience: Three to five years of relevant development experience, preferably in an independent school environment.
Technical Proficiency: Strong knowledge of Raiser’s Edge software, Google Suite, and AI tools.
Fundraising Record: Proven track record managing annual campaigns, direct experience managing volunteers, and confidence in direct “asks”.
Skills: Outstanding interpersonal and communication skills with a professional and empathetic approach.
Attributes: Detail-oriented, collaborative, with a strong sense of fundraising ethics and confidentiality.
Commitment: Willingness to work a flexible schedule, including occasional evenings and weekends for events and committee meetings.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Sequoyah

Diversity is a founding value of Sequoyah School, and we seek candidates willing and interested in upholding an equitable, inclusive environment. Sequoyah School is also an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate in any phase of employment. We consider applicants without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin, sexual orientation, age, disability, marital status, or any other legally protected status.

For more information about Sequoyah School or to see other career opportunities, please visit our website at sequoyahschool.org.

Apply for this job

First name

Last name

Email address

Location

Phone number

Resume

Attach resume

Attach another file

Attach file

Attach your Cover Letter - or:

Attach Cover Letter

Cut and Paste your Cover Letter below:

Are you authorized to work in the United States?

Are you willing to work evenings?

Are you willing to work weekends?

We invite you to complete the optional self-identification questions below used for compliance with government regulations and record-keeping guidelines. Any self-identification information provided will not be considered in the selection process.

GENDER

VETERAN STATUS Learn more about veteran statuses

If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by selecting the appropriate category(ies). The hiring employer is subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans' Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974, as amended by the Jobs for Veterans Act of 2002, 38 U.S.C. 4212 (VEVRAA) and requests this information in order to measure the effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts it undertakes pursuant to VEVRAA.

DISABILITY STATUS Learn more about disability statuses

We are required by law to provide equal employment opportunity to qualified people with disabilities. We are also required to measure our progress toward having at least 7% of our workforce be individuals with disabilities. To do this, we must ask applicants and employees if they have a disability or have ever had a disability. Because a person may become disabled at any time, we ask all of our employees to update their information at least every five years.

Identifying yourself as an individual with a disability is voluntary, and we hope that you will choose to do so. Your answer will be maintained confidentially and not be seen by selecting officials or anyone else involved in making personnel decisions. Completing the form will not negatively impact you in any way, regardless of whether you have self-identified in the past. For more information about this form or the equal employment obligations of federal contractors under Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act, visit the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) website at www.dol.gov/ofccp.