Director of Development

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Ivywood Classical Academy is a tuition-free public school that educates students using the virtues-based and rigorous classical education tradition. The classical curriculum is time-tested, research-based, and is proven to develop children into thoughtful, caring, educated, freethinking young adults. The curriculum emphasizes an education in the humanities, sciences, and arts, and integrates Spanish and Latin language to promote depth in learning.

Ivywood strives to produce students of high moral character who understand the world and what it means to be a contributing member of society. We place a strong focus on why behind our lessons, which fosters a love for learning and inspires wonder in our students. Ivywood Classical Academy is a proud Hillsdale College Barney Charter School Initiative (BCSI) Member School.

A successful candidate for this position has:

• An unwavering belief that students need an intentional and consistent focus on virtue.
• A love for children and a strong desire to cultivate the wonder and joy of learning everyday.
• An ability to be a subject-matter expert, and share your love of the liberal arts tradition.
• An ability to build relationships with students, parents, and colleagues.
• A desire to foster a tight-knit community in and out of the classroom.

• Develop, implement, and evaluate a comprehensive annual fundraising plan aligned to school and organizational goals.
• Lead fundraising campaigns, including but not limited to planned giving, major gifts, and the capital campaign.
• Identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward a robust portfolio of donors, including individuals, foundations, businesses, and community partners.
• Prepare compelling funding proposals, donor communications, and impact reports.
• Maintain accurate donor records, tracking touchpoints, giving levels, and engagement using the school's donor management database.
• Monitor fundraising progress regularly and provide data-driven recommendations to school leadership.
• Ensure all fundraising activities comply with relevant legal, ethical, and organizational standards.

• Strengthen the school's visibility and relationships within the community through purposeful outreach efforts.
• Identify and secure mutually beneficial partnerships with local businesses, nonprofits, higher education institutions, and alumni groups.
• Represent the school at community events, networking meetings, and public functions when appropriate.
• Serve as a point of contact for community stakeholders seeking to collaborate with or support the school.

• Plan, execute, and evaluate all fundraising events, donor appreciation events, and community-building initiatives.
• Collaborate with internal teams and volunteers to ensure events are well-organized, mission-aligned, and financially successful.
• Oversee event logistics including scheduling, budget management, vendor coordination, sponsorship acquisition, and volunteer management.
• Ensure post-event reporting, data entry, and donor follow-up are completed in a timely manner.

• Develop and maintain a structured stewardship program to ensure donor retention and long-term engagement.
• Provide personalized donor recognition consistent with organizational guidelines.
• Communicate the impact of donations clearly and consistently through storytelling, data, and student-centered outcomes.
• Ensure timely gift acknowledgment and compliance with all internal and external requirements.

• Uphold the Academy and Choice Schools Associates' mission, vision, and core values while following all established company policies and procedures.
• Serve as a collaborative member of the school's leadership team, participating in strategic planning, school events, and cross-department initiatives.
• Provide leadership, coaching, and direction to staff or volunteers supporting development functions.
• Maintain a high level of professional conduct, ethics, confidentiality, and integrity.
• Continually seek opportunities to improve development systems, donor experience, communication practices, and organizational effectiveness.
• Perform other duties as assigned by the School Leader or Area Superintendent.

Job Goal:
To strategically plan, implement, and oversee all fundraising, donor relations, marketing, and community engagement activities of the school in order to advance its mission, support long-term financial sustainability, and strengthen relationships with families, donors, partners, and the broader community.

Essential Skills and

Competencies:

While we will consider a broad range of backgrounds, the ideal candidate would have the following qualifications/experience:

• Bachelor's degree in nonprofit management, communications, business, education, or related field.
• At least one year of fundraising,…