Director of Donor Relations and Community Engagement
THE POSITION
The Park School seeks a full-time, 12-month Director of Donor Relations and Community Engagement to join the Development team. The Director of Donor Relations and Community Engagement will be an active solicitor on behalf of The Park Fund and other fundraising initiatives and will work closely with all members of the highly-collaborative Development team under supervision of the Associate Director of Development. The Director will oversee Development communications across multiple platforms and will oversee a broad approach to inspire all Park community constituents, with a particular focus on parents, alumni, parents of alumni, and grandparents, to be active participants in the life of Park School. The Director will work to encourage Park community members to participate in the life of the school, including as philanthropic supporters of fundraising initiatives and attendees of Park events, and volunteer solicitors and ambassadors for Park. This position is designed to be 45% Development Communications, 45% Solicitations, and 10% Events. This is a 40-hour per week, non-exempt position.
Devoted to intellectual inquiry, a collaborative spirit of learning, and an appreciation for the diversity of human experience, The Park School of Baltimore is a community founded on positive expectations of our students and respect for individual differences.
We cultivate children’s innate curiosity by nurturing their interests and engaging them as active participants in their own education.
We support young people in becoming confident questioners and responsible citizens of the world.
The Park School is a non-sectarian, independent, coeducational day school of 840 students from Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 12. Founded in 1912 as one of the early progressive schools, The Park School continues to practice a distinct educational philosophy. The core values today, as in 1912, are a belief in children’s capacity to love learning, to grow academically and emotionally when inspired by highly qualified, caring teachers, and to develop self-discipline, confidence, and creative problem-solving skills through deep exploration and constant challenge. At every grade level, from Pre-Kindergarten through Upper School, Park actively encourages questioning and conversation as essential elements of the learning process. The school philosophy emphasizes a belief in positive expectations and expects that students, as they mature, will take increasing responsibility for their own learning.
The Development Team at Park includes the Director of Development, Associate Director of Development, Director of the Park Fund, Alumni Director, Database Associate, Database Coordinator, and Development Assistant. The Park School Parents’ Association also works under the umbrella of the Development team and includes the Director of Special Events and Parent Programs as well as the Parents’ Association Coordinator and School Store Associate. A volunteer network of parents, alumni, grandparents, parents of alumni, and trustees all work to support the Development efforts at Park School.
RESPONSIBILITIES/EXPECTATIONS
- Draft and manage Development Team communications, including but not limited to, digital and print media and semi-annual community publications, and work in cooperation with the Director of Alumni on newsletters.
- Assure that all communications are coordinated with the school’s Communications Team;
- Solicit and manage portfolio of prospects for The Park Fund and other fundraising initiatives;
- Create strategic initiatives to increase the engagement of parents, alumni, parents of alumni, and grandparents in Development-based activities, as well as all-school events;
- Design events to engage parents, alumni, and grandparents in the intellectual life of the school, including educational seminars as well as new forums to display all of Park’s assets and strengths;
- Collaborate with the Director of The Park Fund, the Director of Alumni, and the Director of Special Events and Parent Programs to identify and recruit additional volunteers;
- Oversee Grandparent Committee and bolster their schedule of activities and fundraising;
- Attend Alumni Council meetings and support alumni activities.
EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE
Minimum Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree
- Three to five years professional fundraising and solicitation experience
QUALIFICATIONS
- Possess excellent oral and written communication skills
- Demonstrate great attention to detail
- Exhibit excellent organizational skills, the ability to exercise discretion and perform work independently while meeting deadlines
- Able to maintain absolute confidentiality and professionalism
- Comfortable working collaboratively with Development team members and partnering with colleagues school-wide
- Enjoy meeting and cultivating relationships with school constituents
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office required (word, excel)
- Experience with Raiser’s Edge database a plus
SALARY AND BENEFITS
Park salaries and benefits are highly competitive with those in other leading independent schools. For new appointments, salaries reflect experience and training equated to Park’s scales.
In addition to normal retirement and health benefits, the school offers the following distinctive programs:
- Tuition Remission: Under current policy, faculty and staff who have been employed at Park full-time for two years are eligible to receive full tuition remission for their children who attend Park. All candidates, including faculty children, must meet Park’s standards for admission. (During the first two years of employment, faculty may apply for aid through the need-based tuition assistance program.)
APPLICATION PROCESS
Due to the large volume of incoming résumés, we cannot accept phone calls. Send a letter of interest, personal statement, and résumé. Please also indicate whether there are any special circumstances that will affect the timing of your search, availability for interviews, and decisions for the coming year.
CONTACT
Roger Seidenman, Director of Development
The Park School
2425 Old Court Road
Baltimore, MD 21208
rseidenman@parkschool.net
The Park School of Baltimore does not discriminate against employees or applicants for employment on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, religion, ancestry, gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, or any physical or mental disability unrelated to a reasonable performance of an employee’s duties.
COVID-19 – Please note: Park School currently requires proof of COVID-19 vaccination, subject to legally required exemptions, as a condition of employment.
