Annual Fund Director and Director of Development and Principal Gifts

Two Key Philanthropy Leadership
Roles:
Annual Fund Director and Director of
Development and Principal Gifts

Asheville School in Asheville, North Carolina, welcomes
nominations and applications for the positions of Annual Fund
Director and Director of Development and Principal Gifts. Embracing
the school’s mission and reporting to the Director of Philanthropy,
these key leadership roles within Asheville’s growing Philanthropy
team will be strategic collaborators with experience in
identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding donors.

Founded in 1900, Asheville School is an intentionally
small, private, coeducational, boarding and day school
in the Blue Ridge Mountains that currently supports 299
students in grades nine through twelve. Its rigorous academic
curriculum is complimented by robust residential, athletic,
artistic, outdoor, and extra-curricular offerings.

Incredible natural beauty defines the Asheville School’s campus.
Its three hundred acres contain rolling hills, forests,
wetlands, playing fields, trails, and the campus proper. Asheville
is a top tourist spot; as a small metropolis, the city gets high
marks for its lively arts and cultural scene, restaurants and
breweries, golf courses, rivers, and its breathtaking views. A city
also committed to sustainability and green energy efforts,
Asheville has promoted efforts that address carbon footprint
reduction and has been recognized as a “Green Dining Destination.”
Asheville is an outdoor enthusiast’s dream location.

CAPITAL CAMPAIGN
Asheville School is in
the organizational phase for a capital campaign to invest in the
program, places and people that create our transformative student
experience. It’s an exciting time to be on the team with the
opportunity to be a part of this growth initiative and drive to
elevate our giving programs. With our 125th anniversary on the
horizon, these positions will have ample opportunities for
increased responsibility in readying operations to accommodate an
increase in major gift activity. The campaign’s silent phase will
commence in March 2024 with an anticipated public launch in
2027.

ANNUAL FUND DIRECTOR
The Annual Fund
Director manages Asheville School’s efforts to raise annual support
from alumni, parents, and friends to meet the school’s
philanthropic needs. Reporting to the Director of Philanthropy, the
Annual Fund Director is responsible for growth and donor retention
for Asheville’s Blues Fund, creating and managing all aspects of
the Blues Fund annual giving strategy through multichannel efforts
such as direct mail, email campaigns, giving days, and off and
on-campus engagement opportunities.

The Blues Fund provides vital operating funds and ensures that
Asheville School’s immediate and greatest needs are met including
providing essential financial aid and scholarships, faculty salary
support, professional development opportunities, and more.

DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT AND PRINCIPAL
GIFTS
The Director of Development and Principal Gifts
will report to the Director of Philanthropy, department head, and
manage a portfolio of approximately 50-75 potential and current
Principal Gift ($250,000+) level donors to the school. They will be
responsible for further developing a principal gift program,
facilitating all phases of the gift cycle, including initiating
contact, cultivating and moving potential donors to solicitation
and closure, creating solicitations, writing proposals, and
stewarding donors. They will support the Director of Philanthropy
in identifying and implementing strategies for success in securing
significant philanthropic support, and work collaboratively with
key volunteers, school leadership and faculty, Philanthropy staff,
and other school representatives to cultivate donors for
institutional priorities.

The Director of Development and Principal Gifts will serve as an
integral part of the department leadership team and support the
department head in mentoring and providing leadership and
coordinating gift officer(s) work to support key initiatives in
advancing philanthropic support of the school’s strategic
priorities.

Exhibiting the highest standards of integrity and ethical
conduct, successful candidates for the Annual Fund role will have a
bachelor’s degree and 5-7 years of fundraising experience.
Successful candidates for the Director of Development and Principal
Gifts role will have a bachelor’s degree and 7-10 years of
fundraising experience including closing six and seven-figure
gifts. The successful candidate should have proven experience with
mentoring and leading high-performing team members.

Roles are based in Asheville, NC, with the expectation for
significant travel and on-campus presence when not traveling.
Salary is competitive and commensurate with experience. The salary
range for the Annual Fund role is $100,000 to $120,000. The salary
range for the Director of Development and Principal Gifts role is
$140,000 to $170,000. Asheville School offers a generous benefits
package as well.

Because Philanthropy at Asheville is growing and anticipating
significant opportunity for innovation amidst an ambitious,
upcoming campaign, there is excitement about bringing on talented
and enthusiastic team members to work in support of a strong and
experienced Director of Philanthropy.

APPLICATIONS AND NOMINATIONS
Evaluation of
candidate materials will begin immediately and continue until the
positions are filled. The ideal start date is Summer 2024.
Interested candidates can apply using the following Talent Profile
link:

https://talent-profile.diversifiedsearchgroup.com/search/v2/20755

Inquiries and nominations may be sent in confidence to:

Ruth Shoemaker Wood, Managing Director
Erin Meissner, Senior Search Associate
Storbeck Search
[email protected]

[email protected]

AshevilleSchool does not discriminate in its
employment decisions or practices on the basis of gender, age,
race, color, marital status, national and ethnic origin, sexual
orientation, or any disability that can be reasonably accommodated
in the administration of its educational policies and school
administered programs.