Director of Advancement

March 2023 | Los Angeles, CA
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Marlborough School seeks an innovative, experienced, and engaging Director of Advancement to lead the School’s strategic priorities and fundraising efforts

About Marlborough School

Founded in 1889, Marlborough School is an independent all-girls college-preparatory school for grades 7 through 12 located in Los Angeles, California. Marlborough School is the oldest independent girls’ school in the Southern California region, and since its founding, it has been known as a thought leader in education and an institution others look to as an example of excellence.

Central to Marlborough’s mission is the belief in and passion for empowering young women to use their immense talents to better the world and helping them become trailblazers in their own right. The core values highlighted in the School’s strategic plan represent the characteristics they hope their students develop throughout their time at Marlborough. Bolstered by world-class faculty and staff, Marlborough’s students are challenged and inspired to work towards their own personal best. Marlborough students have an almost endless array of courses, extracurriculars, electives, and programs to spark their curiosity, deepen their compassion for one another, and lead lives of purpose.

Over Marlborough’s history, the School has grown and changed in many ways. Today’s student body is representative of the talent and diversity of greater Los Angeles, academic and athletic programs have expanded, college matriculation is highly competitive and distinguished, and campus facilities have kept pace with the educational innovation needed to help students grow and thrive. The School continues to evolve to meet the current moment; adapting, growing, iterating, and innovating.

For more information, please visit https://www.marlborough.org/

About Philanthropy at Marlborough School

All gifts to Marlborough School serve to advance the education of talented, spirited students whose competence, confidence, and intellect will be called upon to make a difference in the world.

Each year, over 2,000 donors —including alumnae, parents, friends, and foundations—make gifts to the Marlborough Fund. These collective contributions from their community help bridge the gap between the income generated by tuition and the actual cost of the Marlborough experience. More importantly, they give current and future students the opportunity to excel, dream, create, explore, and lead.

After completing several transformational capital improvement projects and innovation initiatives, Marlborough is focused on energizing the annual Marlborough Fund by partnering with staff, parents, and nearly 4,500 alumnae.

About the Position

The Director of Advancement is responsible for providing strategic leadership and management of all areas of institutional advancement, including alumnae relations, annual giving, major gifts, planned giving, donors relations, grants, and advancement services.

The Director will collaborate with various constituent groups within the community on friend- and fund-raising efforts, communications and marketing, overall management of constituent relations (parents, alumnae, parents of alumnae, grandparents, friends, etc.), and will additionally work closely with the Departments of Communications and Admissions. They will supervise a team of five full-time staff positions, including:

• Associate Director of Annual Giving
• Associate Director of Philanthropy
• Associate Director of Alumnae Engagement
• Donor Relations Manager
• Executive Assistant (joint with the Associate Head of School for Finance & Administration).

The Director will join a dynamic, brilliant, and high-functioning team who is deeply dedicated to Marlborough and most importantly its young women scholars. The Director will also have the opportunity to assess the School’s advancement operations and reshape Marlborough’s strategy to anticipate the needs of this world-class academic institution, leading the entire team to the next level of advancement excellence. 

The Director of Advancement position is a member of the Senior Leadership Team and reports to the Head of School.

Most importantly the Director will have the opportunity to transform the lives of the girls and young women at Marlborough, giving them the tools they need to become the changemakers our world needs.

Key Responsibilities

• Provides strategic leadership and executive-level support to the Head of School in fulfilling the School’s fundraising and cultivation goals and objectives.
• Leads the School’s strategic planning efforts with respect to advancement, including the development and implementation of a year-to-year action plan within a broader strategic framework.
• Manages a portfolio of donors and prospective donors in relation to special projects or initiatives, including a reimagined planned giving program.
• Assists the Head of School in providing executive-level support to the Board of Trustees and the Advancement Committee, including utilizing the talents and ideas of the trustees in conjunction with the School’s cultivation/fundraising efforts.
• Cultivates and maintains strong working relationships with the Senior Leadership Team and other key constituents within the School.
• Collaborates closely with the Directors of Admissions and Communications on marketing, public relations, and general communications-driven efforts related to philanthropy, advancement events, etc.

Key Qualifications

• Ten years or more of progressively responsible experience in advancement.
• Deep appreciation and understanding of the Marlborough’s mission, including an ability to articulate its values and vision internally and externally.
• Proven track record of conceptualizing, planning, and implementing a cohesive strategy for advancement and individual fundraising campaigns.
• Excellence in building and growing long-term relationships.
• Data-driven, strategic thinker with an ability to execute strategies based on data indicators.
• Capacity to contribute to the overall strategic planning effort.
• Thorough understanding of current trends in advancement and fundraising, particularly issues facing independent schools and/or educational institutions generally.
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate and work effectively with executive leadership, including boards, colleagues, and volunteers.
• Ability to provide visionary leadership that inspires and motivates others.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Proven ability to balance multiple priorities in a complex environment.
• Bachelor’s degree or higher required.

Marlborough School is offering a salary of $175,000 – $225,000 plus benefits commensurate with experience for this role.

Marlborough School is an equal opportunity employer (M/F/D/V). They recruit, employ, train, compensate, and promote without regard to race, religion, creed, color, national origin, age, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, veteran status, genetic information, or any other basis protected by applicable federal, state or local law.

Marlborough School is a diverse, inclusive community that strives to maintain diversity in all areas of employment.

Apply to this position using the form below or email your resume and cover letter in confidence to:  marlboroughschool@developmentguild.com

Kat Landa

Senior Vice President, Executive Search

Development Guild DDI