Full-time, 12 months, Non-Exempt (hourly)

Sandy Spring Friends School seeks candidates for the position of Associate Director of Stewardship. This full-time position is responsible for the conceptualization, development, implementation, and management of school-wide donor relations and stewardship program that will provide opportunities for building lasting and meaningful relationships with donors, prospective donors, and volunteers. The Associate Director of Stewardship reports to the Director of Advancement.

SSFS is eager to consider candidates from underrepresented groups; those who value the importance of diversity; and a willingness to share, teach and appreciate differing points of view.

Responsibilities Include:

• Identifying, researching, and connecting with potential donors and leadership prospects.
• Participating in the School’s fundraising efforts, including donor solicitation where appropriate.
• Developing and implementing a comprehensive donor stewardship program
  • Named spaces: cataloging all named spaces on campus and creating a system of annual donor contact points.
  • Endowed funds: working with the Business Office, Director of Financial Aid, and others as needed to research and draft twice-yearly updates to primary donors of endowed funds.
  • Spend-down funds: working with the Business Office, Director of Financial Aid, and others as needed to research and draft annual updates to primary donors of spend-down funds.
  • Class gifts: working with the Business Office, Director of Financial Aid, and others as needed to research and draft annual updates to all donors to class gift funds.
• Supporting the administration of endowed funds by maintaining memorandums of understanding and working with the Business Office and others as needed to ensure that released funds (endowment and spend-down) are spent in accordance with donor intent.
• Writing, editing, and designing the Alumni & Friends Quarterly e-Newsletter, sent four times annually to all members of the SSFS community.
• Managing the annual Celebration of Friends event, a stewardship gathering for donors and volunteers.
• Managing the annual Grandfriends Day event.
• Editing and proofreading advancement materials.
• Completing prospect research.

Qualifications: The ideal candidate will have a minimum of two years of related work experience, preferably in an independent school or other non-profit settings. They will be an elegant writer and strong editor, meticulously organized and attentive to detail, comfortable juggling multiple priorities and meeting deadlines, and able to work independently. Creativity and an eagerness to immerse oneself in the SSFS community are key to this role.

Experience in event planning is helpful, as is familiarity with Adobe Creative Suite and Finalsite. Experience working in development databases—particularly Veracross—is of significant value.

Requirements include a bachelor’s degree or other relevant experience, a high level of proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite (particularly Excel and Word) and G-Suite products, and strong communication skills. Finalists will be asked to submit prompted writing samples. Authorization to legally work in the United States is a precondition of employment. 

Physical Requirements: Daily desk work including extensive amounts of computer and phone time; ability to navigate stairs as part of daily routines, mobility around a large campus with uneven pavement; bending and squatting to access files; lifting/carrying boxes weighing up to 25 pounds; and the ability to rearrange furniture for events is also required. Applicants may need to transition between working remotely and working on campus, depending on the broader health and safety precautions in place.

Commitment to Diversity: Sandy Spring Friends School embraces the Quaker testimony of Equality and seeks applicants who represent all backgrounds and demonstrate a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. We greatly value our diverse student population with 42% of students self-identifying as people of color and 89 international students representing 21 different countries. We actively seek faculty representatives of our students’ diversity. Click to learn more about diversity at Sandy Spring Friends School. Special consideration may be given to members of The Religious Society of Friends.

Sandy Spring Friends School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national or ethnic origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or a person's status as a qualified candidate with a disability in administration of its educational program, admission policies, financial aid program, staff hiring, and other school-administered programs.