Leadership Annual Gift Officer

Department: Advancement
Reports to: Director of Annual Giving
Status: Full-time, exempt, benefit eligible
Location: On campus in Watertown, Connecticut
Travel: Limited

About Taft

The Taft School is a private, coeducational day and boarding school for grades 9 to 12 in Watertown, Connecticut. Its 220-acre campus serves a highly selective, geographically and internationally diverse student body. The School has approximately 250 employees and nearly 10,000 alumni. Learn more at www.taftschool.org.

Compensation and Benefits

• Salary range: $80,000 – $100,000 per year
• Benefits: Eligible employees may receive a comprehensive benefits package that may include:
  • Medical, dental, and vision insurance
  • Retirement plan contributions
  • Life and disability insurance
  • Paid vacation and holidays
  • Professional development support
  • Tuition assistance and educational benefits where applicable
  • Access to campus programs and resources

Position Summary

The Leadership Annual Gift Officer manages a portfolio of leadership-level prospects and donors in support of the Taft Fund's annual goals, leading discovery, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship. The Officer also manages class reunion giving, working with volunteers to build participation and support from alumni celebrating milestone reunions. The role reports to the Director of Annual Giving and works closely with the Alumni and Development team.

Responsibilities

• Leadership Portfolio

• • Manage a portfolio of alumni, parents, and friends with the capacity to give at or above the $1,890 level annually
  • Build relationships through personalized engagement, regular contact, and strategic cultivation
  • Conduct outreach by Zoom, phone, email, and direct mail, with occasional in-person visits

• Reunion Giving

• • Manage fundraising for milestone class reunions
  • Recruit, train, and manage class agents and volunteers who serve as class fundraising leaders
  • Work with colleagues on reunion communications, events, and engagement
  • Track progress toward reunion giving goals and update internal stakeholders and volunteers regularly

• Records and Events

• • Record donor and volunteer interactions and strategies in the School's database (Raiser's Edge)
  • Take part in events on and off campus, including Alumni Weekend and Commencement
  • Perform other related duties as assigned

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree
• Two or more years of experience in annual giving, fundraising, or relationship management
• Proven success cultivating and soliciting individual donors, particularly at the leadership annual giving level
• Experience using data to evaluate and plan
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with comfort engaging alumni and parents across generations and geographies
• Organized and self-motivated, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines independently
• Collaborative approach and commitment to team goals
• Willingness to work events on and off campus
• Commitment to Taft's mission and values

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in education or nonprofit settings
• Experience in annual giving, or managing reunion or volunteer-based giving programs
• Familiarity with independent school fundraising or boarding school culture
• Proficiency with fundraising databases (such as Raiser's Edge or Salesforce), Microsoft Office, and Google Workspace

Equal Opportunity

The Taft School is an affirmative action-equal opportunity employer in accordance with regulations adopted by the Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities. It is the policy of The Taft School to provide equal employment opportunities to all qualified individuals without regard to age, gender, race, color, national origin, ancestry, religion, actual or perceived disability, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran's status, genetic predisposition or any other class protected by law.