The Director of Development and Community Engagement will bring visionary and strategic leadership to the School’s community development and fundraising efforts in alignment with the School’s mission, vision, and values. Reporting to the Board of Directors and working closely with the Development Committee Chair and other members of the administrative team, the Director will work collaboratively across a diverse set of internal and external constituents to develop strategies, tactics, and objectives to implement a comprehensive and cohesive development approach that achieves the School’s goals for revenue and community engagement as outlined in the School’s strategic plan. 

For this role, the School is seeking an experienced, values-driven,  open-hearted, communicative leader who lives the values of the School through their work and will enthusiastically join the traditions that knit our community together. This leader will demonstrate intellectual curiosity, creativity, and the ability to listen and learn, ensuring development strategies align with the School’s overall goals. This role requires exceptional relationship-building and communication skills, experience working with cross-functional teams, and a collaborative approach. A successful candidate will bring a passion for education, Maine Coast Waldorf School’s mission and values, and expertise in development and community engagement. 

Responsibilities

Strategy and Leadership

• Manage Coordinator for Community Engagement and the Coordinator for Development, ensuring that their work effectively supports department goals and activities
• Ensure that the School’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion is reflected in fundraising efforts
• Ensure alignment across functions to support overall goals for revenue from enrollment, annual contributions, capital, and major gifts
• Articulate the School’s mission, vision, and values, with an emphasis on how unrestricted giving supports and impacts the School’s long-term sustainability
• Set annual performance metrics for the team, in coordination with the Board of Directors and Development Committee, including goals and objectives that are both shared and held by individuals
• Participate in the school’s annual budget process and manage the development department budget
• Collaborate closely with the Office of Admissions to ensure alignment across development, enrollment, marketing, and communications efforts - including the cultivation of prospective and current families, integration of messaging, and shared stewardship strategies
• Actively seek to improve professional skills, knowledge, and understanding of the School

Fundraising and Development

• Set direction for development goals and strategies, in conjunction with the Development Committee, including a multi-year development plan to increase overall giving statistics (both participation and money raised)
• Cultivate strong relationships with parents, community partners, and extended community (alumni, alumni families, and grandparents), leveraging staff, board, and committee members as needed
• Oversee all aspects of the gift cycle and ensure best-in-class gift acknowledgement processes, including the storage and protection of donor data and confidentiality 
• Serve as an ambassador for MCWS through interactions with donors, prospects, school constituents, and community members, and promote philanthropy at all levels of the school community
• Oversee the day-to-day operations and execution of development activities for the School
• Solicit and engage donors by sharing compelling information, building trust, and partnering with colleagues 
• Work strategically with volunteers to encourage them to identify new donors, cultivate donors, and selectively solicit donors and prospects
• Promptly track plans and outreach in the constituent relationship management software to ensure transparency and effectiveness
• Develop and implement a major donor program
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date community and donor information and data to inform decisions and support fundraising tactics
• Help expand the prospect pool through relationship building and data-informed research
• Effectively communicate development opportunities and integrate messaging in MCWS publications: case for support, grant proposals, newsletters, the annual report, etc

Community Engagement

• Design and implement an alumni relations program with clear goals to strengthen engagement
• Help select and plan events related to the engagement of the entire community, as well as those for the cultivation, solicitation, and/or stewardship of major gift prospects
• Participate in, and identify new opportunities to make connections and build community
• Engage with the School’s Parent Association, providing input and/or support for key activities or events

Salary and Benefits:

Total compensation: approximately $75K, depending on experience and qualifications. Benefits include tuition remission, health insurance, and retirement plan.

To Apply:  Please send a letter of introduction, your resume, a brief biography, and three letters of recommendation to the attention of the Business Director, Melissa Watson, at jobs@mainecoastwaldorf.org. 

Maine Coast Waldorf School is committed to enriching its educational experience and culture through the diversity of our faculty and staff. We actively seek systematically excluded communities in our applicant pool, including but not limited to BIPOC and/or LGBTQIAP2+ candidates. 

Maine Coast Waldorf School strives to promote social justice. We are committed to affirming people of all religions, spiritual values, countries of origin, immigration statuses, races, genders, abilities, identities, and sexual orientations. MCWS is a multicultural, pluralistic community; we embrace diversity as a core strength of our community and seek to make our curriculum and policies as inclusive as possible. MCWS does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation and national or ethnic origin in the administration of its educational programs, hiring, self-government, admissions, financial aid and all other school-related activities, and emphatically rejects discrimination in all its forms.

Maine Coast Waldorf School

57 Desert Road

Freeport, Maine 04032

207-865-3900

www.mainecoastwaldorf.org

Qualifications

• Strong written and presentation skills, engaging internal and external stakeholders with clarity and purpose
• Professional development background, preferably 3–5 years of progressive fundraising leadership experience, including: annual fundraising, major gifts, events management, capital campaigns, planned giving, and strategic planning
• Experience in an educational setting is preferred
• Proven management experience supporting teams of dedicated professionals and an ability to work collaboratively on a team
• Ability to manage ambiguity
• Mission-driven motivation and an appreciation for and interest in MCWS and Waldorf Education
• Strong organizational and planning skills, including the ability to prioritize time investments and delegate non-strategic items as appropriate
• Demonstrated experience in partnering with, leading, and inspiring volunteers 
• Ability to travel approximately 15% to 20% (primarily in Maine) of the time for donor relationship building, solicitation, and stewardship
• Adept with technology, including proficiency in Microsoft Office suite and Google Suite

About Maine Coast Waldorf School

Founded in 1984, Maine Coast Waldorf School now serves over 285 children from parent/infant classes through high school. We are an accredited Waldorf program with over 35 full-time faculty members. Our current offerings consist of two foreign languages, handwork, woodwork, instrumental and choral music, circus arts and spatial dynamics and a variety of seasonal extra-curricular activities, including vibrant cross-country running and Nordic skiing programs in middle and high school. Situated on 80 beautiful acres in Freeport, Maine, our campus houses our Nursery through twelfth grade programs in five specially designed buildings, including a straw-bale constructed Early Childhood Center. Four new building projects have recently been completed. One addition provided designated space for educational support in our lower grades building. Another created new and expanded administrative office space in our main Community Hall building. Our brand-new high school facility opened in the fall of 2017, and a final phase of construction brought expanded capacities to the kitchen, music and performance spaces of our Community Hall.

Connections working at Maine Coast Waldorf School