Careers

Department: Development
Reports to: Head of School
FLSA Classification: Exempt (Salary)
Job Type: Full-Time (12-month)
Hours of work: 40+ hours a week  
Start Date: Immediately

About McGehee School
The Louise S. McGehee School, founded in 1912, is an Independent PreK-12th all-girls school located in the historic Garden District neighborhood of New Orleans. Louise S. McGehee School is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is open to all qualified candidates regardless of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, creed, religion, national origin, ethnicity, age, disability, veteran status or other applicable protected classification. 

The Louise S. McGehee School's mission is to provide each girl with the foundation to realize her individual potential through a rigorous academic education guided by honor, service and leadership. In this dynamic, inclusive community, students develop lifelong learning skills through the use of critical and ethical thinking. For more information, please visit www.mcgeheeschool.com. 

Position Overview
Louise S. McGehee is seeking an experienced, organized, team-oriented, and creative Capital Campaign Strategist to develop and oversee the strategy and plan for the school’s historic capital campaign. This individual will lead the campaign’s strategy and operations, establishing and tracking goals, designing a detailed plan to achieve goals, leading the team to implement this plan, and overseeing all aspects of the campaign. The Capital Campaign Strategist will also lead the development of the campaign’s marketing strategy, ensuring that it fits with the school’s overall marketing strategy, overseeing the production of collateral, etc. This role is an opportunity for an experienced development professional to lead a significant capital campaign from start to finish in coordination with a strong team and a supportive community.  

The Campaign Strategist will work closely with the Development Director and other community leaders to build an understanding of McGehee’s philanthropic community and determine, for example, who will cultivate and solicit significant contributors to the campaign. The Campaign Strategist will work with the Development Director to prepare and support those who are working to solicit contributions.

The Campaign Strategist will ensure that pledges and gifts are monitored and recorded accurately and that all campaign events are professionally planned and executed.

The Campaign Strategist will report to the Head of School and collaborate with a team that includes the school’s Director of Development, while leading the support staff including an Events Coordinator, and a shared Advancement Coordinator. The position will be needed as long as the school is engaged in a capital campaign.

This person will cultivate and engage with a variety of campaign volunteers, project team members, and donors.

Essential Responsibilities
Capital Campaign Strategy and Planning

• Develop and lead the implementation of the capital campaign’s strategy, including committee membership, donor prospect tiers, and cultivation strategy.
• At the most global level, this will include developing a comprehensive plan for achieving the campaign goal.
• At a very granular level, this will include actions like developing a unique cultivation plan and appeal for each high-potential anchor donor; determining how and when to engage Parent Annual Giving Chairs and Alumnae Association leadership, in coordination with the Development Director; determining the precise timing of solicitations to donors.
• Develop a detailed project plan and timeline; maintain the overall campaign timeline, including goals for major milestones, major prospect meeting dates, campaign-related event dates, pending and upcoming proposals.

Marketing and Events

• In coordination with the school’s marketing partners and experts, and with Capital Campaign leadership, establish the campaign’s theme and tagline, and manage the creation of and updates to campaign materials.
• Ensure campaign proposals, supporting documentation, and other materials and correspondence are produced and submitted as needed.

Cultivation and Community

• Develop cultivation plans. Select cultivation leads for prospects. And on prospects, ensuring that they are prepared for meetings, events, and conversations.
• Explore external funding sources through community foundations.
• Gather and track information about prospects.
• Plan for and manage the execution of campaign events.
• Attend one-on-one meetings with volunteers and prospects as required to maintain campaign momentum.
• Make public appearances to share information about McGehee’s capital campaign within the community.
• Attend special events as needed.

Capital Campaign Operations

• Manage and maintain records of cultivation strategies, evaluations, solicitations, contact reports and results of all contacts with campaign prospects.
• Ensure that all campaign correspondence is produced, including letters of acknowledgment and statements for outstanding pledge balances.
• Create and coordinate all ongoing communications with donors to ensure appropriate donor recognition/naming is provided within fundraising policies.

Management

• Plan for and lead campaign meetings with the HOS, Capital Campaign leadership, and others as needed.
• Partner with the Director of Development and development team 
• Serve as the liaison for and manage the work of capital campaign consultants.
• Oversee travel booking and scheduling for HOS and others who may need to travel for capital campaign purposes.
• Plan, schedule, attend, and support all capital campaign planning
• Analyze reports and profiles concerning campaign
• Issue and provide analysis on regular progress reports including results to date, recent activity, priority contacts to be made, and next actions to keep the Campaign Committee moving forward.
• Produce all capital campaign packets for prospect and donor visits with supporting documentation and follow-up correspondence.
• Maintain records regarding campaign gifts/pledges including payment.

Qualifications and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree is required 
• Team player with a positive attitude, proactive approach, customer-service mindset, and ability to motivate 
• Strong communication skills (written, oral, and presentation) to effectively 
• A disciplined, results-oriented self-starter who can work both independently and collaboratively in a fluid environment 
• Well-developed strategic, critical, analytical, and problem-solving skills 
• Strong interpersonal skills, including tact, diplomacy, confidentiality, and judgment 
• Interest and competence to interact with a diversity of accomplished individuals 
• Strong attention to detail and able to develop, implement, and analyze strategies with minimal oversight 
• Strong communication skills (written, oral, and presentation) to effectively communicate the School’s vision and case for support for priorities 
• High degree of competency with Microsoft Office software, CRM databases (preferably Raiser’s Edge), and email marketing programs 
• Knowledge and experience with a Mac environment preferred 
• Active engagement in professional development and current on best practices 
• Commitment to the mission of Louise S. McGehee School and willing to serve as an ambassador for the School both internally and externally. 

Physical Requirements and Work Environment

• Regularly works in standard office or classroom conditions and climate.
• Regularly uses close and distance vision, including working at a computer screen for extended periods of time.
• Frequently required to move around the office/classroom; works at a desk for extended periods of time. 
• Ability to maintain appropriate boundaries with students, fellow staff and community members. 
• Ability to stand for extended periods of time.
• Physical agility to lift up to 25 pounds to shoulder height and 50 pounds to waist height; and to bend, to stoop, to reach, to sit on the floor, to climb stairs, to walk and to reach overhead.
• Ability to perform the essential functions of the position with or without reasonable accommodations. 

Limitations and Disclaimer
The above job description is meant to describe the general nature and level of work being performed; it is not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills required for the position. This job description reflects administration’s assignment of essential functions; and nothing in this herein restricts administration’s right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time. All job requirements are subject to possible modification to reasonably accommodate individuals with disabilities. Some requirements may exclude individuals who pose a direct threat or significant risk to the health and safety of themselves or other employees. This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by the employee occupying this position. Employees will be required to follow any other job-related instructions and to perform other job-related duties requested by their supervisor in compliance with Federal and State Laws. To perform this job successfully, the employee must possess the abilities or aptitudes to perform each duty proficiently. Continued employment remains on an “at-will” basis. 

The Louise S. McGehee School is an equal opportunity employer. It is our policy not to discriminate, and to comply with all applicable state and federal laws prohibiting discrimination in employment based on race, color, sex, sexual orientation, creed, religion, national origin, ethnicity, age, disability, veteran status, or other applicable protected classification. 

If you have questions, please email [email protected].