Company Vision:
At Daufuskie Island Independent School, we believe every child, in every community, deserves access to a rich, rigorous, and well-rounded education. By partnering with communities, we instill a love of learning, foster a culture of creativity, create an atmosphere of belonging, and encourage all learners to recognize and reach their potential.
Daufuksie Island Independent School is more than just a middle school. Prior to the opening of Daufuskie Island Independent School, only a Pre-K-5 school existed on the island. The need for proximate access to a holistic education was very real. Our mission is to ensure all middle schoolers on the island have access to this education. It’s difficult to imagine a place in the United States where secondary school students have to travel an hour-and-a-half each way by golf cart, ferry, and bus to get to school every day. Yet, Daufuskie Island, less than a mile off the coast of Hilton Head, was such a place.
Central to Daufuskie Island Independent School’s mission is instilling a respect for community and environment and facilitating students’ discovery of their unique place and relevance in it. We leverage the exceptional living classroom of Daufuskie, providing middle schoolers with a challenging, engaging, and relevant curriculum. Saving students three hours of travel time a day to-and-from the mainland, Daufuskie Island Independent School is instrumental in more deeply connecting students to their community and environment at a developmentally critical point in their lives.
Job Description:
The Director of Development will be responsible for conceptualizing, organizing, and implementing a comprehensive and strategic fundraising program in support of Daufuskie Island Independent School’s vision, mission, and strategic priorities. It is anticipated the role initially will be 10-15 hours/week, with room for growth. The DOD serves on the senior leadership team.
Essential Functions:
- Individual Giving
- Direct and implement annual and major gifts program, including planned giving
- Provide oversight of digital campaigns and ongoing stewardship activities
- Identify, cultivate, solicit, and maintain a portfolio of individual donors and prospects, including planned giving donors with the capacity to give gifts of over $1,000
- Foundation, and Corporate Relations
- Work with the leadership team to identify foundation and corporate funding opportunities
- Maintain a portfolio of foundations, corporate partners, and sponsors with the capacity to give $2,500 to six-figure gifts
- Special Events
- Plan and implement fundraising events, with the support of the school community
- Identify, solicit, and cultivate prospective sponsors and donors
- Coordinate post-event debrief, including documentation of results and feedback
- Board of Directors
- Create an annual Development Plan, in partnership with senior leadership, for Board consideration and action
- Attend and report at Board meetings
- Support Board fundraising efforts, effectively communicate and present critical funding matters
- General Operations
- Attend community events, and otherwise contribute to strengthening the deep roots within our community, both internally and externally
- Review monthly financials with Executive Director & Finance
- Provide recommendations and suggestions during budget planning and forecasting
- Serve as additional contact point for the Executive Director regarding donations
Qualifications/Requirements:
- Experience cultivating and managing meaningful relationships and the ability to solicit philanthropic gifts of five-figures.
- Experience in grant writing and corporate and planned giving a plus
- Exceptional verbal and written communication skills
- Ability to work independently and collaboratively with Board members, senior staff, and other stakeholders in a professional and positive manner
- Highly detail-oriented with ability to accomplish goals, meet deadlines, and create outcomes