Assistant Director of Donor Relations & Stewardship - Gulliver Prep

About Gulliver Preparatory School

Gulliver Prep is whats now and what's next in education Miami's school of choice for challenging, future-ready, personalized learning to meet the needs and fuel the aspirations of our diverse and dynamic community. Alongside our experienced and dedicated faculty, our students discover their passions and shape powerful futures that meaningfully impact our world. Gulliver is a national model for teaching and learning where the intellectual curiosity of educators and students drives creativity, innovation, and the highest levels of achievement.

Founded in 1926 and later transformed under the visionary leadership of Marian C. Krutulis, Gulliver has been a leading school of distinction for nearly 100 years. To this day, our mission remains unchanged: to create an academic community devoted to educational excellence, with a personal touch, that fulfills each students potential. We are opening the world wide for members of our community to learn boldly, act with great heart, and lead wisely.

Job Summary

The Assistant Director of Donor Relations & Stewardship at Gulliver Prep is responsible for managing and enhancing relationships with donors, focusing on the full cycle of discovery, cultivation, solicitation and stewardship and engagement to ensure continued financial support for the school. This position will work with the schools annual giving program and capital campaign, driving participation and revenue growth to support the institution's ongoing needs. The Assistant Director will work collaboratively with the Advancement team to cultivate, solicit, and steward donors at all giving levels, ensuring a positive donor experience and maintaining a sustainable donor base.

Key areas of responsibilities include but are not limited to:

Donor Relations & Stewardship

• Develop and implement a comprehensive donor relations strategy and a donor onboarding process, focusing on building long-term relationships with donors at all giving levels.

• Oversee the stewardship process, ensuring that all donors receive appropriate recognition and follow-up, including thank-you letters, impact reports, and other communications.

• Manage a portfolio of donors, including regular communication and personalized stewardship plans for major donors.

• Lead strategy for donor appreciation events, such as receptions, luncheons, and recognition ceremonies, to acknowledge donors' contributions and reinforce their connection to the school. Leverage donor announcements/engagements to include peers and additional prospects to solicit additional gifts around a priority.

• Collaborate with the Communications team to create donor-related content, including newsletters, reports, and digital updates, highlighting the impact of their gifts.

Annual Giving Program and Capital Campaign

• Develop and execute a strategic annual giving campaign to increase participation and revenue from alumni, parents, faculty, and friends of the school.

• Annual Giving Goal: Set and achieve annual giving revenue targets, with a focus on increasing participation and overall dollars raised year-over-year.

• Work in collaboration with alumni and marcomm on planning and managing direct mail, email, phone, and social media solicitation efforts, ensuring consistent messaging and outreach across all platforms including parents, alumni, faculty and staff.

• Implement a donor segmentation strategy to target different constituencies, tailoring solicitation approaches based on donor history, interests, and capacity.

• Track and analyze annual giving performance, adjusting tactics as needed to meet campaign goals.

• Create annual giving opportunities for corporations, vendors and friends of the Gulliver community.

• Assess events to see where to integrate donor/prospect integration.

Donor Engagement & Events

• Work with Events Manager to plan, create strategy and execute donor engagement events such as giving days, fundraising challenges, and donor appreciation events, ensuring that they align with the schools mission and goals, focusing on defined outcomes.

• Solicit and secure sponsorships for annual events, including the Gala, Golf Tournament and Fishing Tournament.

• Collaborate with school leadership to involve key stakeholders in donor engagement efforts, including faculty, board members, and parent volunteers.

• Leverage existing events to maximize efficiency and integrate stewardship and/or annual giving opportunities.

Database Management & Reporting

• Ensure accurate and up-to-date donor information in the schools CRM system, including gift history, donor preferences, and communications.

• Create reports to track donor giving trends, annual giving performance, and progress toward fundraising goals, providing updates to the Associate Chief Advancement Officer and school leadership.

• Use reports for renewals and annual solicitations.

• Goal: Ensure accuracy in donor records and provide timely, insightful reports on donor engagement and annual giving efforts.

Collaboration & Team Leadership

• Work closely with the Advancement team and other members of the leadership team to align donor relations and annual giving strategies with broader fundraising initiatives.

• Provide leadership and guidance to other team members and volunteers involved in donor relations and annual giving efforts.

• Partner with the MarComm, Alumni Relations and development teams to develop consistent, donor-focused messaging and storytelling that resonates with the schools community.

• Work closely with marcomm to ensure donor recognition is integrated into communications and shared with relevant stakeholders.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelors degree required.

• Minimum of 5 years of experience in fundraising, donor relations, or annual giving, preferably in an educational or nonprofit setting.

• Proven success in managing annual giving programs and donor stewardship initiatives.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Experience with event strategy and execution in a fundraising context.

• Strong relationship-building skills with the ability to engage a diverse range of donors and stakeholders.

• Excellent communication and presentation skills, with the ability to inspire and motivate donors.

• Proficiency with donor database software (e.g., Raisers Edge, Blackbaud, Veracross) and Microsoft Office Suite.

• Strong analytical skills with the ability to track metrics and adjust strategies based on data.

• Highly organized and detail-oriented, with the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously.

• Passion for education and commitment to the mission of independent schools.

• A proactive, collaborative, and flexible approach to working with a team.

• High level of integrity, discretion, and professionalism in managing donor relationships.

Pre-Employment Requirements

Criminal Background Check, Level II Fingerprint Screening(s) and Drug Screen.

Gulliver Prep is deeply committed to the principles of equity and diversity and seeks to create an inclusive community for all faculty and staff. Gulliver is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity employer and a Drug Free Workplace.