Director of Major and Principal Giving - Metro Christian Academy

Metro Christian Academy in Tulsa, Oklahoma, has announced its search for its first Director of Major and Principal Giving. The Advancement Department at Metro Christian Academy is responsible for fostering relationships and securing resources that support the school’s mission.

Through innovative fundraising strategies, alumni engagement, and the cultivation of donor relationships, the team seeks to enhance the school’s financial sustainability and achieve transformational goals. The current priorities include a $10M capital campaign to fund a brand-new facility and initiatives to grow the foundation endowment. The team at Metro has carefully developed the resources, relationships, and capacity to fully deploy a successful capital campaign, and this role is the final piece to the puzzle.

JOB SUMMARY

The Director of Major and Principal Giving is a newly created position at Metro Christian Academy and plays a critical role in advancing the school’s mission by developing relationships with and securing significant financial contributions from major donors. Reporting to the Head of School, the DMPG develops relationships with and raises funds from major donors, corporations, and foundations for Metro’s capital projects and endowments. This position also works closely with the CFO, Advancement Coordinator, Alumni Coordinator, and an Administrative Assistant, and is committed to the creation of and execution of a broad-based fundraising strategy targeting individuals, corporations, and foundations to support the school's strategic goals.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

Fundraising Strategy and Execution

• Develop and implement a systematic and strategic plan to identify, cultivate, solicit, and close major gifts.
• Actively manage relationships with an assigned portfolio of 125 to 150 high-net-worth individual prospects with the capacity to give a major/principal gift to the school, strengthening relationships with current and potential donors and continually elevating them to increasingly higher levels of giving and engagement.
• Collaborate with the Head of School and other key stakeholders to arrange meetings with prospective donors and prepare tailored presentations.
• Provide simple, regular updates and progress on fundraising efforts to the Head of School.
• Create and execute a major and principal gift plan that sets realistic fundraising objectives to support the school’s short-, intermediate-, and long-term funding goals.
• Identify, recruit, train, and facilitate the participation of other MCA staff, leadership, Board members, and volunteer supporters in major gift fundraising activities.
• Guide the development of a major and principal giving prospect management system.
• Take a leading role in soliciting and closing major gifts from assigned donors, including soliciting existing donors to increased funding levels and activating new major donors by soliciting them for a first major gift.
• Integrate planned giving into major individual donor requests, as appropriate.

Campaign Management

• Play a key role in achieving the current $10M capital campaign goal with regular, demonstrated progress toward the goal.
• Collaborates with the Director of Marketing and Communications to develop capital campaign materials.

Stewardship and Donor Engagement

• Cultivate and sustain long-term relationships with donors, ensuring appropriate acknowledgment, recognition, and engagement.
• Leverage existing alumni and parent networks to identify untapped donor resources and enhance alumni engagement.
• Maintain accurate donor records and track interactions using the school’s donor management system.
• Customize timely and tailored preparations, materials, and presentations for donor meetings.
• Follow up on donor meetings to ensure actions are recorded and implemented.
• Meet regularly with the Head of School to report on fundraising activities/outcomes and steps taken towards achievement of strategic objectives.

Professional Development and Reporting

• Maintain a working knowledge of fundraising best practices and ethical standards.
• Adhere to the highest ethical standards in stewardship and fundraising.
• Meet regularly with the Head of School to report on fundraising activities/outcomes and steps taken towards achievement of strategic objectives.
• Participate in department staff meetings and campus events as needed.
• Achieve annual fundraising and activity goals within established budgets.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

• A bachelor’s degree in a related field is preferred.
• Minimum of 4 years of experience in major gift fundraising, including success in capital campaigns.
• Demonstrated ability to secure top-level gifts

ESSENTIAL ATTRIBUTES AND SKILLS

• Strong advocate for Metro Christian Academy’s Statement of Faith, mission, and values.
• Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills, both written and oral.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently while being a collaborative team player.
• Ability to handle confidential matters with integrity and discretion.
• Proficiency in donor database management systems, Microsoft Office Suite, and digital fundraising tools.
• Working knowledge of prospect research and wealth screening systems/technology.

WORK ENVIRONMENT AND REQUIREMENTS

• Availability to work evenings and weekends for events and donor meetings as needed.
• Ability to travel locally and nationally to meet with prospective donors.
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced, faith-based educational environment.
• Physical ability to perform standard office tasks and participate in campus and community events.