St Margaret’s School for Girls
Head of Development
(0.5 FTE)
Founded in 1846, St Margaret’s School for Girls is a prestigious and thriving school which provides a first class education for 375 girls aged 3-18.
The school’s governing body (the School Council) and the Senior Leadership Team are forward-looking and supportive and have ambitious long-term development plans. In February 2015 we committed to the establishment of a development function within the school, a task which was successfully begun by the previous incumbent, who left the post earlier this session due to family relocation.
An opportunity now exists for an outstanding individual to provide leadership and imagination in taking forward the development function at St Margaret’s. The ideal candidate will have relevant experience, not necessarily within the education sector, and a good knowledge of major gifts, regular giving and alumnae relations. S/he will have excellent IT skills including previous experience of maintaining relational databases,and will have the capacity to drive the development process both internally as well as externally. The Head of Development will have exceptional interpersonal skills and will be a significant ambassador for the school. The ability to engage high profile individuals, senior decision-makers and major donors is a key element of the role.
Reporting directly to the Head, the Head of Development will work closely with the Senior Leadership Team, the School Council, the Former Pupil Club and the part-time Alumnae and Events officer
Benefits include a pension and fee remission where applicable for children who qualify academically at the school. Salary will be based on experience.
Key responsibilities
- Manage a development office database. Record all subsequent fundraising activity on this database and ensure accurate collation and input of data.
- Create, implement and be directly involved in a strategic plan to provide significant additional revenue via major gift fundraising for capital projects in line with the school’s development plan.
- Identify, approach and cultivate long term relationships with potential major donors (current parents, former parents, former pupils, corporate donors, grant-making trusts) in order to secure major gifts to reach agreed fundraising targets.
- Establish and sustain a long-term legacy programme.
- Establish effective working relationships with the Senior Leadership Team and School Council and any development board which may be established for the purpose of fundraising.
- Keep abreast of and advise the Head on charity law, legislation and best practice in fundraising within independent schools.
Person Specification
The school seeks to appoint a person with significant experience of major gift fundraising, ideally, but not necessarily, within education.
Essential Criteria
- Empathy with the ethos and mission of St Margaret’s School for Girls
- Education to degree level
- Advanced IT skills and previous experience in setting up and managing a relational database
- Proven track record of personally securing major charitable gifts (five and six figure sums)
- A strategic thinker with initiative, drive and proven leadership skills
- Personal qualities of resilience, tenacity and outstanding professional integrity
- Excellent communication and presentation skills, both verbal and written
- Comprehensive knowledge of British charity law and tax law as it applies to charitable giving
January 2018