Job Title: Advancement Associate

Department: Advancement

Reports To: Director of Advancement

FLSA Status: Non-Exempt 

Start Date: July 1, 2022

Revised:  April 6, 2022

Summary:

Founded in 1973, Keys School is a two-campus, grades K through 8 independent school in Palo Alto that not only upholds high academic standards for students but also nurtures the whole child. Because Keys School holds the developmental needs of students at its core, the school maintains an exceptional curricular program that celebrates the life of the mind. A visit to either campus will find: impassioned educators working to ensure that every student is seen, known, and valued in a supportive and dynamic learning environment; engaged, kind students who are critical thinkers, able-problem solvers, and nimble learners and leaders; and the preservation of the magic of childhood through an educational program that promotes wonder, inspiration, inquiry, and exploration.

Guided by its mission and respect for every child’s life experience, Keys School challenges students to develop a keen intellect and a generous spirit, to advocate for themselves and others, and to honor curiosity and reflection in an increasingly hurried world.  Kindness and self-advocacy are the cornerstones of who we are.  We get our hands dirty growing plants in our garden, hike together on the beautiful Northern California coast, or share the comedy of Shakespeare on the Keys stage. Keys graduates have moved on to become scientists, app developers, and future Keys faculty members.  We hold our community at the center of all we do as we engage in the business of human evolution. We are authentic and genuine and find that we attract the same in the individuals and families who chose to journey with us.  

Position Overview: 

An integral member of the Office of Advancement, the Advancement Associate works full-time and reports to the Director of Advancement.  The Advancement Associate will increase the capacity of Keys School’s fundraising and community engagement by providing comprehensive support within the Advancement Department.  The Associate will ensure the smooth operation of the department by maintaining the database and fundraising information systems, assisting with fundraising campaigns, and supporting special events and community engagement logistics, and other operational tasks.  

The successful candidate will be self-motivated, detail-oriented, and accurate, with strong communication skills.  They will be able to work both independently and collaboratively with an internal team and with all members of the community, including faculty, staff, external vendors and parents.  Exhibiting strong project management skills, attention to detail, and the ability to juggle multiple projects with a “can do” attitude, the Advancement Associate will convey our school culture of warmth and inclusivity while celebrating the joy and wonder of childhood in all we do.

Essential Job Duties and Responsibilities:

General:

• Provides leadership in cultivating a spirit of philanthropy and volunteerism and reinforcing the school’s warm, inclusive, generous, and down-to-earth culture. 
• Centers relationship-building within communications, seeking to know others (internally and externally) and understand their skills, interests, and backgrounds.
• Manages up and across as necessary to meet goals and objectives and ensure timely completion of documents and outcomes.
• Demonstrates commitment to growing and celebrating our inclusive community through ongoing diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice work.
• Brings a 360-degree perspective to interactions and decision-making.

Database-Specific:

• Records and processes all pledges and gifts in eTapestry database for each of the school’s fundraising initiatives.  Prepares/updates and maintains database for each school year.  
• Coordinates distribution of print and virtual communications and tax receipts with donors and constituents in a timely and gracious manner.
• Maintains detailed and accurate spreadsheets for all pledges and gifts to Annual Fund, Major Gift, and other campaigns, and tracks same.  Leads in the collection of pledge payments and gifts.
• Creates clear, concise, and accurate Development Dashboards for the Development Committee and Board of Trustees, capturing and tracking fundraising totals and other relevant data throughout the year.
• Supports each fundraising campaign by compiling and producing data and materials, including but not limited to, solicitation letters, background information, and historical trends.  Shares relevant data for each campaign with the Head of School, Development Team, and others.  
• Utilizes prospect research tools and conducts research and compiles biographies/profiles on prospective donors.
• Reviews and analyzes participation rates and funds raised, strategizes both proactively and reactively, and develops forecasts for future years. 
• Provides information about philanthropic gifts to assist in the planning of donor cultivation and stewardship events.

• Collects data about alumni and alumni experiences and includes them in the database as appropriate.  
• Collaborates with the Development Team and Advancement Team to collect annual giving and other campaign data as well as records of volunteerism for the Annual Report on Giving and Volunteering.  Supports the review and distribution of the Report.
• Provides ad hoc reports and routine reconciliation as requested by Business Office in support of annual audit, budgeting process and year-end accounting, and reconciles data with the Business Office. 
• Engages in database streamlining and data clean-up with an attention to security and privacy, and applicable professional development to expand upon database and other skills.

Community Events and Engagement:

• Supports the work of the Keys School Association (KSA), our parent volunteer organization, to foster a culture of volunteerism and philanthropy and reinforce the school’s warm, personal, supportive, generous, and down-to-earth culture.
• Helps in the planning and coordination, and then later staffs and assists with KSA community events and committees, such as Fall and Spring Picnics, Skate Night, Faculty and Staff Appreciation, Keys Community Cares (Community Service), ongoing Parent Education Coffee Series, in addition to other events as needed.
• Assists with the annual Keys Party and Auction and related events to create a meaningful community experience of both fund and friend-raising.
• Assists in the execution of donor cultivation and stewardship events, including Leadership Circle Celebration, Evening of Gratitude, and Special Projects celebrations.  Implement strategies to maximize the effectiveness and impact of all donor events.
• Maintains spreadsheets tracking RSVP’s, meal orders and other details of each community and donor cultivation/stewardship event.
• Coordinates event budgets and vendors; coordinates contracts in conjunction with the Business Office.
• Supervises students as needed, and provides coverage for the Office Administrator during lunch/breaks. 

Requirements: 

• Exhibits a cooperative team approach, complete with a good sense of humor and demonstration of a united front.
• Displays initiative, internal motivation, a willingness to take on responsibilities beyond those explicitly defined, and an ability to learn new and established procedures. 
• Executes responsibilities efficiently, accurately, and on or before deadlines. 
• Demonstrates excellent and effective written and verbal communications with an array of constituents: administrators, faculty, parents, trustees, vendors, consultants, and friends of the school.
• Exhibits the ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, grapple with complexity and inconclusive evidence, and draw valid conclusions.  
• Possesses the ability to calculate figures and amounts such as discounts, interest, and, percentages.
• Exhibits sound judgment related to confidential conversations, projects, and information related to the School or any of its constituents including effective communication regarding such matters to the appropriate individuals.
• Support and participate in Advancement Department and School-wide events and meetings, as needed.
• Accepts and performs other duties, as assigned.

Qualifications:

• Possesses and provides evidence of a bachelor’s degree. 
• Possesses a minimum of 2-4 years of experience in non-profit fundraising, or related experience, preferably in an educational setting.
• Possesses strong working knowledge of Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint), Google Drive, eTapestry, or other Development database software. Experience with Whipple Hill preferred.
• Able to work occasionally during events in the early morning, evening, and weekend.
• Initial and continued criminal background clearance by DOJ and FBI.
• Initial and continued tuberculosis clearance. 
• Maintains a valid driver’s license and the ability to transport oneself between two campuses and to surrounding cities. 

Physical Demands: 

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of the job.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 30 pounds.  Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, ability to adjust focus, and sound hearing. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit; use hands, talk, and hear.  The employee is frequently required to reach with hands and arms.  On occasion, the employee is required to stand, walk, stoop, kneel, crouch, crawl, jump, hop, skip, and dance.  

TO APPLY, PLEASE PROVIDE THE FOLLOWING: 

1. Cover letter, describing your interest, experience, and commitment 
2. Resume
3. List of three references with contact information

Email the above as attachments to jobs@keysschool.org by April 24, 2022.

Only electronic applications will be accepted. Thank you.  

We look forward to the opportunity to learn more about your interest.

Keys School is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Qualified applicants are considered for employment without regard to age, race, color, religion, gender, national origin, disability, orientation, or veteran status. For more information on the school, please visit keysschool.org.