Executive Director of Community Giving and Impact

At The Mount Vernon School, students are empowered to discover, explore, learn, design, create, and effect change. With a commitment to Identity, Diversity, Equity, and Action (IDEA), we welcome the opportunity to engage in honest, vulnerable, and courageous conversations that challenge our biases and assumptions. As a leading visionary independent school in the country, Mount Vernon’s “blue ocean” brand of innovation has emerged over the last decade, impacting schools in the US and across the globe through MV Ventures, a research, strategy, and consulting division of the School. In addition, the School has established partnerships with Fortune 500 companies, non-profits, and civic environments to share our innovation. Our goal is to design a better world, so we choose to equip students with the knowledge, skills, attributes, and relationships they need to be impact-ready. 

What we Do: The Team

The Community Giving and Impact Team focuses on fostering a culture of philanthropy and service by engaging parents, grandparents and alumni through volunteerism and giving, as well as expanding partnerships through corporate and foundation investments. We provide opportunities for the gifts of time, talent, treasure and trust. As a team, we are committed to building strong trusting relationships, operating with high emotional intelligence, exemplifying professionalism and nimbleness, providing excellent customer service, and achieving results through disciplined and sound processes. 

Why this Position is Important: The Role 

This role is an integral member of the School’s leadership, leveraging Mount Vernon’s philanthropic community with an emphasis on donor relationships, solicitation activities, and cultivation of higher capacity prospects. The Executive Director of Community Giving & Impact establishes the processes, systems, and strategies for both capital campaigns and annual giving. Beyond the Mount Vernon community, the Executive Director develops strong relationships with key local and national foundations to scale grant programs for capital and programmatic goals and priorities. Ideal candidates will possess both experience in fundraising systems/programs and have a growth mindset that is open to ideas and innovation. Superior writing, editing, and presentation skills accompanied by a successful fundraising track record with the capacity to inspire and motivate others are critical attributes for this leadership role.  

Meaning & Purpose

One of the School’s greatest investments is in human capital. We are not interested in red tape, fixed mindsets, low expectations, or blending in. We are building something exceptional here. We need the work of your hands, the wisdom of your mind, and the discernment of your heart. As a result, we focus on building leadership capacity in order for anyone to become the best in their respective field. At Mount Vernon, the Executive Director has the opportunity to live out one’s strengths and to grow one’s skills and influence exponentially.

Amplifying the mission and executing the vision of the School, the Executive Director of Community Giving & Impact plays a creative, collaborative, and strategic role in building a more inclusive future, exemplified through the following leadership competencies: 

• Philanthropic Entrepreneur -- brings a fresh, creative perspective and innovative ideas to scaling investment of donors to achieve and exceed fundraising goals 
• Brand Ambassador -- informs and amplifies brand messages and stories with internal and external audiences, bringing the brand to life, increasing understanding, and activating engagement
• Prospect Researcher -- conducts comprehensive research of donor prospects within and beyond community, analyzing capacity and discerning readiness to invest
• Strategic Partner -- contributes to overall vision, reflecting the mission of the organization, improving systems, accelerating growth, and ultimately, creating sustained value through giving
• Campaign Designer/Executer -- appraises past fundraising performance and current feasibility of active donor base to design future campaigns, reaffirming value proposition, celebrating achievements, and demonstrating impact
• People-Centered Leader -- cultivates and nurtures strong community relationships of trust, effectively connecting with families and empathizing with what the community feels, sees, and hears

The faculty and staff of The Mount Vernon School believe the fair and equitable treatment of employees is critical to fulfilling its mission and purpose. It is the policy of The Mount Vernon School to conduct business and provide equal employment opportunity to all persons without regard to race, color, age, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.