The Kent Denver Fund is the most important annual fundraising effort at our school, providing nearly $2 million in operating revenue (from 1,400+ gifts) each year. A gift to the Kent Denver Fund is the first time most families and alumni give to our school, and serves as a launching point for those donors who will make major gifts in the future.

The Kent Denver Fund has met or exceeded its goals for the past 15 years. Looking forward, our goals will be increasing to reflect the tremendous philanthropic capacity of our community. We are confident that we can meet this challenge. The Director of Annual Giving will support the very best practices of the existing program and evolve, innovate, and grow the program while maintaining a positive spirit of philanthropy across our community.  

Primary Responsibilities

• Design, plan, and execute a year-long, integrated, multi-platform fundraising campaign that will inspire all Kent Denver constituencies to donate to the Kent Denver Fund, and then effectively steward those donors

• Recruit, train, support, and motivate parent and alumni volunteers to connect directly with their peers and inspire them to support the Kent Denver Fund

• Qualify major donor prospects who are interested in – and capable of – making major gifts

• Become a reliable member of a team that is responsible for the care and growth of the 100-year spirit of giving that has helped make Kent Denver the #1 independent school in Colorado 

• Reports to Director of Development

Primary measures of success

• Attainment of annual fundraising goals

• Consistent positive contribution to the spirit of philanthropy and community that defines Kent Denver

• Major donor identification and qualification

• Successful recruitment, training, engagement and retention of an effective volunteer team

Required skills and characteristics

• 3-5 years’ front-line fundraising, volunteer management, or marketing/sales experience 

• Proven expertise in the development and execution of plans that inspire target audiences to take action

• Demonstrated ability to recruit, motivate, support and maintain a highly effective group of volunteers

• Highly effective written and verbal communications to multiple audiences

• Successful use of major social media platforms to tell stories and inspire others to act

• Track record of disciplined, process-oriented task completion with a high level of attention to detail

• Demonstrated expertise in meeting new people, bringing communities together, and telling a compelling story  

• Interest in learning, growing, taking risks, and learning from both successes and failures

• Belief in Kent Denver’s mission and the unique opportunities provided by an independent school education

• Appreciation of (and respect for) independent school parents, students, alumni, teachers, and volunteers

• Flexibility, adaptability, and eagerness to pitch in and help outside the Kent Denver Fund 

Other skills and characteristics that an ideal candidate may possess

• Eagerness to adopt new technologies that enable stronger relationships and higher engagement

• Interest in being empowered to speak up, manage up, and take the lead on important tasks

• Interest in earning additional responsibilities as job performance and results warrant

• Belief in the power and potential of others and the ability to bring out the best in them

Application details and instructions are at https://www.kentdenver.org/about/careers