DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT / MAJOR GIFTS OFFICER
ABOUT US
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The Jewish Leadership Academy is a world-class Jewish
Middle and Upper School dedicated to developing the skills,
curiosity, and potential of Miami’s most ambitious students for a
life of purpose, commitment, and service.
JLA is committed to:
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Challenging inquisitive minds to
think critically and creatively in pursuit of the highest academic
standards across all disciplines.
Putting values into action by
embedding leadership training and community service into the heart
of the educational program.
Engaging the mind and stirring the
soul to connect with the Jewish past and the Jewish present, the
Jewish People and the Jewish State, through the broad and embracing
lens of Modern Orthodoxy.
With a brand new state-of-the art campus in the Pinewood
neighborhood of Miami nearing completion, JLA will open its doors
for grades 6, 7, 9 and 10 in August 2023.
JLA has assembled an outstanding faculty of all faiths who
believe in and actively support the school’s mission to educate
Jewish students at the highest academic levels while connecting
them deeply to their heritage and faith. We are carefully creating
a faculty culture that is values-driven, committed to high
standards, and rooted in respect for all. Click
here to view our Culture Deck.
DEVELOPMENT AT
JLA__________________________________________________
Like so many other facets of the Jewish Leadership Academy,
JLA’s approach to fundraising is distinctly different from that of
most other Independent Schools, Jewish or
otherwise.
JLA was founded by Gisela and Daniel Ades, whose financial
investment in the school represents one of the largest gifts ever
made to Jewish education. As a result of their generosity,
the school’s state-of-the-art campus is fully paid for and the
school has no debt. However, the school’s commitment to truly
need-blind admissions and its innovative Indexed Tuition model in
which every mission-appropriate student is accepted irrespective of
their ability to pay, leaves a significant projected operating
deficit for the foreseeable future.
The Ades family is ready to cover a portion of that annual
deficit, but they cannot do it alone. At the same time, the
school believes deeply that the traditional small gift fundraising
in which most schools engage creates additional burdens and
pressure on the parent body, engenders a culture of entitlement
amongst four and five figure donors, and often makes a school
susceptible to poor decision making due to a need to satisfy a
diverse and unwieldy set of donors. In addition, the effort
often expended in small gift fundraising tends not to justify the
financial return.
Therefore, development at JLA will focus almost exclusively on
major gifts and grants of six figures and above. The short
term goal of the Development Office will be to raise $1.5mm in
annual gifts during its first year and to increase to $3mm by Year
Three. The long term goal of the department is to raise an
endowment of $50mm by Year Ten, so as to ensure the long term
viability of the school’s need-blind admissions program.
RESPONSIBILITIES
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The position of Director of Development / Major Gifts Officer
will work most closely with the President of the Board and the Head
of School. The position also requires close collaboration
with the school’s CFO / COO and the Director of
Communications. The position of Director of Development
reports directly to the Head of School.
Full-time employment for the Director of Development will
commence in August 2023 or as soon as the successful candidate is
able to start. Responsibilities will include:
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Work with school administration and
board members to identify, articulate, and market compelling
funding opportunities that emerge from the school’s unique
educational program
Identify high net worth individuals
locally and nationally with philanthropic interests that align with
the school’s funding opportunities
Use contact networks to set up
in-person meeting with prospects to introduce them to the school,
its founders, and / or Head of School
Create and implement strategic donor
cultivation and stewardship plans for transforming prospects into
major donors
Manage systems and software to track
and cultivate donors and prospects, including a donor database and
wealth screening tools
Manage existing portfolio of donors
and prospects
Make direct, face-to-face
solicitations, and assist the board and other staff with their
solicitation (e.g. provide portfolio development support, strategic
counsel, and help with donor communications)
Work with the CFO / COO to deeply
understand the school’s budget, revenue streams, and long term
financial projections
Work with the Director of
Communications and the Communications Associate to produce targeted
marketing materials for the school’s current and prospective
donors
Acknowledge major donors through
public and private recognition
Track and report progress the
President of the Board and the Head of School using specific
metrics
QUALIFICATIONS
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JLA welcomes candidates for the Director of Development / Major
Gifts Officer position from a variety of professional backgrounds.
Successful candidates will have at least five years of fundraising
experience in either the for-profit or non-profit sectors, with a
proven track record of securing gifts or investments of six figures
and above. They will be goal oriented self-starters with
outstanding people and presentation skills, a passion for the
school’s mission, and a desire to help donors actualize their
philanthropic goals. A Bachelor’s Degree is required and a
Masters Degree is preferred. In addition, the successful
candidate will demonstrate:
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Strong familiarity with Jewish
education and the Jewish community
A significant network of contacts in
the Jewish philanthropic world
Excellent organizational skills
High level proficiency with Excel,
CRMs and / or fundraising software
Proficiency in data analysis,
strategy development, and the ability to create long term
projections
A track record of unquestioned
professionalism
Willingness to roll up their sleeves
in a fast paced start-up culture
Willingness to travel on
occasion
A good sense of humor
Empathy and sensitivity
The desire and ability to connect
deeply with others
A willingness to admit mistakes and a
desire to constantly grow
BENEFITS__________________________________________________________
A strong benefits package includes:
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Starting base salary of $200,000 to
$250,000 plus a bonus structure for meeting key benchmarks in both
annual and endowment funds, depending on experience.
Full health, dental, and vision for
employee
8% annual retirement match (on base
salary)
Daily breakfast and lunch
Generous PTO
Relocation stipend
Opportunities for professional
development and growth
Short and long term disability and
life insurance
To apply, send cover letter and CV to Rabbi Dr. Gil
Perl: gperl@jlamiami.org
For more information visit: https://jlamiami.org/
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