Director of Advancement

Title: Director of Advancement

Department:Advancement

Reports to:Head of School

Type:Full-time, 12 month position

Westover School (Westover), an independent, college-preparatory boarding and day school for girls in Middlebury, Connecticut, seeks a dynamic fundraiser and team leader with a proven track record to serve as its next Director of Advancement (DOA).

Reporting to the Head of School, the Director of Advancement will oversee all aspects of Westover’s fundraising, alumnae and parent engagement programs, and further strengthen a growing culture of philanthropy. With a deep belief in Westover’s mission and the transformative power of girls’ education, the Director of Advancement will help shape the strategic direction of the advancement office and position the School for its next phase of growth.

This work will be accomplished through the development and execution of a comprehensive, goal-driven advancement strategy, along with the cultivation and stewardship of meaningful, enduring relationships across the Westover community.

About Westover School

Westover School is a girls-centered boarding and day school for grades 9-12. At Westover, students are truly seen for who they are and who they aspire to be, and are celebrated for their intellect, curiosity, and unique passions. This is a community where innovative academics foster intellectual empowerment, collaboration thrives, and faculty inspire bold exploration. Rooted in sisterhood, friendships here are lifelong and unbreakable.

Since its founding in 1909, Westover has been committed to providing a transformational college preparatory education that celebrates and empowers every individual through small classes (the average class size is just 12 students) and rigorous academics (offering 21 AP and Honors Courses) within a small, close-knit community. Westover students are at the heart of their learning journeys. Creative problem-solving connected with deep intellectual curiosity is central to the school’s educational philosophy and academic vision. Today, 200 students enroll, hailing from 20 states and 24 countries. Approximately 67 percent of students identify as students of color, and 68 percent of students are boarding.

Middlebury, CT

Nestled in the picturesque town of Middlebury, Connecticut, Westover School’s 146-acre campus sits in an environment full of natural beauty, scenic landscapes, and a strong sense of community. The area is ideal for those seeking a connection to nature through easy access to myriad outdoor recreational activities, specifically those offered via Lake Quassapaug, paired with the attractions and charm of a small, quintessential New England Town. Concurrently, Middlebury has easy access to Connecticut’s major cities, including Waterbury, New Haven, and Hartford, given its proximity to I-84, and is just two hours from New York City.

Mission and Values

Westover School embodies a simple yet bold vision:

Westover School empowers young women to lead lives of consequence.

This is achieved through four Core Values:

• Strength of Character: Westover School fosters citizens of the world who are compassionate, brave, and resilient advocates for themselves and others
• Women’s Empowerment: Westover empowers young women to take action as confident leaders by discovering their individual voices through exploration, reflection, and global awareness
• Passion for Learning: the School champions enthusiasm and engagement as it cultivates innate curiosity into an enduring love of learning
• Community: Westover nurtures an inclusive, diverse, and welcoming community rooted in tradition. Through shared experiences, Westover forges meaningful, supportive, and enduring relationships

Leadership

In partnership with Head of School Polly Fredlund, Westover is governed by an 18-member Board of Trustees and is supported by an 18-person Alumnae Board of Governors.

The Board of Trustees is composed of graduates, current and past parents, as well as other community members. As the governing body for the School, the Board of Trustees monitors Westover’s adherence to all laws and regulations, adopts policies and procedures to create a culture of legal and ethical standards that guide every aspect of the organization, and establishes bylaws and policies for effective governance and fiscal oversight. The Board conducts its work through a committee structure, which includes the following committees: Executive; Audit; Buildings and Grounds; Development; Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging; Finance; Governance; Investment; Risk Management; and Head Support.

The Board of Governors is currently comprised of graduates from 1947 to 2019. The Board of Governors’ mission is to serve as ambassadors to Westover by connecting alums, championing the Westover Fund, and advancing the mission of the school through engagement with its community. The Governors strengthen the bond between the school and alums, parents, and friends. Wherever Westover alums are, the spirit of Westover shines.

Westover further embraces the leadership strengths and contributions of the student body and provides myriad opportunities for students to fill and shape leadership roles. Among these opportunities, one of the most influential roles is the Student Heads of School. Each year, eight rising seniors are chosen by students, faculty, and staff to serve as the collective voice of the student body. The Heads of School run school assembly three times per week, serve on many committees within the School, and represent the entire student body by keeping a pulse on student life. There are two heads of school (a first and second), a diversity, equity, and inclusion head, two athletic association heads, an art head, a day student head, and a head proctor.

Financial Overview

• Operating Budget $15.0M
• Day Tuition $57,000
• Boarding Tuition $78,500
• International Tuition $82,000
• Total Endowment $65.9M
• Endowment per student $350,532
• Annual Fund Gifts $2.3 M
• Dollars raised in last campaign (Inspiring Women Campaign) $51.5M

Position Details

Philanthropy is the cornerstone that sustains Westover beyond tuition, fueling the dreams and futures of generations to come. The generous support of Westover’s community empowers students and teachers to reach new heights of creativity, innovation, and excellence, having a profound impact that unlocks opportunities that inspire and transform. The Office of Advancement further supports the mission and strategic goals of the school by keeping alums, parents, the community, and friends connected to Westover.The most recent comprehensive campaign at Westover, the Inspiring Women Campaign, yielded $51.5M for the school, providing exceptional stability for operations and aid in building the endowment. Today, Westover benefits from 100 percent board participation, 100 percent faculty and staff participation, and a steady annual fund, which yields over $2.3M each year.

Director of Advancement

Reporting to and partnering closely with the Head of School, the Director of Advancement will serve as the strategic and tactical leader for all philanthropy and donor relations activities at Westover. In addition to the DOA, the Advancement Office at Westover currently includes a staff of five: Advancement Services Manager, Advancement Projects and Events Manager, Director of the Westover Fund, Families Liaison, and Marketing Coordinator. The DOA will have the opportunity to hire additional staff once on board. The DOA will also serve as the staff liaison to the advancement committee and related subcommittees of the board of trustees and work closely with parent and alumni volunteers, in addition to serving as a key member of the Head of School’s Senior Team. Furthermore, the DOA will prioritize the following opportunities:

• Maintain and enhance a philanthropic culture: Building upon a solid foundation of engagement and understanding, as well as through partnering with the school’s many active and dedicated volunteers, the DOA will deepen a philanthropic culture, both internally and externally. This investment will strengthen Westover’s fiscal health in both the short and long term, providing the DOA with a pivotal opportunity to shape the school’s trajectory for future generations.
• Expand and diversify prospect and donor engagement: While maintaining the high engagement from faculty, staff, the board, and many alumni and parent families, the DOA will identify, cultivate, and invest in historically under-engaged constituencies, thus broadening and diversifying Westover’s prospect and donor pipeline. This includes advancing underutilized forms of giving, such as planned giving and international engagement.
• Prepare and execute a comprehensive campaign: As Westover plans to launch its next comprehensive campaign, the DOA will drive its planning and execution, including aiding in defining a clear campaign vision and strategy, moving from reactive to proactive fundraising, and articulating a compelling case for support. Furthermore, the DOA will work hand-in-glove with the Head of School, ensuring that her time is utilized effectively and for the greatest impact.
• Support, mentor, and develop a talented and committed team: Working with an energetic and dedicated team, the DOA will ensure role clarification, aligning responsibilities with areas of strength. The DOA will also ensure cohesion around clearly articulated goals, providing strong leadership while entrusting staff to execute.
• Deepen cross-campus collaboration and partnership: The DOA will embody a collaborative leadership style and seek to enhance communication and alignment with colleagues across campus. Furthermore, the DOA will ensure a seamless partnership with the Head of School, preparing her for engaging and successful relationship-building.
• Invest in and strengthen advancement infrastructure and data practices: Embracing data-informed goal setting, the DOA will ensure that systems and technology are utilized in a way that provides the most accurate data with ease and efficiency. They will ensure that the technology is paired with policies for accurate and timely data capture and recording, enabling more effective tracking, reporting, and strategic insight.

Candidate Profile

The ideal candidate will have a strong desire to work towards Westover’s mission of empowering young women to lead lives of consequence. While primarily an externally facing role, the next DOA will understand the essentialness of having connections with the daily life of the school, and will seek to embed themselves to both aid in supporting Westover’s students and then share their stories with the broader community. Candidates should hold a bachelor’s degree, with a master’s degree preferred. In addition, the ideal candidate will demonstrate many of the following professional and personal qualities, skills, and characteristics:

• Extensive and successful record of front-line fundraising at a leadership level;
• History of developing, leading, and delegating to a talented team;
• Confidence around and enthusiasm for ambitious campaign planning and execution;
• Dedication to partnering seamlessly with the Head of School and ensuring she is positioned for successful donor and prospect engagement;
• Passion and talent for operating as an inspirational storyteller;
• Desire to be embedded in the campus community;
• Innovative and strategic approach to long-term planning;
• Experience leading or playing a significant role in the planning and implementation of a substantial, comprehensive campaign, including establishing metrics and processes to monitor and evaluate operational performance outcomes, and a commitment to see through the next campaign at Westover;
• Strategic understanding of data management practices and systems, CRM tools (including Raisers Edge), and innovations that can optimize advancement processes and contribute to maintaining high standards of data integrity;
• Unimpeachable personal integrity, including upholding a culture of confidentiality
• Exquisite interpersonal and communication skills; and,
• Is trustworthy and a self-starter.

Compensation and Benefits

This is a full-time position that will be performed on site in Connecticut. Salary is competitive and commensurate with experience. The salary range for this role is $200,000 to $215,000 with a generous benefits package, including housing and potential tuition remission. To learn more about Westover’s offerings, please see their employment page.

DSG | Storbeck has been exclusively retained for this engagement, led by Matthew Marsallo and Anne Koellhoffer. Express interest in this role by filling out our Talent Profile or emailing the search team directly at WestoverAdvancement@dsgco.com. All inquiries and discussions are strictly confidential.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Westover School is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate based on race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, age, disability, sex, marital status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive community and strongly encourage applications from candidates from historically marginalized or underrepresented backgrounds, as well as those with non-traditional career paths.

DSG | Storbeck

DSG | Storbeck is the Education Practice of DSG Global, bringing together top-tier search professionals with decades of experience in the education sector. Formed through the merger of the education teams from Storbeck Search, Koya Partners, and Diversified Search, DSG | Storbeck provides unparalleled expertise in executive search for colleges, universities, K-12 institutions, and education-focused organizations.

Our “91” Net Promoter Score – measuring the quality of our search methodology and client satisfaction – is considered exceptional in the industry. Take a more in-depth look into our Education practice online at https://www.dsgco.com/industry/education/.

**This leadership profile is not exhaustive and may be subject to change. While every effort has been made to confirm information at the date of publication, the accuracy or completeness of the information provided herein cannot be guaranteed.