Convent of the Sacred Heart New York, New York Chief Advancement Officer Start Date: Immediate, can wait until July 2025 cshnyc.org
Convent of the Sacred Heart, New York City's oldest independent Catholic school for girls in grades Pre-K-12, seeks a well-seasoned and mission-aligned fundraising professional to serve as the school's next Chief Advancement Officer. Reporting to Head of School Kate Adams, this position serves as leader of all philanthropic activities, including annual fund, alumnae and parent relations, capital campaign planning and execution, and major gift cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship; acts as a strategic thought partner to the Head of School and Board of Trustees and collaborates with colleagues throughout the school community as a member of the School's senior administrative team. The CAO will start by July, 2025.
The Position Sacred Heart's next Chief Advancement Officer will join the community at an exciting and busy time. Head of School Kate Adams is beginning her second year of leadership and will enthusiastically pilot the school's further expansion and program growth. A warm, intuitive, energetic, and collaborative leader, Kate will welcome the partnership of the Chief Advancement Officer as they work together closely and strategically to advance Sacred Heart's mission and goals through philanthropy. The Chief Advancement Officer will play an integral role in all aspects of campaign planning and implementation. He/she will work closely with the Board of Trustees, attending full Board sessions, a number of Committee meetings, and serving as the School's liaison to the Advancement Committee, as well as lead a well-seasoned and long tenured team of five dedicated individuals in the Advancement Office.
Priorities, challenges, and opportunities ahead for the Chief Advancement Officer
- Partnering with the Head of School to advance Sacred Heart's mission via robust philanthropy;
- Planning and launching Sacred Heart's next capital campaign;
- Serving as the School's liaison to fundraising counsel;
- Providing strong leadership to the Advancement Office via clarification of roles and responsibilities, collaborative and vigorous fundraising goal setting, advocacy, clear communication, and constructive feedback;
- Cultivating new and existing relationships throughout the Sacred Heart community;
- Establishing intentional follow-up communications and activities with constituents and prospective donors;
- Participating in the School's senior administrative team;
- Collaborating closely with administrative colleagues and developing a strong and productive partnership with the Director of Strategic Communications and Marketing; the Director of Admissions, Enrollment Management and Financial Aid, and Chief Administrative Officer;
- Contributing to Sacred Heart's commitment to institutional equity via the implementation of inclusive fundraising practices.
Responsibilities In addition to embracing the Convent of the Sacred Heart's mission, supporting its Head of School and leadership, and representing the school at professional and public forums, the CAO will have the following primary responsibilities:
- Provide strategic and collaborative partnership to the Head of School, Senior Leadership Team, and Board of Trustees (including as chief staff liaison to the Advancement Committee).
- Establish advancement goals, actions steps, and accountabilities that support the school's strategic priorities.
- Ensure collegial and trusting relationships and connections everywhere – within the Advancement Team and throughout the extended school community.
- Work closely with the Chief Administrative Officer, who serves as the school's CFO to ensure accurate projections, reporting, systems coordination, and gift tracking.
- Sharpen the school's case for support and the successful execution of capital, endowment, and annual giving programs while creatively and entrepreneurially expanding and nurturing the donor base in each area of giving.
- Manage a portfolio of major donors.
- Partner with the Head of School and key Board members on major gift solicitations.
Qualifications and Personal Attributes The most competitive candidates will offer most or all the following qualifications and qualities:
- 10+ years of fundraising experience. Independent school experience, along with knowledge and understanding of philanthropy in New York City, are preferred but not required;
- An understanding of and respect for Sacred Heart mission, goals, and criteria;
- Deep grounding in all aspects of advancement work including annual giving, capital campaigns, major gifts, prospect research, alumni relations, communications, and special events;
- Adept in use of technology, databases and robust data gathering, analysis and reporting;
- Experience in leading and assessing teams;
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills;
- A joyous spirit and a fine sense of humor.
To Apply Interested and qualified candidates are invited to contact the consultants in confidence. Candidates will ultimately need to submit the following materials as separate PDF documents:
- A cover letter expressing their interest in this particular position;
- A current résumé;
- A list of five professional references with name, relationship, phone number, and email address of each (references will not be contacted without the candidate's permission) to:
Sara Shulman Practice Leader – Development and Finance ...@carneysandoe.com Elyse Waterhouse Consultant ...@carneysandoe.com
The full-time equivalent salary range for this position is $250,000-$300,000. The starting salary is based upon, but not limited to, several factors that include years of experience, education level, and expertise.
It is the policy of Sacred Heart to provide equal employment opportunity to all employees and applicants.
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