Sarah Lawrence College occupies 44 wooded acres in Yonkers, NY, near the Village of Bronxville—just north of New York City. A 30-minute train ride from the Bronxville station takes students into Midtown Manhattan.
Learn more about the area here.
Executive Brief
Associate Director of Annual Giving
Sarah Lawrence College
The Organization: Sarah Lawrence College
Sarah Lawrence is a prestigious, residential, coeducational liberal arts college. Founded in 1926 and consistently ranked among the leading liberal arts colleges in the country, Sarah Lawrence is known for its pioneering approach to education, rich history of impassioned intellectual and civic engagement, and vibrant, successful alumni. In close proximity to the unparalleled offerings of New York City, Sarah Lawrence's historic campus is home to an inclusive, intellectually curious, and diverse community.
Talented, creative students choose Sarah Lawrence for the opportunity to take charge of their education. In close collaboration with Sarah Lawrence's dedicated, distinguished faculty, students create a rigorous, personalized course of study and connect their passions across a wide array of disciplines. Their students graduate knowing how to apply the knowledge, skills, and critical thinking necessary for life after college.
Campus:
Facilities:
In addition to their round-table classrooms, Sarah Lawrence has outstanding theatres, art and performance studios, and music spaces; modern science labs; state-of-the-art graphic computing equipment; competitive sports facilities; a 60,000-square-foot visual arts center; and recently renovated dining facilities.
Student Body:
Sarah Lawrence's students share an enthusiasm for intellectual rigor, academic risk taking, creativity in all disciplines, and original and interdisciplinary work. They are particularly committed to having Sarah Lawrence's faculty, administration, and student body reflect the social, racial, and economic diversity that characterizes our society. The College’s undergraduate students come from nearly every state and from 50+ countries; more than 80 percent of undergrads live on campus.
Statistics:
Number of students:
- Undergraduate: 1,462
- Graduate: 234
- Total: 1,696
Undergraduate Student Body:
- Students of Color: 26%
- International Students: 6%
Graduate Student Body:
- Students of Color: 25%
- 71% between the ages of 22-29
State representation:
- 44 states plus Washington, DC, Puerto Rico, Guam
- States sending most students: California and New York
International Representation in Recent Years:
Students come from 53 countries, including: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Egypt, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Haiti, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Korea, Lebanon, Macedonia, Malawi, Malaysia, Mexico, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal, Netherlands, Nicaragua, Norway, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Portugal, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates (UAE), and the United Kingdom.
Giving at Sarah Lawrence
Giving
Led by the advancement team, Giving at Sarah Lawrence College supports the community, and ensures the College continues its forward momentum.
Leadership Spotlight
Patricia Goldman - Vice-President of Advancement and External Relations
Patricia Goldman
Vice-President of Advancement and External Relations
Since 2018, Patty Goldman has been the Vice-President of Advancement and External Relations for Sarah Lawrence College. Prior to working in higher education, she was a marketing and revenue development consultant for non-profits and startups. She helped to establish The Feminist Institute and Makersfinders.com. In 2016, Patty concluded a 15-year tenure at March of Dimes, where she was the Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing officer and a member of the revenue committee of the Board of Trustees. Her core responsibilities included all areas of marketing the organization with an emphasis on building the foundation’s digital content and fundraising capabilities.
Prior to her tenure at the March of Dimes, Patty was Co-Founder and President of e4media, a digital development company that specialized in content management and e-commerce deployment. She was also the head of production for NewsCorp., where she helped to create and manage a site that provided up-to-the-minute news to millions of consumers. She has also worked in the entertainment business, for both Disney and Warner Brothers. Patty is an active volunteer in her community, spent 9 years on an alumni board for a private day school, and is a capital campaign strategist for her local temple.
She holds a BA with Honors in Social Anthropology from Harvard University, and a Masters of Fine Arts from the University of Southern California.
The Opportunity: Associate Director of Annual Giving
Sarah Lawrence College - Associate Director of Annual Giving - Job Description (PDF Download)
Position Summary
The College seeks an Associate Director of Annual Giving to manage and oversee the annual direct marketing campaign, advance its fundraising volunteer program, and maintain and grow participation in The Fund for Sarah Lawrence. This position reports to the Senior Director of Alumni Relations & Annual Giving.
The Associate Director will play a critical role in creating and executing direct mass marketing appeals and designing and disseminating targeted solicitations aimed at increasing engagement and philanthropy across constituencies. The Associate Director will work closely with the development operations team to analyze and monitor data, identify trends in giving, and maximize growth opportunities.
In addition to developing and executing the strategy for Sarah Lawrence’s direct mail program, the Associate Director will cultivate and manage key volunteer relationships that will help to advance the College’s annual giving goals and priorities. This individual will carry a portfolio of annual giving donors, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding support.
Expectations and Qualifications
Principal Responsibilities:
Direct Marketing
- Work with communication teams to craft compelling communications to engage volunteers and potential donors.
- Develop and disseminate impactful individual fundraising appeals, increasing engagement and giving across constituencies.
- Coordinate efforts with mail house, communications, and operations teams to execute annual giving appeals.
Volunteer Management and Direct Solicitation
- Identify, recruit, and maintain a portfolio of fundraising volunteers, managing solicitation strategies to support achieving participation and fundraising goals.
- Plan and execute fundraising volunteer meetings and trainings as necessary to engage, cultivate and steward fundraising volunteers.
- Identify and recruit Reunion volunteer committee members, solicit gifts, and drive the strategy for the annual giving solicitation of Reunion classes.
Reporting
- Work with the development operations team to develop reports, metrics, and analysis systems.
- Monitor and analyze the annual giving program’s performance, focusing on opportunities to improve results and meet annual goals, implementing appropriate interventions when necessary.
Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree or equivalent and 4-6 years of experience in development in an educational or nonprofit setting preferred.
- Ability to lead, motivate, and evaluate staff and volunteers to accomplish fundraising goals.
- Experience with direct mail, Raiser’s Edge, and performance analytics.
- Excellent written and verbal skills.
- A demonstrated ability to plan and execute time-sensitive projects simultaneously.
- Successful candidate will be a goal-oriented team player with a strong understanding of successful annual giving strategies.
Applications & Nominations
To explore this opportunity further, please send your resume in confidence to:
Lisa Vuona
Managing Partner, Boston
lvuona@boyden.com
LinkedIn
Lisa Vuona has decades of experience in executive search and human resource management, primarily in the non-profit, healthcare and education sectors. She is distinguished by her track record and network, and by her approach, which combines the strategic power of data with a finely tuned ability to understand the client’s organization and identify high-caliber leaders who fit the culture.
Beth Parsons
Principal, USA
bparsons@boyden.com
LinkedIn
Beth Parsons specializes in the education and non-profit sectors, having held fundraising and leadership roles in prominent educational and social impact organizations for nearly 20 years. She partners with clients to develop search strategies on the basis of organizational needs and core values. Her extensive advancement network serves as a source of high-impact talent.
Don’t check off all the boxes or meet every single requirement? We have learned that potential candidates hesitate when applying for a job unless they meet every single requirement. Boyden Boston is dedicated to inclusivity and valuing diversity and equity in the workplace. If this opportunity excites you, but your background may not be a perfect match, we still encourage you to apply.
Boyden Confidentiality Notice
CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This executive brief contains confidential and/or legally privileged information. Therefore, any disclosure, copying, reproduction, or distribution without the consent of Boyden is strictly prohibited.
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