Executive Brief
Leadership Gifts Officer
St. John's Prep
The Organization: St. John's Prep
Founded in 1907, St. John’s Prep is an inclusive, Catholic, Xaverian Brothers Sponsored School for young men in grades 6 through 12. Founded on the Xaverian values of compassion, humility, simplicity, trust, and zeal, St. John's educates students to be, do and stand for good in the world.
St. John’s is a faith-based community grounded in and fortified by three main cultural priorities: recognizing all people as created in the image and likeness of God, embracing a habit of excellence grounded in a growth mindset, and empowering individuals to be unique expressions of God’s love in the world. Strong candidates will embody the Catholic principles and Xaverian values that guide the Institution to help foster a supportive and inclusive campus environment. For further information on how faith animates St. John’s, please visit St. John's Statement on Xaverian and Catholic Identity.
Located in Danvers, Massachusetts with a distinctive campus feel spread amongst 10 academic, co-curricular, and athletic buildings spanning 175-acres, St. John’s has an enrollment of approximately 1,500 students from more than 90 different communities across seven grade levels. A big campus with big resources means big dreams, big opportunities, big benefits, and big outcomes. Yet each young man is known as an individual — valued and guided in small classes by educators who understand them at this juncture in their own development.
St. John's Prep - At a Glance
Academics:
Arts:
Athletics:
General:
St. John's Prep's Advancement Team
St. John’s Prep’s tight-knit advancement team of ten raised roughly $6.5M last year, including $3.2M in annual fund support. The school is currently in the leadership phase of an $85M comprehensive campaign, with priorities including a major student-focused capital project and endowment support. St. John’s Prep’s last campaign successfully ended in 2020 with $50M raised.
Upon meeting with St. John’s Prep’s advancement team, their success becomes very easy to understand. This is a group committed to the institution, and to one another. With tenures ranging from 1.5 years to twenty, there is a deep, shared investment in collaboration, culture, and community. This is an organization that values leadership from every seat and working hard to advance shared objectives. As one team member recently shared, “I wish I’d found St. John’s Prep earlier in my career. I’ve never worked at an organization like this.”
Leadership Spotlight
Deb Marino - Chief Advancement Officer
Deb Marino
Chief Advancement Officer
Deb Marino serves as Chief Advancement Officer at St. John's Prep. Currently in her 18th year at the Prep, and starting her 25th year in advancement, Deb has held a variety of roles throughout her time at St. John's, always related to major giving and planned giving. Additionally, she filled the role of campaign coordinator during the school's most recent $50M comprehensive capital campaign, the Campaign for GOOD. Prior to St. John's Prep, Deb held advancement roles at UMass Lowell and Phillips Academy. Deb holds a B.S. in Business Administration from the Peter T. Paul College of Business and Economics at the University of New Hampshire. She also volunteers with Cummings Foundation and the Women's Fund of Essex County.
Paul Chiozzi - Managing Director of Leadership Giving
Paul Chiozzi
Managing Director of Leadership Giving
Paul Chiozzi is the Managing Director of Leadership Giving at St. John’s Prep. Paul began his time at the Prep in 2021 as Managing Director of Annual Giving before making the transition to his current role in 2022. Prior to St. John’s, Paul was Director of Annual Giving at Cotting School in Lexington, MA. Before his career in advancement, he worked at Boston College in the Office of First Year Experience and at Loomis Chaffee in Admissions. He holds a MA in Higher Education and MBA from Boston College.
The Opportunity: Leadership Gifts Officer
St. John's Prep - Leadership Gifts Officer - Job Description (PDF Download)
Position Summary
The Office for Institutional Advancement is a small, highly motivated team that works together to advance the Prep’s mission and realize its highest priorities. Collaboration within the office and working to strengthen relationships across campus is an important part of each role. The Advancement Office welcomes a Leadership Gifts Officer eager to be part of the team and immerse themselves in the school’s culture, while also being highly motivated to meet with parents and alumni off campus and help meet yearly fundraising targets.
The Leadership Gifts Officer will manage a portfolio of alumni and parent leadership gift prospects at the five-, six-, and seven-figure level. Reporting directly to the Managing Director of Leadership Giving, the ideal candidate should possess the skills to work in a fast-paced office environment, experience in frontline solicitation work, and the desire to increase philanthropic support to St. John’s Prep. Travel and occasional weekend/evening hours may be required.
Responsibilities, Qualifications, and Expectations
Responsibilities:
- Manage a portfolio of 125+ new and repeat donors
- Visit regularly on and off campus with parents and alumni to solicit gifts for St. John’s Prep
- Identify new donors and cultivate relationships with existing donors
- Document all communication with prospects and donors
- Draft and edit letters and proposals to donors
- Collaborate with other members of the office to build solicitation strategies
- Develop and nurture relationships with faculty and staff across campus
Skills and Competencies:
- Excellent planning and organizational skills
- Strong written and oral communication skills
- Comfort with planning visits on and off campus
- Ability to recognize and target major gifts prospects
- Desire to work with a variety of people including staff and faculty school-wide
- Ability to work independently and take initiative
- Experience soliciting and closing gifts
- Maintain a high level of confidentiality and discretion
Education and Experience:
- Bachelor’s degree required
- Minimum 3 to 5 years experience of identifying and soliciting donors
- Raiser’s Edge experience preferred
Physical Requirements:
- Standing/sitting for long periods of time
- Must be able to reach at and above shoulder height to access higher areas of equipment, etc.
- Must be capable of adapting to frequent changes in position throughout the workday
- Hearing and speaking to exchange information in person or on the telephone
- Use of hands and fingers for manipulation, using a computer keyboard, and educational tools
- Specific vision abilities required include close vision, distance vision, color vision, and depth perception
St. John’s Prep is committed to building a diverse and inclusive campus community. We welcome applications from underrepresented groups. We seek applicants who demonstrate a commitment to multiculturalism and diversity that is manifested in classroom practice, student engagement, interpersonal communication, and curricular decisions.
Applications & Nominations
St. John's Prep has partnered with Boyden. For more information about this opportunity or to submit a cover letter and resume, please email:
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, Boston
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.
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