Assistant Director of Annual Giving & Engagement

Assistant Director of Annual Giving & Engagement

About The Northwest School

The Northwest School is an independent day and boarding school serving students in grades 6–12 on an urban campus in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood. As Seattle’s only day and boarding school, Northwest offers a distinctive educational experience that combines rigorous academics with experiential, interdisciplinary learning in a vibrant city setting.

Our liberal arts program nurtures compassionate, globally aware, and environmentally conscious students who find joy in learning and are prepared to engage thoughtfully and creatively in an interconnected world. Northwest is a warm, inclusive community grounded in shared values and a deep commitment to belonging.

We believe diversity strengthens our school and are dedicated to building a faculty and student body that reflects the broader society. We strongly encourage candidates from underrepresented groups to apply.

Position Summary

The Assistant Director of Annual Giving & Engagement supports execution of the school’s annual fundraising and engagement efforts. This is a fundraising-facing role responsible for supporting revenue generation through donor engagement, solicitation, and pipeline management.

Working in close partnership with the Director of Advancement, this role manages key components of the Annual Fund, events, and volunteer programs to drive participation, strengthen community connection, and achieve annual fundraising goals.

Core Responsibilities

1. Annual Giving & Fundraising

• Drive execution of Annual Fund strategies to meet and exceed revenue and participation goals
• Manage and implement multi-channel campaigns, including segmentation, messaging, and outreach
• Participate in donor cultivation and solicitation efforts, including targeted asks with volunteers and leadership
• Participate in donor meetings and outreach to support cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship efforts
• Manage and advance a pipeline of donors and prospects; maintain accurate tracking in the database
• Manage a portfolio of donors and prospects, supporting cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship
• Monitor performance, track progress toward goals, and recommend adjustments

2. Events & Community Engagement

• Plan and execute fundraising and engagement events aligned with revenue and donor engagement goals
• Lead logistics for the school’s primary fundraising event, ensuring alignment with strategy
• Partner with leadership and volunteers to leverage events for cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship

3. Volunteer Engagement

• Recruit, train, and manage volunteers in support of fundraising efforts
• Support peer-to-peer outreach and participation goals
• Track engagement and support volunteer recognition

4. Advancement Operations & Support

• Maintain accurate donor and prospect records; support reporting and pipeline tracking
• Coordinate campaign materials and internal workflows
• Support board and leadership reporting and advancement priorities

5. Additional Engagement & School Support

• Collaborate with parent and alumni engagement efforts as they relate to fundraising and community connection
• Support select school-wide events and initiatives as needed
• Contribute to special projects led by the Advancement team

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree and 5+ years of experience in development, advancement, events, or related work
• Experience supporting donor cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship
• Strong organizational, communication, and project management skills
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Experience working with volunteers or community stakeholders
• Comfort with databases/CRMs and digital tools

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in an independent school or education setting
• Familiarity with fundraising and engagement programs
• Experience managing donor relationships, including cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship

Core Competencies

• Execution and follow-through
• Organization and prioritization
• Communication and relationship-building
• Collaboration and teamwork

Compensation

The salary range is $85,000 to $95,000 per year based on education and years of experience. This is a 1.0 FTE benefits-eligible position.

The Northwest School offers an excellent benefits package which includes medical, dental, vision, short- and long-term disability, and life and accident insurance coverage, fully paid for employee only coverage. A retirement program currently matches up to 6% of an employee's salary after one year of service in a 403(b) plan. An intentional, mission focused school culture, generous time off, lunch, access to the on-site fitness facility, an exceptional commitment to professional development, and a unique urban location are also benefits of working at the Northwest School.  

Application Process
Please submit a cover letter, resume, and statement of teaching philosophy online: https://www.northwestschool.org/about/employment 

**Please note: We are unable to fully consider materials submitted through other avenues such as Indeed.com without a corresponding application through our website. 

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer that values workplace diversity. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, national origin, gender, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, genetic information, or marital status.