Position Description
Saint Mary’s Hall seeks an experienced Advancement Services & Database Manager to oversee the Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge NXT database as the system of record for Advancement and ensure the integrity, accuracy, and usability of advancement data. This role supports informed decision-making across the Advancement program and advances the School’s fundraising efforts. The role supports the full lifecycle of donor engagement, including identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of major gift prospects. Working collaboratively with the development team, this role leads prospect and moves management processes, ensuring consistent tracking, reporting, and execution of fundraising activity. The Manager also develops and maintains the processes, workflows, and reporting cadence that support a high-functioning advancement operation and aligns data, systems, and team practices to ensure effective campaign execution. This position reports directly to the Assistant Head of School for Advancement.
Responsibilities
Database Management & Data Integrity
- Oversee the Raiser’s Edge NXT database as the system of record for all advancement data, ensuring accuracy, consistency, and completeness across all records.
- Maintain alignment between Raiser’s Edge and Veracross, ensuring effective data integration and synchronization.
- Establish and enforce best practices for constituent record management, gift coding, and data integrity.
- Oversee and support all gift processing activities, including gift entry, pledges (short and long term), acknowledgments, and stewardship data.
- Ensure compliance with IRS regulations and CASE Management and Reporting Standards.
- Lead and support the development and periodic review of policies related to gift acceptance, gift/campaign counting, donor recognition, and naming to ensure alignment with institutional and industry standards.
Gift Processing & Stewardship
- Partner with the Development team to manage gift acknowledgment and pledge reminder processes for all major, annual, and campaign gifts.
- Ensure accurate recording of donor activity, contributions, and stewardship actions across all programs, and ensure consistency in donor recognition and engagement tracking.
- Support annual stewardship for endowed funds, term funds, and named facilities.
Moves Management & Campaign Operations
- Lead a structured moves management system to support donor identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.
- Maintain and track prospect data, including actions, proposals, and engagement activity within the database.
- Coordinate and facilitate pipeline, portfolio, and prospect strategy meetings.
- Prepare and equip solicitors for donor cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship visits through accurate data, reporting, and meeting materials.
- Support prospect managers and help maintain accountability to established performance metrics and portfolio activity.
- Manage proposal tracking, including ask amounts, timelines, and expected outcomes.
Reporting & Analytics
- Develop and maintain reporting and dashboards to support Advancement leadership, including campaign and pipeline tracking.
- Analyze giving data and donor trends to inform strategy and decision-making.
- Ensure all reports shared internally and externally are accurate, validated, and aligned across systems, and proactively address discrepancies prior to distribution.
- Support Board, leadership, team, and benchmark reporting (e.g., DASL).
Systems Management & Integration
- Oversee the effective use of Raiser’s Edge NXT and related systems, including Veracross and Omatic.
- Manage data integration and resolve system exceptions to maintain data consistency.
- Identify, troubleshoot, and resolve system inefficiencies, working collaboratively with internal teams and external partners as needed.
- Serve as a resource for database use, training, and troubleshooting within the Advancement office.
Process Design & Operational Leadership
- Develop, document, and maintain SOPs for all core advancement services functions.
- Establish and manage an annual Advancement Services operating plan, including workflows, timelines, and reporting cadence.
- Lead ongoing process improvement efforts, proactively identifying opportunities to improve efficiency, consistency, and scalability of Advancement operations.
- Collaborate closely with the Business Office to define and maintain processes for reconciliation, reporting, and financial alignment, including regular validation of gift and revenue data across systems, and ensure proper integration with business office systems (Sage Intacct).
Team Support & Collaboration
- Partner with the Assistant Head of School for Advancement to support donor and volunteer engagement, including meeting preparation, coordination, and follow-up.
- Collaborate closely with Advancement colleagues to support program needs, fundraising strategy, and overall execution.
- Conduct prospect research and maintain profiles to support major gift development.
- Participate in and support team and board committee meetings and support key School initiatives and events as needed.
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree (required).
- Blackbaud Certified in Raiser’s Edge (bCRE) Professional Level or the demonstrated track record and aptitude to obtain a bCRE-Pro level certification (preferred).
- Proficiency in technology and advancement databases, with expertise in Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge NXT (required), Omatic (preferred), Almabase, and Veracross, including the ability to manage and maintain data integration across systems.
- Demonstrated experience managing a development database as a system of record, ensuring data accuracy, integrity, and consistency.
- Highly proactive and organized with the ability to independently manage workflows, prioritize competing demands, and identify and resolve issues.
- Demonstrates meticulous attention to detail, strong organizational skills and the ability to develop, implement, and create processes, systems, and operational workflows.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, with strong capability in Excel for data analysis, reporting, and dashboard support.
- Ability to understand and promote best practices in independent school fundraising, including CASE’s Statement of Ethics and Principles of Practice for Fundraising Professionals at Educational Institutions.
- Experience with advancement at the independent school level, including gift processing, stewardship, and moves management, or comparable experience (preferred).
- A student-centered, collaborative, and transparent team member who is accessible to volunteers, students, parents, colleagues, and other key stakeholders and is adept at building relationships.
- A professional with high expectations of themselves and the ability to inspire and motivate others.
- A genuine care for people and a desire to serve through a high level of hospitality.
- Exceptional written and verbal communication skills.
- Unquestioned integrity and an impeccable reputation, where commitments are honored, and people are approached in a straightforward and personal way
- An entrepreneurial, motivated, and hard-working professional with a strong commitment to excellence.
- A leadership style marked by initiative, follow-through, and a willingness to innovate and set an example for others.
- Well-developed interpersonal skills to work effectively across departments and with a wide range of constituents in a collaborative team environment.
- An ability to think systematically and be detail-oriented while analyzing data and remaining focused on the big picture and the School’s mission.
- A well-organized, results-oriented mindset with a strong sense of urgency.
Physical Requirements/Working Environment
- Work in a fast-paced environment dealing with a wide variety of challenges, deadlines, and a varied and diverse array of contacts.
- May require travel for events and professional development.
- occasionally work events, nights, or weekends.
- Be able to work at a desk and computer for extended periods.
- Must be able to teach, instruct, and communicate with students, parents, coworkers, visitors, and other professionals in the English language.
- Work primarily in a traditional climate-controlled office environment.
- Work intermittently in outside weather conditions, including extreme heat and cold.
Other Information
This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee. Other duties, responsibilities, and activities may change or be assigned at any time with or without notice.
Interested candidates are invited to apply by visiting: https://www.smhall.org/about/employment
Candidate qualifications will be reviewed as they are received.
Saint Mary’s Hall seeks an experienced Advancement Services & Database Manager to oversee the Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge NXT database as the system of record for Advancement and ensure the integrity, accuracy, and usability of advancement data. This role supports informed decision-making across the Advancement program and advances the School’s fundraising efforts. The role supports the full lifecycle of donor engagement, including identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of major gift prospects. Working collaboratively with the development team, this role leads prospect and moves management processes, ensuring consistent tracking, reporting, and execution of fundraising activity. The Manager also develops and maintains the processes, workflows, and reporting cadence that support a high-functioning advancement operation and aligns data, systems, and team practices to ensure effective campaign execution. This position reports directly to the Assistant Head of School for Advancement.
Responsibilities
Database Management & Data Integrity
- Oversee the Raiser’s Edge NXT database as the system of record for all advancement data, ensuring accuracy, consistency, and completeness across all records.
- Maintain alignment between Raiser’s Edge and Veracross, ensuring effective data integration and synchronization.
- Establish and enforce best practices for constituent record management, gift coding, and data integrity.
- Oversee and support all gift processing activities, including gift entry, pledges (short and long term), acknowledgments, and stewardship data.
- Ensure compliance with IRS regulations and CASE Management and Reporting Standards.
- Lead and support the development and periodic review of policies related to gift acceptance, gift/campaign counting, donor recognition, and naming to ensure alignment with institutional and industry standards.
Gift Processing & Stewardship
- Partner with the Development team to manage gift acknowledgment and pledge reminder processes for all major, annual, and campaign gifts.
- Ensure accurate recording of donor activity, contributions, and stewardship actions across all programs, and ensure consistency in donor recognition and engagement tracking.
- Support annual stewardship for endowed funds, term funds, and named facilities.
Moves Management & Campaign Operations
- Lead a structured moves management system to support donor identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.
- Maintain and track prospect data, including actions, proposals, and engagement activity within the database.
- Coordinate and facilitate pipeline, portfolio, and prospect strategy meetings.
- Prepare and equip solicitors for donor cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship visits through accurate data, reporting, and meeting materials.
- Support prospect managers and help maintain accountability to established performance metrics and portfolio activity.
- Manage proposal tracking, including ask amounts, timelines, and expected outcomes.
Reporting & Analytics
- Develop and maintain reporting and dashboards to support Advancement leadership, including campaign and pipeline tracking.
- Analyze giving data and donor trends to inform strategy and decision-making.
- Ensure all reports shared internally and externally are accurate, validated, and aligned across systems, and proactively address discrepancies prior to distribution.
- Support Board, leadership, team, and benchmark reporting (e.g., DASL).
Systems Management & Integration
- Oversee the effective use of Raiser’s Edge NXT and related systems, including Veracross and Omatic.
- Manage data integration and resolve system exceptions to maintain data consistency.
- Identify, troubleshoot, and resolve system inefficiencies, working collaboratively with internal teams and external partners as needed.
- Serve as a resource for database use, training, and troubleshooting within the Advancement office.
Process Design & Operational Leadership
- Develop, document, and maintain SOPs for all core advancement services functions.
- Establish and manage an annual Advancement Services operating plan, including workflows, timelines, and reporting cadence.
- Lead ongoing process improvement efforts, proactively identifying opportunities to improve efficiency, consistency, and scalability of Advancement operations.
- Collaborate closely with the Business Office to define and maintain processes for reconciliation, reporting, and financial alignment, including regular validation of gift and revenue data across systems, and ensure proper integration with business office systems (Sage Intacct).
Team Support & Collaboration
- Partner with the Assistant Head of School for Advancement to support donor and volunteer engagement, including meeting preparation, coordination, and follow-up.
- Collaborate closely with Advancement colleagues to support program needs, fundraising strategy, and overall execution.
- Conduct prospect research and maintain profiles to support major gift development.
- Participate in and support team and board committee meetings and support key School initiatives and events as needed.
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree (required).
- Blackbaud Certified in Raiser’s Edge (bCRE) Professional Level or the demonstrated track record and aptitude to obtain a bCRE-Pro level certification (preferred).
- Proficiency in technology and advancement databases, with expertise in Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge NXT (required), Omatic (preferred), Almabase, and Veracross, including the ability to manage and maintain data integration across systems.
- Demonstrated experience managing a development database as a system of record, ensuring data accuracy, integrity, and consistency.
- Highly proactive and organized with the ability to independently manage workflows, prioritize competing demands, and identify and resolve issues.
- Demonstrates meticulous attention to detail, strong organizational skills and the ability to develop, implement, and create processes, systems, and operational workflows.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, with strong capability in Excel for data analysis, reporting, and dashboard support.
- Ability to understand and promote best practices in independent school fundraising, including CASE’s Statement of Ethics and Principles of Practice for Fundraising Professionals at Educational Institutions.
- Experience with advancement at the independent school level, including gift processing, stewardship, and moves management, or comparable experience (preferred).
- A student-centered, collaborative, and transparent team member who is accessible to volunteers, students, parents, colleagues, and other key stakeholders and is adept at building relationships.
- A professional with high expectations of themselves and the ability to inspire and motivate others.
- A genuine care for people and a desire to serve through a high level of hospitality.
- Exceptional written and verbal communication skills.
- Unquestioned integrity and an impeccable reputation, where commitments are honored, and people are approached in a straightforward and personal way
- An entrepreneurial, motivated, and hard-working professional with a strong commitment to excellence.
- A leadership style marked by initiative, follow-through, and a willingness to innovate and set an example for others.
- Well-developed interpersonal skills to work effectively across departments and with a wide range of constituents in a collaborative team environment.
- An ability to think systematically and be detail-oriented while analyzing data and remaining focused on the big picture and the School’s mission.
- A well-organized, results-oriented mindset with a strong sense of urgency.
Physical Requirements/Working Environment
- Work in a fast-paced environment dealing with a wide variety of challenges, deadlines, and a varied and diverse array of contacts.
- May require travel for events and professional development.
- occasionally work events, nights, or weekends.
- Be able to work at a desk and computer for extended periods.
- Must be able to teach, instruct, and communicate with students, parents, coworkers, visitors, and other professionals in the English language.
- Work primarily in a traditional climate-controlled office environment.
- Work intermittently in outside weather conditions, including extreme heat and cold.
Other Information
This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee. Other duties, responsibilities, and activities may change or be assigned at any time with or without notice.
Interested candidates are invited to apply by visiting: https://www.smhall.org/about/employment
Candidate qualifications will be reviewed as they are received.