Director of Development

The Chesterton Society is seeking a Director of Development to lead and expand the philanthropic revenue that fuels the continued growth of the Chesterton Schools Network and the Society's broader apostolate. As the Network advances nationally and internationally - alongside publications, conferences, pilgrimages, and related initiatives - this role ensures donor investment keeps pace with expansion, strengthening national capacity and sustaining long-term mission impact.

The role requires a strategic closer with entrepreneurial drive and deep mission conviction. This leader owns revenue outcomes, manages a disciplined portfolio, and converts qualified prospects into sustained donor investment through structured pipeline management and confident solicitation.

• Build and manage a qualified portfolio of major gift prospects with clear revenue targets
• Conduct disciplined cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship cadence for assigned donors
• Close major gifts aligned with campaign priorities and annual goal
• Develop and grow the Knights of the Apostolate recurring giving society
• Increase donor retention and lifetime value through structured stewardship
• Partner with Development Operations to maintain accurate pipeline tracking and forecasting
• Support strategic fundraising events tied to major cultivation moments
• Collaborate with Marketing to align messaging, campaigns, and donor communications
• Provide regular reporting on pipeline health, gift projections, and revenue performance
• Identify new donor segments and growth opportunities aligned with our mission
• Serve as a joyful, credible ambassador for the Society and the Chesterton Schools Network

• 5 plus years of experience in major gifts, advancement, or mission driven fundraising
• Proven track record of closing five and six figure gifts
• Strong portfolio management discipline with clear movement of prospects through stages
• Comfort making direct, confident gift asks
• Experience building recurring revenue programs
• Familiarity with donor CRM systems and pipeline reporting
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to connect mission impact to donor passion
• Entrepreneurial mindset with bias toward measurable outcomes
• Deep alignment with the Catholic faith and the mission of evangelization through education
• The candidate must exhibit faithfulness to the Magisterium of the Catholic Church in accord with our canonical status as a private association of the Christian faithful.

• Experience fundraising for education or Catholic apostolates
• Background managing giving societies or campaign initiatives
• Experience working within a rapidly scaling nonprofit
• Familiarity with education freedom policy environments
• Advanced training in fundraising strategy or nonprofit leadership

The Society of Gilbert Keith Chesterton is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization established as a canonically recognized private association of the Christian faithful in the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis. Our mission is to evangelize through education, inspiring people to live joyful, holy lives, with G.K. Chesterton as a model of lay spirituality. We advance this mission through conferences, publications, and local societies that cultivate serious engagement with Chesterton's thought and the Catholic intellectual tradition.

Through the Society's educational initiative, the Chesterton Schools Network (CSN), we are leading one of the most significant expansions of Catholic secondary education in modern times, forming a new generation of joyful leaders and saints to build up the Kingdom of God and advance the Culture of Life envisioned by the great Pope…