Director, Annual Fund & Stewardship

Advancement | Santa Rosa, CA | Full Time | From $115,000 to $155,000 per year

Job Description

Sonoma Academy is an independent high school located in Santa Rosa, CA on a 34-acre campus, surrounded by 1,000 acres of protected open space, at the base of Taylor Mountain. Founded in 2001, it provides an engaging, challenging, and innovative college preparatory education and a supportive community for motivated learners from Sonoma, Napa, Marin, Lake, and Mendocino counties.

Our Mission:
Sonoma Academy calls its students to be creative, ethical, and committed to learning. The school nurtures inspiring teachers and engages with the surrounding community, and its students communicate across cultures as they prepare to become leaders in a dynamic world.

Sonoma Academy’s Commitment to Diversity:
We believe that learning occurs best in a connected community. Diversity, equity, and inclusivity are essential to an education in which all members of our community thrive. We are committed to cultivating a diverse community that is conscious and welcoming of difference, dedicated to investigating and advancing equity, and engages with our local and global community. If you would like to join us in this work, we would welcome your application.

As we are deeply committed to having a staffulty (staff and faculty) and student body which reflects the rich diversity within the North Bay, we strongly encourage candidates from BIPOC communities and/or professionals from communities that are historically underrepresented to apply.

Lead Sonoma Academy’s Annual Fund and stewardship efforts as a highly relational and strategic advancement professional. This full-time exempt-level leadership role is responsible for independently designing, directing, and evaluating a comprehensive annual giving program that inspires broad participation and deepens donor engagement across the Sonoma Academy community.

The Director has primary responsibility and decision making authority for the strategic direction and operational leadership of the Annual Fund, including campaign strategy, leadership and volunteer engagement, donor cultivation and solicitation, and thoughtful stewardship practices that ensure every supporter feels known, appreciated, and connected to the impact of their philanthropy. While this role exercises discretion and independent judgment in establishing fundraising priorities, messaging strategy, and engagement approaches, this work is accomplished through close collaboration with our communications team, adhering to our brand values and key messages.

This role partners closely with the Director, External Relations, Head of School, Advancement colleagues, and the Board of Trustees to align fundraising priorities with institutional goals. The Director independently manages and strategically develops a portfolio of leadership annual fund donors and helps build a sustainable culture of philanthropy grounded in community, belonging, and shared purpose.

An ideal candidate brings strong fundraising acumen; excellent communication skills; a data-informed approach to strategy; and the ability to build authentic relationships with parents, alumni, grandparents, and friends of the school. We seek a professional who is both strategic and hands‑on — someone who can confidently analyze participation metrics while also crafting meaningful donor experiences.

The Director is accountable for achieving annual financial and participation goals established in partnership with senior leadership.

In addition to these responsibilities, administrative leaders at Sonoma Academy are active participants in campus life and may have opportunities to support school events, community initiatives, and signature advancement experiences throughout the year. Participation in these activities supports institutional advancement strategy and community engagement objectives.

• Develop and implement a comprehensive Annual Fund strategy to increase participation, donor retention, and overall philanthropic support.
• Establish annual revenue and participation targets in collaboration with senior leadership and develop strategic…