Assistant Director of Advancement at The Frederick Gunn School Washington, CT

The Frederick Gunn School, founded in 1850, is a co‑ed boarding and day school for students in grades 9-12, as well as a post‑graduate year. Mr. Gunn had a deep appreciation for the natural world, believing that in nature students understand themselves as humans and their place in the world. He took a principled stand against slavery and spurred students (and the town at large) to examine their beliefs.

In addition to the habits and skills students will need in college and life beyond, we teach them to follow Mr. Gunn’s example: to cultivate wisdom, to be trailblazers, to act with conviction, and to value character as highly as intellect and achievement. Our continuous focus on moral character development intentionally engages all members of our school in the work of creating an inclusive and equitable living and learning ecosystem.

Community and citizenship are at the heart of our aspiration to both social justice and academic excellence, with individual diversity integral to the strength of that community. When we embrace difference and pursue school life with respect, equity, and compassion, we build a foundation for engaged citizens. In keeping with the tenets of our founder Frederick Gunn, who was himself a prominent abolitionist and progressive educator, The Frederick Gunn School seeks to provide a pluralistic learning environment for all inclusive of (but not limited to): culture, ethnicity, gender identity or expression, national origin, learning differences, physical difference, political affiliation, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic differences.

We invite applicants who resonate with our mission and who will foster an environment of cultural and intellectual richness and an active participant in advancing equity and inclusion.

Reporting to the Director of Donor Relations and Stewardship, the Assistant Director of Advancement manages the systems, timelines, and materials that keep the School's stewardship program running accurately and on schedule, while also supporting events and programming across the entire Advancement office. This role is responsible for the annual stewardship calendar, donor impact reporting, gift acknowledgment processes, and production of the On The Go (OTG) e-newsletter, and provides support to the Director of Special Events as needed.

The successful candidate will bring strong organizational skills, sound writing and editing judgment, and the independence to manage recurring deadlines with minimal oversight. There is room for the role to grow: a candidate who demonstrates strategic judgment and donor relations instincts will have the opportunity to take on a greater role alongside the Director.

• Stewardship Timeline, Tracking and Reporting
  • Collaborate with the Director of Donor Relations and Stewardship on annual stewardship strategy and calendar
  • Own the annual stewardship timeline, including deadlines, deliverables, and follow-up
  • Track endowed fund reporting requirements and ensure timely completion
  • Maintain tracking systems so that every stewardship commitment is documented and on schedule
  • Gather information and stories from across campus for donor impact reports and online newsletter
  • Coordinate with faculty and departments to collect content and updates
  • Draft impact reports and related donor communications
  • Assemble and finalize materials for distribution to donors
  • Conduct prospect research on alumni and parent constituents and prepare briefing documents ahead of donor meetings and cultivation visits
• Acknowledgment Systems
  • Manage the weekly gift acknowledgment letter process from draft through mailing
  • Draft and execute acknowledgment letters for a range of gift types
  • Collaborate with Development Operations on report management and data accuracy
  • Maintain accurate, up-to-date data tracking for all acknowledgments
  • Identify gifts that may warrant more stewardship
• On The Go (OTG) Newsletter Production
  • Develop the yearly content strategy and production schedule for OTG
  • Collect content from across the Advancement office and campus partners
  • Manage layout, production, and distribution of each issue
• Office and Special…