Posted: 28-Apr-26
Location: Chattanooga, Tennessee
Type: Full Time
About Girls Preparatory School
The mission of Girls Preparatory School (GPS) is to inspire each girl to lead a life of integrity and purpose by engaging her mind, cultivating her strengths, and nurturing her self-confidence and respect for others. Currently, 130 faculty and staff serve approximately 500 girls in grades 6-12 with a college preparatory curriculum that includes a full complement of courses in the humanities, STEM, the arts, and more, as well as a rich and varied cocurricular program.
GPS prioritizes healthy connections and relationships, fostering a culture where each girl is known, heard, and empowered to use her voice. This culture of acceptance and belonging nurtures and lifts her up in mind, body, and spirit so that she can find her place and discover her potential, fostering confidence and joy for dynamic engagement in a rapidly changing world.
Faculty and staff support each student in a learner-centered and collaborative culture that is aligned with our mission, vision, and values. Furthermore, faculty and staff are expected to understand and embody our tenets of excellence.
Position Summary
The person in this role will lead the strategic execution and management of a comprehensive annual fund program for unrestricted giving, including the coordination and oversight of supporting initiatives designed to cultivate, solicit and steward alumnae, current and past parents and grandparents, friends, and other annual giving constituents.
The Director will cultivate a strong culture of philanthropy by building meaningful relationships, ensuring thoughtful stewardship, and communicating the impact of giving in compelling ways. In partnership with the development team, this position also plays a key role in identifying and qualifying leadership and major gift prospects, supporting pipeline development for capital, endowed, and planned gifts.
Additionally, the Director oversees annual giving initiatives such as Giving Day and collaborates on event-based fundraising efforts like Reunion Weekend and Bruiser Bash, including securing individual and corporate sponsorships that support both the Impact Fund and broader institutional priorities.
Duties and Responsibilities
- Collaborate with the Development team to create and communicate clear, compelling, and educational messaging on the importance and impact of annual unrestricted giving to GPS;
- Design and implement a strategic, multi-channel annual giving communications plan, including mass appeals, segmented solicitations, and personalized outreach in partnership with Marketing & Communications;
- Develop and execute a regular multimedia appeal strategy for all constituencies, including email, direct mail, digital campaigns, and Giving Day campaigns;
- Lead the planning, execution, and follow-up of Giving Day, including volunteer engagement, messaging, participation strategies, and donor stewardship;
- Establish target ask amounts for all annual leadership level ($1,906+) constituents, aligning strategy with donor capacity and overall fundraising goals;
- In partnership with the Director of Constituent Engagement, recruit, train, and manage volunteers to support solicitations through Giving Day, phone-a-thons, and year-round outreach;
- Grow the annual giving pipeline by increasing participation, retention, and donor upgrades through data-informed strategy and targeted communications;
- Lead the development and execution of a comprehensive acknowledgment and stewardship program for annual gifts, including personalized communications and impact reporting;
- Manage a portfolio of 30 annual giving prospects ($1–$10,000), and proactively identify and refer donors with capacity or interest in deeper engagement to appropriate team members for capital, endowment, and planned giving opportunities;
- Partner with the Development team to plan and execute annual giving events, ensuring strategic communications before, during, and after each engagement; and
- Perform other duties as assigned by the Director of Development.
Desired Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree preferred;
- Minimum 3 years of experience in development and frontline fundraising, ideally in an independent school;
- Familiarity with Raiser’s Edge NXT, Google Drive, Google Office Suite, and Basecamp preferred;
- Proven success managing and motivating donors at multiple levels of giving and engagement;
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with a collaborative, relationship-centered approach;
- Strong organizational and project management skills with attention to detail and follow through;
- Ability to strategically connect day-to-day giving and engagement work to long-term institutional goals; and
- Commitment to the mission, values, and culture of Girls Preparatory School.
It is the School’s policy to provide equal employment opportunity to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, genetic information, veteran status, or disability or any other characteristic protected under federal, state, or local anti-discrimination laws. It is the intent and resolve of the School to comply with the letter and the spirit of the law in the implementation of all facets of equal opportunity. The School’s equal employment opportunity practices extend to recruitment, hiring, selection, compensation, benefits, transfer, promotion, training, discipline, and all other terms, conditions, and privileges of employment.
All employees are responsible for complying with the School's equal employment opportunity policy.
