MILTON is a school characterized by miracles. From the earliest days when its students could be counted on two hands to today with close to 500 students, miracles abound and the school is filled with miracle makers, young and old(er). Milton Gottesman Jewish Day School of the Nation's Capital is an independent, community Jewish day school that offers a dual curriculum of General and Judaic Studies for students in Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 8. The school is distinguished by its commitment to academic excellence, nurturing its students, growing its talented faculty, and creating a child-centered environment where learning is joyful, engaging, experiential, and enduring. MILTON is a warm, vibrant, pluralistic Jewish day school where students, families, and faculty mirror the diversity of Jewish practice in the community. The school serves our community at our Kay and Robert Schattner Center Campuses - the beautiful South Campus for Early Elementary students in Grades PK-1, and the newly renovated and expanded North Campus for Elementary and Middle School students in Grades 2-8.
MILTON’s Advancement Office
Although MILTON was only founded in 1988, its constant growth over those years has meant that the development efforts and approach resemble that of a much more veteran institution. Since its beginnings in borrowed space at Adas Israel Congregation, MILTON has raised more than $35 million in capital funds to purchase and renovate two campuses on the 16th Street corridor, establishing itself as the only Jewish Day School in the District. The annual campaign raises up to $1.5 million annually and the school completed a $10 million endowment campaign in 2021. The advancement team also includes our communications work which serves a critical need for the school community. Communications include weekly tactical parent emails, a monthly magazine, and sharing our stories on social media on a daily basis. The advancement team also manages our burgeoning alumni and alumni family program and hosts many of our major community relations events. The Advancement Office works closely with Admissions as the external relations arm of MILTON, and is deeply integrated into the fabric of the school. Advancement manages relationships with foundations and is a key partner in advancing our five year strategic plan.
Chief Advancement Officer
The Chief Advancement Officer (CAO) is responsible for envisioning, planning, and managing outreach efforts intended to advance MILTON’s mission, amplify the educational and communal impact of the school, share the MILTON story, and secure short and long-term philanthropic support to support the school’s growth.
Responsibilities include:
- Provide vision and leadership for all fundraising and community engagement efforts, including but not limited to The MILTON Fund, capital campaigns, endowment and legacy giving, communications, and community events
- Lead MILTON’s dynamic Advancement team, maintaining a high-performance team culture focused on leadership and accountability at all levels, continuous learning, collaboration, measurement, and goal achievement
- Effectively coach team members and provide supportive and developmental feedback to enhance performance. Ensure that team members develop the technical, leadership and professional skills to be successful
- Serve as partner and advisor to the Head of School on long-range strategic priorities related to organizational advancement and managing her role in Advancement efforts, using her time strategically and including portfolio management and participation in community-wide and development events
- Be an active member of the school’s professional Leadership Team within school and out in the community; Represent the school at community events and meetings.
- Strengthen adherence to fundraising best practices and developing a donor-centric and data-driven program to generate increased revenue to fulfill MILTON’s ambitious goals
- Serve as lead support to the Board of Trustees on matters related to development, governance, and succession
- Identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward major donors and major gift prospects, with a focus on current parents, trustees and foundational donors
- Develop a comprehensive communication strategy for the school, to include careful, consistent, intentional positioning of the school in all channels.
- Integrate brand management and strategic positioning in all materials and outreach to advance strategic and operating objectives and maintain mission aligned communications.
- Manage a robust group of lay leaders as partners in development work, ensuring committees are managed effectively, with clear direction and support
- Partner with the Chief Financial Officer to maintain best practices in record keeping, developing opportunities to show the impact of philanthropy and generating additional revenue
- Work with the Board of Trustees to implement the strategic plan and to identify opportunities to generate revenue and demonstrate impact
- Develop a roadmap for increasing revenue and donor acquisition over time, while also implementing the short-term strategies that address immediate strengths and weaknesses of development efforts
- Oversee development of printed and online materials related to stature-raising and overall advancement, including annual report, community messages,, newsletters, and articles
- Maintain connection to broader educational, Jewish, and development professional communities to ensure awareness of trends, best practices, and major players
- Step in to support other areas of school as required. As a small school, we pitch in where and when needed, whether to take on new tasks or to support a temporary need
The successful applicant should be:*
- Experienced as a communications and/or fundraising specialist, 10+ years
- An excellent manager of teams, systems, and processes
- Experienced in a non-profit organization or similar environment
- Motivated and with the ability to solve complex problems
- Passionate about Jewish education and community
- Well-versed in the Washington, DC Jewish communal landscape and national Jewish and educational grant-making landscape
- Passionate about philanthropy and giving community members the opportunity to invest in MILTON’s strategic priorities
- Committed to being a team player
- Thorough, responsive, and with a keen eye for detail
- Self-motivated and comfortable in an empowerment-oriented workplace
- Fun-loving and committed to the growth of children in a Jewish environment
*We recognize that no candidate will meet every qualification - MILTON encourages you to apply and share with us how your skills, experience, and expertise can help move our team and mission forward.