Advancement Associate

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Advancement Associate

Commonwealth School seeks a full-time Advancement Associate to begin in August 2023. The Advancement Associate plays a critical role in Commonwealth’ School’s Advancement team.

About Commonwealth School

Commonwealth is an independent day school in Boston's Back Bay, serving students in grades 9–12. The school is known for its rigorous academics, low (5:1) student-teacher ratio, strong program in the arts, and unparalleled access to the city’s many resources. In the warmth of a small yet richly varied community, we work closely and collaboratively as we strive, as our mission suggests, to educate young people from diverse backgrounds to become knowledgeable, thoughtful, and creative adults capable of careful analysis, fruitful cooperation, and responsible leadership. Faculty and staff value trust and respect, shared stewardship, autonomy, accountability, creativity, and enjoyment (see our fully articulated norms here). Detailed information about the school is available on ourwebsite.

About the Advancement Associate Position

The Advancement Associate devises and implements alumni/ae relations strategies, communications, and programs; is the primary point person for alumni/ae queries; and works strategically to deepen connections with the alumni/ae community. They manage the Commonwealth School Alumni/ae Association (CWSAA) and work closely with CWSAA leadership to foster positive connections between alumni/ae and the school. With support from the Admissions and Advancement Coordinator, the Associate oversees local and regional alumni/ae events. The Advancement Associate conducts regular active outreach to alumni/ae to facilitate meaningful connection and communication to the school and the greater Commonwealth alumni/ae community.

The Advancement Associate plans, oversees, and directs all event logistics for advancement, alumni/ae, parent, and Board of Trustees events. They coordinate digital communications for the Advancement department and, in collaboration with the Communications team, write alumni/ae-related content for the school’s website and alumni/ae magazine. The Associate works closely with the Director of Advancement, Director of Annual Giving and Alumni/ae Relations, and Communications staff to ensure all Advancement communications needs are appropriately and efficiently addressed.

Working closely with the Admissions and Advancement Coordinator and the Director of Annual Giving and Advancement Operations, the Advancement Associate maintains the Advancement policies and procedures for use of the database, Raiser’s Edge NXT. They perform routine tasks and advanced projects in the database as needed.

Commonwealth School deeply values professional development for faculty and staff. This role offers significant exposure to all facets of fundraising, event planning, and alumni/ae relations. As a member of a small, fast-paced Advancement Team, the Advancement Associate will have the opportunity to learn industry best practices and methodology and to take on greater responsibilities over time.

Alumni/ae Relations

• Devise and implement alumni/ae programs, communication, and events strategy
• Oversee annual alumni/ae events including but not limited to speaker series, arts events, reunions, and regional gatherings with support from the Development Coordinator
• Devise strategy and coordinate meetings and communications for the Commonwealth School Alumni/ae Association (CWSAA)
• Manage Commonwealth Connect on AlumniFire, with the goal of increasing connections and alumni/ae engagement with students and fellow alums on the platform
• Conduct regular active outreach to alumni/ae to update the School’s records, identify education and development prospects, and create opportunities for alumni/ae engagement

Events Management

• Manage logistics and create detailed event plans, budgets, timelines, and checklists for all advancement, alumni/ae, parent, and Board of Trustees events
• Work closely with Commonwealth’s Chef Manager to coordinate food and beverage for all relevant events
• Research, identify, secure, and coordinate all venues, catering, rentals, and vendors
• Identify, manage, and coordinate students, faculty, and staff needed for events
• Collaborate with colleagues in Advancement and Communications teams to coordinate and execute event communications and devise and maintain event theme, school branding, and look and feel as appropriate
• Manage and maintain event RSVPs in a timely and accurate manner

Advancement Communications

• Write compelling, donor-centric monthly gift acknowledgement letters, including segmented letters to reflect and highlightImpact Areas
• Work with Communications team to identify alumni/ae content needs and opportunities
• Write alumni/ae stories for commschool.org and alumni/ae magazine (CM)
• Manage Give section ofcommschool.orgwebsite, balancing tactical detail with donor-centric storytelling
• Collaborate with faculty to create substantive scholarship reports for stewardship and cultivation purposes
• Work with Director of Advancement to prepare communications for Planned Giving program rollout

Database and Administrative Support

• Support the Director of Advancement and Director of Annual Giving and Development Operations
• Participate in professional development and regular training on database and related platforms to ensure Commonwealth’s Advancement team uses the tools to its full potential
• Act as backup for gift entry and other routine data work when Admissions and Advancement Coordinator is needed elsewhere at the height of admissions season
• Maintain and update the Commonwealth Policies & Procedures Manual for Raiser’s Edge to reflect Advancement processes and platform updates
• Provide occasional support in other areas of school life as needed

Qualifications

• Associate’s or bachelor’s degree and 2-3 years of experience in a professional role, preferably in a nonprofit or educational environment
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, including experience copywriting, editing, and proofreading
• Strong organizational, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills and exceptional attention to detail
• Ability to multitask, adapt, and prioritize
• A high level of professionalism, flexibility, diplomacy, and responsiveness with a range of constituencies
• A high degree of computer literacy, including proficiency using Google Workspace and learning new technology
• An interest in learning and growing as a professional in the advancement, admissions, educational leadership, or nonprofit field
• Familiarity with independent schools a plus

Job Status

This is a full-time, exempt position. Daily attendance is required and some evening and weekend work will be necessary during the academic year for events that take place outside of normal business hours. While this role primarily works in person, 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m., there is an opportunity for some remote work (i.e. one remote day each week).

Salary Range

$60,000–$65,000, pending experience.

Benefits

• Competitive medical and dental insurance
• Retirement plan with 8% employer contribution
• Four weeks’ vacation in first year of employment: two weeks typically used in the summer months, one week each in December (inclusive of holidays) and March during the school’s winter and spring breaks
• Reduced work hours for eight weeks in late June to early August
• Additional benefits information available upon request

Interested candidates should email a cover letter and résumé to Alisha Elliott ’01, Director of Advancement (aelliott@commschool.org).

Commonwealth School is committed to a policy of non-discrimination and equal opportunity for all employees and qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, physical or mental disability, national origin, ancestry, genetic information, veteran status, military service, application for military service, or any other status protected by applicable law. Commonwealth will make reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with known disabilities, in accordance with applicable law.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $60,000.00 - $65,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Flexible schedule
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Professional development assistance
• Vision insurance

Schedule:

• 8 hour shift
• Monday to Friday

Ability to commute/relocate:

• Boston, MA 02116: Reliably commute or planning to relocate before starting work (Required)

Work Location: In person

Salary : $60,000 - $65,000