Convent of the Sacred Heart
New York, New York
Chief Advancement Officer
Start Date: Immediate, can wait until July 2025
cshnyc.org
Convent of the Sacred Heart, New York City’s oldest independent Catholic school for girls in grades Pre-K-12, seeks a well-seasoned and mission-aligned fundraising professional to serve as the school’s next Chief Advancement Officer. Reporting to Head of School Kate Adams, this position serves as leader of all philanthropic activities, including annual fund, alumnae and parent relations, capital campaign planning and execution, and major gift cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship; acts as a strategic thought partner to the Head of School and Board of Trustees and collaborates with colleagues throughout the school community as a member of the School’s senior administrative team. The CAO will start by July, 2025.
School Overview
Convent of the Sacred Heart, 91st Street, is New York City’s oldest independent, Catholic all-girls school serving grades Pre-K-12. As a member of the international network of Sacred Heart schools, the school’s mission calls for the creation of a welcoming and inclusive community where each student is empowered to find and share her passion and purpose. From its inception, Convent of the Sacred Heart has been governed by a strong commitment to educate the whole child, addressing her intellectual, spiritual, social, and emotional development, and cultivating her individual gifts and talents. The school enjoys both great affection from all its constituencies as well as their deep commitment to its mission, goals, and criteria. Since 2000, Sacred Heart has realized unprecedented growth and success. The school’s operating budget has tripled; its endowment has quadrupled; and its impressive physical campus has expanded by more than 50% to include a state-of-the-art Athletics and Wellness Facility and newly renovated Science and Technology facilities. Faculty and staff have increased by 30%. The school also recently launched several signature programs including Exploring Entrepreneurship, a partnership with the Sacred Heart school in Atherton, CA, and immersion trips to the Dominican Republic and India. Sacred Heart has earned a highly respected place among both New York City independent schools and the global Sacred Heart network.
The Position
Sacred Heart’s next Chief Advancement Officer will join the community at an exciting and busy time. Head of School Kate Adams is beginning her second year of leadership and will enthusiastically pilot the school’s further expansion and program growth. A warm, intuitive, energetic, and collaborative leader, Kate will welcome the partnership of the Chief Advancement Officer as they work together closely and strategically to advance Sacred Heart’s mission and goals through philanthropy. Having concluded its most recent strategic plan in 2022 and two most recent capital campaigns totaling just under $100 million, the school’s leadership is now poised to engage in a collaborative process to develop the next strategic plan and subsequent capital campaign. The Chief Advancement Officer will play an integral role in all aspects of campaign planning and implementation. He/she will work closely with the Board of Trustees, attending full Board sessions, a number of Committee meetings, and serving as the School’s liaison to the Advancement Committee, as well as lead a well-seasoned and long tenured team of five dedicated individuals in the Advancement Office (Director of Alumnae Relations and Associate Director of Advancement, Director of Annual Giving and Special Events, Associate Director of Digital Communications and Database, Advancement Officer and Associate Director of Prospect Research, Advancement Assistant).
The successful Chief Advancement Officer will focus on opportunities to restructure the Advancement department to optimize its operations and better utilize the strengths and talents of the team to maximize fundraising. Identifying, cultivating, and inviting families and alumnae with the capacity and inclination to become leadership supporters will be a critical focus. Additionally, strategic and innovative structuring of events with impeccable management and follow-up is needed.
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