Description

Position Title: Advancement Assistant
Start Date: Open Until Filled
Type: 12-Month, Non-Exempt

CHURCH FARM SCHOOL

1001 E. Lincoln Highway
Exton, PA 19341

Apply by email: hr@gocfs.net. Include by separate attachments: cover letter, resume of qualifications and experiences, salary requirements, and contact information for three professional references. Please enter the position in the subject line of the email.

Why choose Church Farm School for your next career opportunity?

When you join our team, you will work with colleagues who are enthusiastic about our mission – preparing dynamic young men to become tomorrow’s changemakers through a transformative education rooted in curiosity, leadership development, engaged citizenship and the pursuit of excellence alongside one’s brothers. Church Farm School is an independent boarding and day school for boys in grades 9-12 in the Episcopal tradition founded in 1918 and located in Exton, PA. Additional information can be found at www.gocfs.net.

Church Farm School offers a competitive salary and benefits package including medical insurance, dental insurance, life insurance, time off including school breaks, 403(b) plan, as well as meals during the school year. Our beautiful 150-acre campus in Chester County, PA, affords our community the opportunity to access the Chester Valley Trail as well as utilize our onsite workout facilities. Church Farm School welcomes and celebrates diversity and is committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.

POSITION OVERVIEW

The Advancement Assistant is a key member of the Office of Institutional Advancement, which oversees fundraising, marketing, communications, and alumni/community relations for Church Farm School. The Advancement Assistant is responsible for supporting the daily operations of the Advancement Office while serving as a warm, welcoming, professional first point of contact for donors, alumni, families, volunteers, trustees, colleagues, and friends of the school.

This position combines advancement operations, executive administrative support, office coordination, and donor portfolio follow-through. The Advancement Assistant supports the Director of Advancement Operations with gift processing and acknowledgement, CRM maintenance, event registration, and donor data integrity. The position also provides direct administrative and portfolio support to the Chief Advancement Officer (CAO).

The successful candidate will be steady, personable, discreet, highly organized, attentive to detail, and comfortable managing multiple priorities in a fast-moving office.

Requirements

POSITION SPECIFICS

Executive Support and Office Management

        Serves as front-facing representative of the Office of Institutional Advancement, greeting visitors, answering phones, and responding to inquiries.

        Provides primary administrative support to the CAO to help manage competing priorities, including calendar management, phone and email support, travel planning, preparation of meeting materials, and follow-up on action items.

        Develops and maintains a reliable system for capturing records of conversation and next steps from the CAO and ensuring timely entry into the CRM.

        Coordinates expense reports, supply orders, and related administrative processes to maintain an organized and professional Advancement Office under the guidance of the Director of Advancement Operations.

        Attends departmental, committee, and Board meetings as assigned to capture minutes and next steps for the CAO.

        Provides occasional backup support to other school offices, including front desk or phone coverage, as requested.

Fundraising Operations Support

        Assists the Director of Advancement Operations in maintaining the accuracy of the CRM (Bloomerang).

        Processes gifts and pledges accurately and promptly, following established gift-entry procedures.

        Updates biographical, contact, relationship, employment, engagement, and other constituent information in the CRM.

        Helps ensure timely donor acknowledgement communications are produced and sent in collaboration with the Director of Annual Giving and Stewardship and the Director of Advancement Operations.

        Tracks event registrations, attendance, and volunteer activity in the CRM.

        Alerts the Director of Advancement Operations to data inconsistencies, missing information, gift-processing issues, duplicate records, or other CRM concerns.

        Assists with creation, review, and maintenance of Standard Operating Procedure documentation related to duties performed by this position.

        Maintains appropriate confidentiality and discretion when handling donor information and confidential communications.

Volunteer and Prospect Management

        Serves as primary point of contact with volunteers responsible for scheduling and tracking activities, hours, assignments, and stewardship.

        Prepares donor meeting materials, background notes, giving histories, contact information, and other briefing materials as requested.

        Completes basic prospect research, wealth-screening follow-up, and preparation of donor or prospect materials as assigned.

        Uses good judgment and CRM information to identify possible donor follow-up needs, stewardship opportunities, upgrade prospects, volunteer prospects, or committee service opportunities for review by the CAO and Director of Advancement Operations.

Events Support

        Leads the collection and management of event RSVPs, including attendee follow-up on arrival and mobility issues.

        Assists with all advancement and external-facing events by preparing event nametags, gathering supplies, helping with seating or registration lists, greeting guests and ushering, supporting check-in, helping with setup and cleanup, and ensuring attendance is accurately recorded in the CRM.

        Supports the creation of departmental mailings, invitations, donor lists, and event materials assigned.

        Collaborates with colleagues across the organization on shared projects, data flow, school-wide initiatives, and other duties as assigned.

Other Duties as Assigned

QUALIFICATIONS

The successful candidate will have the following:

        Bachelor’s degree preferred; equivalent administrative, advancement, nonprofit, school, customer service, or database experience considered.

        2–5 years of related experience in administrative support, development operations, independent school administration, customer service, database work, or a related field.

        Experience with CRM and relational databases; Bloomerang preferred.

        Highly proficient in the use of Microsoft Word and Excel, including working knowledge of mail merges and pivot tables.

        Proficiency with the entire Microsoft Office 365, including Outlook, Teams, and SharePoint; familiarity with Google Workspace, Zoom, and related productivity tools preferred.

        Strong written, verbal, phone, and face-to-face communication skills.

        High degree of professionalism and discretion

        Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.

        Experience in an independent school or nonprofit fundraising and marketing communications environment preferred.

        Familiarity with philanthropic practices, donor stewardship, gift processing, fundraising operations, or donor-centered communication preferred.

        Valid driver’s license.

        Ability to obtain all required background clearances.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

        Warm, welcoming, personable, and professional approach with the ability to represent Church Farm School and the Office of Institutional Advancement positively to donors, alumni, families, volunteers, trustees, colleagues, and visitors.

        Strong interpersonal instincts, emotional intelligence, and ability to work effectively with a wide range of personalities and constituencies.

        Ability to manage up, anticipate needs, ask clarifying questions, and help turn fast-moving conversations, donor meetings, and institutional priorities into clear records, tasks, and next steps.

        Excellent attention to detail and commitment to clean, accurate, timely data.

        Strong judgment, resourcefulness, and common sense; able to solve problems independently while knowing when to ask for guidance.

        Ability to handle confidential information with discretion, maturity, and professionalism.

        Strong customer-service mindset and genuine interest in supporting donor relationships, alumni engagement, and the mission of Church Farm School.

        Ability to work collaboratively in a fast-paced, team-oriented office.

        Growth mindset and willingness to learn advancement operations, fundraising systems, donor stewardship, and best practices in independent school advancement.

        Demonstrated understanding of, or willingness to learn about, working with and supporting young men from diverse backgrounds, including students from low-income communities.

        Comfort using technology and learning new systems; experience using AI-supported tools for drafting, organizing, or research tasks preferred, when used in accordance with school policy.

        Able to work during traditional school hours as well as occasional evenings and weekends for Advancement and school events.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

        Ability to work at a computer for extended periods.

        Ability to move throughout a multi-building campus.

        Ability to lift up to 20 pounds occasionally.

        Ability to see, hear, and speak clearly to interact with individuals and groups.

        Ability to assist with event setup, registration, and cleanup as needed.

 Church Farm School is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. Church Farm School welcomes and celebrates diversity, and we are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.