Chief Advancement Officer | Kents Hill School

Kents Hill, Maine

“HOME.” “SAFE.” “FAMILY.” “SUPPORTIVE.”

When you ask students and alumni what words they most associate with Kents Hill, these sentiments are shared across generations, transcend time and space, and hint that something special is happening at the school. Kents Hill is on a remarkable trajectory and the next Chief Advancement Officer has the distinct opportunity to embrace a nearly 200-year-old legacy and accelerate a bold and exciting vision for the future.

A global school with deep roots in Maine, Kents Hill thrives in a delicate dance between tradition and innovation, providing a strong foundation while encouraging boundless possibilities. The school balances unwavering support with a challenging academic and learning environment, fosters both communal spirit and individuality, and provides structured guidance within a world of choices. The impact extends from the local community to the global stage, focusing on what students need today and to envision a brighter tomorrow. Kents Hill supports students to discover their truest selves and unlock their fullest potential within a community that cares deeply for them, not just as students but as individuals.

What sets Kents Hill apart from other top schools is its unwavering focus on creating a supportive, integrated, and individualized student experience, while simultaneously tapping into decades of experience nurturing diverse learning profiles, identifying and drawing out individual potential, and teaching essential life skills to prepare students for success far beyond campus.

The Board of Trustees, in collaboration with school leadership, recently embarked on a journey to reimagine what a boarding and day school can and should be. Through the creation of a strategic vision for the school at its bicentennial in 2024 and the ongoing development of the largest capital campaign in its history, Kents Hill is reshaping not only what it teaches but how, where, and when it is delivered. Kents Hill is reimagining spaces to bring creativity, innovation, and collaboration to life, as well as rethinking how the school can use time throughout the entire calendar year to foster growth and encourage wellbeing.

The Chief Advancement Officer (CAO) oversees Kents Hill School's fund development, parent and alumni relations, and legacy giving programs and the achievement of related revenue goals, leading all fund development endeavors in alignment with the school's strategic vision, institutional values, and commitment to equity. Reporting to the Head of School and serving as a member of the Head’s Advisory Council, the CAO works closely with the Head of School and the Board of Trustees to develop and implement a comprehensive multi-year fundraising plan for individual, family, and institutional giving that increases revenues and expands the school's base of support, all within the context of a forthcoming, highly anticipated comprehensive campaign that will be significantly larger than any previously undertaken by the school. The CAO will be centrally involved with the comprehensive campaign designed to carry Kents Hill into its third century and to fund the essential operations and strategic initiatives of the school’s strategic vision. The successful candidate will leverage their robust experience in bringing a significant comprehensive campaign to life and managing it as it unfolds, while partnering with campaign leadership and the Head of School to secure long-term commitments from Trustees and major stakeholders.

The CAO manages the day-to-day operations of the advancement department currently comprising approximately six development and parent and alumni relations staff, motivating the team to achieve ambitious fundraising goals. The CAO will personally and actively maintain a portfolio of the school’s most generous supporters.

The CAO will join Kents Hill amid the brimming energy and forward-looking investments prompted by the recent appointment of Head of School Dr. Molly MacKean. Under her leadership, the school is prioritizing a robust, diversified advancement program and readiness for the aforementioned comprehensive campaign, while also instituting high standards for enhancing the student experience and campus facilities. The CAO will be a key partner to the Head of School in realizing this new vision of excellence for Kents Hill.

While Kents Hill School will consider a broad range of backgrounds, the ideal candidate will have the following qualifications/experience:

1. Authentic connection to and passion for the school’s mission, vision, and values.
2. Minimum of 10 years of overall fundraising experience with progressive levels of responsibility and strong familiarity with philanthropic and school communities. Track record of effective collaboration with internal and external partners to establish the conditions for success. Broad knowledge of the functional areas comprising a multifaceted, comprehensive development program (e.g., multi-year individual and family giving, institutional relationships and grants, alumni and parent relations, annual appeals, legacy giving, events, advancement communications, stewardship, advancement operations) as well as experience with capital and endowment campaigns and non-cash gifts.
3. Extensive knowledge of and fundamental adherence to the principles, ethics, and best practices of modern fundraising.
4. Ability to recruit, manage, coach, and evaluate an inclusive advancement team, inspiring steady and successful performance.
5. Financial literacy demonstrated through a strong understanding of budgets, revenue forecasts, and finance, including restricted and unrestricted funds.
6. Demonstrated success in developing the case for support and strategic, innovative fundraising plans, and executing those plans to grow fundraising and exceed goals.
7. Significant experience identifying, cultivating, soliciting, closing, and stewarding major gifts from individual and institutional donors at the level of five, six, and seven figures or greater.
8. Track record of advancing prospect discovery and engagement at all levels of giving, including both traditional and non-traditional sources of potential support, as well as examination of existing donors that may have greater capacity.
9. Demonstrated ability in planning and executing strategic, integrated marketing and communications in support of advancement initiatives. Experience identifying and coaching project spokespeople.
10. Forward thinker with a track record of innovation in constituent engagement and connectivity.
11. Demonstrated ability to integrate data into decision-making and strategy development.
12. Working knowledge of modern data management practices and CRM tools (Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge preferred).
13. Competence with Microsoft 365 products and project management software.
14. Ability to travel domestically and internationally on behalf of Kents Hill School as needed.

Kents Hill is an equal opportunity employer. The school seeks talented people of all backgrounds - it values diversity of cultures, races and ethnicities, gender expressions, and abilities. Candidates who are BIPOC, LGBTQ+, bilingual or multilingual, and people with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

Kents Hill School is committed to maintaining a work and learning environment free from discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, pregnancy, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital/civil union status, ancestry, place of birth, age, citizenship status, veteran status, political affiliation, genetic information or disability, as defined and required by state and federal laws. Additionally, we prohibit retaliation against individuals who oppose such discrimination and harassment or who participate in an equal opportunity investigation.

Download the full position description via the following link:

https://www.dsgco.com/search/22158-kents-hill

Kents Hill School has retained the DSG Fundraising & Advancement Practice of DSG Global to assist in this confidential search process. Inquiries, nominations, and applications (current resumes and cover letters) may be submitted via the following link or directed to the leaders of the search team:

https://talent-profile.dsgco.com/search/v2/22158

Ian McCray

Managing Director – DSG Fundraising & Advancement

DSG Global

ian.mccray@divsearch.com | 802.989.3764

Gerard F. Cattie, Jr.

Global Managing Partner an...