Director of Gift Planning

Westminster School, one of the leading independent boarding schools in the country, is a diverse, close-knit community of approximately 190 employees and 430 male and female students (seventy-five percent boarding, twenty-five percent day students) set on a 200-acre campus in Simsbury, Connecticut.  Since its founding in 1888, Westminster School has been committed to the core values of community, character, balance, and involvement.  Our motto describes our community – “virtute et numine” – by Grit & Grace.

Position Summary

Westminster School seeks a thoughtful, experienced and relationship-centered Director of Gift Planning to lead and grow the school’s robust planned giving program. Reporting to the Director of Advancement, the Director of Gift Planning will be responsible for identifying, cultivating, soliciting, documenting and stewarding planned gifts that support Westminster’s long-term financial sustainability.

This role will manage Westminster’s planned giving strategy, including the Thring Society, legacy gift marketing, donor stewardship, partnership with the Seventh Form, blended gift conversations and collaboration with annual and major gift colleagues. The Thring Society recognizes the 336 members of the Westminster community who have shared their intention to include Westminster in their estate plans. The Seventh Form is Westminster’s engagement program for alumni who have celebrated their 50th reunion and beyond, and it serves as an important relationship and stewardship platform for the school’s most senior alumni.

The Director will work closely with alumni, parents, grandparents and friends who are interested in supporting Westminster through bequests, beneficiary designations, charitable gift annuities, charitable remainder trusts, retirement assets, gifts of real estate or other tangible personal property, appreciated securities, non-cash assets and other complex or deferred gifts.

The successful candidate will bring strong fundraising judgment, technical knowledge of gift planning vehicles, comfort with donor conversations and the ability to work appropriately with donors’ financial, legal and other professional advisors. This person must also be able to translate complex giving options into clear, donor-centered language.

This is a frontline fundraising role and an important strategic partner in Westminster’s campaign readiness, stewardship and long-term philanthropic growth. As a senior member of a 15-person Advancement Office, the Director of Gift Planning will collaborate closely across annual giving, major gifts, stewardship, advancement services, alumni engagement and communications to strengthen Westminster’s culture of philanthropy and secure resources for the school’s future.

Please review the complete description on our website, www.Westminster-school.org/about/employment.

Key Areas of Responsibility

• Planned Giving Strategy
• Donor Cultivation and Solicitation
• Planned Giving Recognition Strategy and Stewardship
• Collaboration and Internal Partnership
• Reporting, Data, and Compliance

Job Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in relevant field required.
• Minimum of 5 to 7 years of advancement, planned giving, major gifts, estate planning, financial services, or related experience preferred.
• Experience with Raiser’s Edge NXT or similar donor database preferred.
• Demonstrated success qualifying, cultivating, and soliciting donors for significant planned, blended, or complex gifts.
• Strong understanding of planned giving vehicles, including bequests, beneficiary designations, charitable gift annuities, charitable remainder trusts, retirement assets, real estate, and appreciated securities.
• Experience working with alumni, parents, trustees, volunteers, or other school-based constituencies preferred.
• Strong writing, presentation, and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to explain complex giving concepts in clear, accessible, and donor-centered language.
• High degree of discretion, judgment, and confidentiality.
• Ability to travel and work occasional evenings and weekends.

To Apply

This is a full-time exempt position offering competitive pay and excellent benefits, including outstanding health care coverage and retirement plan.  To apply, please send a cover letter and resume to the Director of Human Resources, Pamela Daly, at [email protected].

Westminster School is an Affirmative Action Equal Opportunity Employer and encourages applications from candidates of color. Westminster School reaffirms its long-standing nondiscriminatory policy and employs individuals of any race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available at Westminster. Westminster does not discriminate in its hiring, educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship programs, or athletic and other school-administered programs.