Website Saints Peter and Paul School Wilmington, California
Saints Peter and Paul Catholic School in Wilmington, California, is seeking a Director of Advancement to lead and grow the school’s development efforts.
Reporting to the rector and serving on the senior leadership team, the Director is responsible for the design, execution, and oversight of a comprehensive advancement program — including major gifts, annual giving, planned giving, capital initiatives, benefactor stewardship, communications, and special events — all ordered to the school’s mission and rooted in the rhythm of the Liturgical Year.
At Saints Peter and Paul, advancement is an extension of the school’s mission rather than a profession adjacent to it. Shaped by the Norbertine charism of communal life, Eucharistic devotion, and apostolic witness, our development office understands fundraising as a work of evangelization: benefactor relationships, appeals, and events are opportunities to draw others closer to Christ and to share the beauty of the Faith with the wider community. In practice, this means appeals and stewardship are timed to the rhythm of the Liturgical Year, and benefactors are remembered at the altar, invited into the school’s prayer life, and treated as collaborators in an apostolic work whose source and summit is the Eucharist. We are seeking a candidate eager to lead an advancement program that flows from the Sacred Liturgy and serves the school’s mission.
This is a hands-on, one-person leadership role with the potential to grow a team over time. The Director will personally cultivate, solicit, and steward a portfolio of major gift benefactors while also overseeing the annual fund, benefactor communications, and stewardship events. Local and regional travel is required, as a significant portion of the role is spent outside the office visiting with benefactors and members of the Saints Peter and Paul family.
Qualifications
● Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree preferred
● A minimum of five years’ experience in development or advancement, with a proven track record of securing major gifts and managing a comprehensive fundraising program — preferably in a Catholic, nonprofit, or educational setting
● Demonstrated ability to run a development function independently, including annual fund management, benefactor stewardship, events, and communications
● A practicing Catholic in good standing, with a love for the Sacred Liturgy and a desire to serve a Norbertine apostolate
● Exceptional interpersonal, communication, and relationship-building skills
● Demonstrated ability to develop and execute strategic fundraising plans
● Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to use data to inform decision-making
Major Responsibilities
● Designing and leading a comprehensive advancement program ordered to the school’s mission and the rhythm of the Liturgical Year
● Cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding major gift benefactors and identifying new major gift prospects
● Overseeing the annual fund, including appeals, donor segmentation, and renewal strategies
● Creating compelling, tailored proposals, gift agreements, and benefactor communications rooted in the school’s mission
● Planning and executing cultivation and stewardship events for benefactors in collaboration with the school community
● Maintaining the benefactor database and overseeing gift processing, acknowledgment, and reporting
● Representing Saints Peter and Paul at benefactor meetings, events, and other engagement opportunities
● Collaborating with the rector, senior leadership team, and board to align advancement efforts with the school’s strategic priorities
● Providing regular reports and analysis on the advancement pipeline, revenue, and benefactor engagement
● Attending and engaging at advancement events, liturgical celebrations, and other apostolic activities of the Abbey and school
Compensation and Benefits
Salary commensurate with experience and competitive with peer Catholic schools. Benefits include health insurance, retirement contribution, tuition remission for dependents, and a calendar that honors holy days of obligation and the rhythm of the school year.
To Apply
Interested candidates should submit:
● A cover letter
● Curriculum vitae
● A brief written reflection (not to exceed two pages) on how the candidate would order an advancement program to the school’s Catholic mission
● Three professional references, at least one of whom can speak to the candidate’s life of faith
Submit materials to: frlazarus@sppschool.org
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled.Saints Peter and Paul School
To apply for this job email your details to frlazarus@sppschool.org