The Director of Annual Fund works with the Interim Director of Development and the development team to build and enhance relationships with all constituents for the purpose of increasing financial support and encouraging active volunteering at WFS. The Director of Annual Fund oversees the planning, orchestration, and completion of the Annual Fund (AF) program.
Essential Functions:
In conjunction with the Interim Director of Development, Head of School, and Board, establish goals and objectives for AF
As a member of the major gifts team, meet regularly with the Interim Director of Development and Philanthropy Officer (Major Gifts), to strategize individual donor conversations around projects and types of gifts that most powerfully resonate with the donor
Personally solicit, steward, and cultivate top AF prospects and donors
Use Raiser’s Edge NXT to develop and implement strategies for identifying, cultivating, and soliciting all AF donors
In partnership with the Interim Director of Development, create and implement a successful reunion-giving program. Work with reunion-year class agents to set up fundraising goals for their classes and develop appropriate methods for soliciting gifts at reunions
Maintain AF giving program for senior class parents and grandparents
Develop a multi-channel AF communication plan that includes direct mail, email marketing, telephone solicitations, magazine updates, website banners, and social media.
Produce AF collateral materials including brochures, postcards, response cards/envelopes, etc.
Analyze data and prepare reports to track AF progress and to predict outcomes. Adjust plan as needed
Recruit, train, and support AF volunteers in all constituent groups, including faculty, staff, alumni, and parents and grandparents of current and former students
Develop and implement strategies to increase participation in different Leadership Society Circles
Organize stewardship events and Senior Fund kick off event
Provide AF updates for website and Quaker Matters magazine
Organize, staff, and implement Day of Giving campaign
Liaison between WFS and corporations for company matching gift programs
Keep abreast of innovations in field and changes in current laws
Establish and manage AF budget
Lead the Annual Report process
Perform all other duties as assigned by the Interim Director of Development and Head of School
Qualifications and Experience:
Bachelor’s degree required
3–5 years of fundraising experience, preferably in independent schools or higher education
Experience with annual fund programs and volunteer management
Proficiency with Raiser’s Edge NXT, Google Workspace, and Microsoft Office
Skills and Attributes:
Excellent written and verbal communication skills
Collaborative team player who can also work independently
Strong analytical, organizational, and project management skills
Ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines
Commitment to confidentiality and professional integrity
Appreciation for Quaker values and the mission of Wilmington Friends School
Occasional night and weekend work is required.
At Wilmington Friends, diversity is integral to our educational objectives and to our mission as a Quaker school. The defining belief of Quakerism is that there is “that of God” in everyone. That belief gives rise to a profound respect for the dignity of each person and an obligation to lead on issues of social justice. Guided by Quaker principles, we seek to build and sustain a community of students, families, faculty, staff, administrators and trustees with a variety of identities—in terms of culture, economic means, ethnicity, gender, nationality, race, religion and sexual orientation.
Interested candidates should submit a resume, letter of interest, and list of 3 references to Lauryn Satterfield, Administrative Assistant to the Head of School, lsatterfield@wilmingtonfriends.org.
During recess, 1st-grade students worked together on our Natural Playground to design and build their very own see-saw using fallen branches and logs. With teamwork, problem-solving, and plenty of creativity, they transformed natural materials into a working structure—all through hands-on learning and exploratory play.
It was another excellent fall for WFS athletics. Our student-athletes competed with purpose, resilience, and school pride across every field, course, and court. We’re incredibly proud of their hard work and grateful to the fans who cheered them on.
The Quaker Cares Club brought energy and encouragement to campus with a Wellness Smoothie Bike for our Middle and Upper School students! By hopping on the bike and pedaling fast, students blended their own healthy, delicious smoothies—a fun reminder that taking care of yourself matters, especially during high-stress times.
Shoutout to our amazing third graders, whose hard work on the Basket Brigade food drive helped bring the Lower School’s total to 624 pounds of food donated to the Food Bank of Delaware! Their compassion and commitment to assisting others embody the very best of our WFS community.
A beloved holiday tradition at WFS is our sixth grade pie bake for Wilmington's Sunday Breakfast Mission. Students lovingly peel, slice, prepare, box, and finally deliver 40 apple pies for those in our greater community.
Ten representatives from the Wilmington Friends School Middle School Youth in Government Club traveled to Dover, Delaware to participate in the State Junior Youth in Government Model Legislature.
Students gathered today for the Pouring of Libations, a long-standing tradition that, while not Quaker in origin, beautifully reflects our community’s values.
Storytelling is a central theme of the lower school Visual Arts curriculum, and fourth graders are exploring that theme by experimenting with ways to communicate without using words, applying visual choices alone to convey meaning.
Ninth-grade English students are wrapping up their short story unit with a collaborative Hexagonal Thinking exercise that challenges them to see literature through a more analytical lens.
Right now, in International Baccalaureate (IB) English: Power and Performance, 11th- and 12th-graders are studying Anton Chekhov’s short stories and experimenting with his craft techniques in their own writing.
Early years students enjoyed a fantastic Fall Festival in the lower school outdoor classroom today — planned with so much creativity and care by their teachers!
WFS 8th graders had the incredible opportunity to meet virtually with Congresswoman Sarah McBride, Delaware’s at-large representative and a lifelong resident dedicated to public service.
Statement of Nondiscrimination as to Student Enrollment
Wilmington Friends School admits students of any race, color, gender, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students of these schools. Wilmington Friends School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, national and ethnic origin in administration of their educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school administered programs.