The Organisation
Harrow School is one of the world's most famous schools. Founded in 1572 by a local yeoman farmer, John Lyon, under a Royal Charter granted by Queen Elizabeth I, it is located on a 324-acre estate encompassing much of Harrow on the Hill in north-west London. Around 830 boys aged 13 to 18, who come from all over Britain and across the world, live in the School's 12 boarding Houses, and there are about 120 teaching staff and over 500 non-teaching staff.
All members of staff work to a single, uniting purpose: to prepare boys with diverse backgrounds and abilities for a life of learning, leadership, service and personal fulfilment.
HARROW DEVELOPMENT TRUST (HDT) AND HARROW ASSOCIATION (HA)
As one of the country's leading independent schools, Harrow School has an active fundraising programme. Harrow has never been blessed with a lavish endowment. School fees cover the operating costs only. Instead, over the centuries, the School has relied on the considerable generosity of its supporters to fund major new developments, capital projects and scholarships and bursary awards.
Since the current Chief Executive's appointment in the late 1990s, the HDT has raised over £160 million for investment in the School and its activities. The many donors include individuals and foundations, both in the UK and overseas.
It is an exciting time to be joining Harrow as the School celebrates its 450th birthday. This significant anniversary has provided a tremendous opportunity for the global Harrow School community to come together to celebrate an important milestone in the School's heritage and future. A rich and diverse programme of celebratory events have taken place and are planned for the remainder of the year, including a commemoration service held in February at St Paul's Cathedral, a community day in April for thousands of members of the public, boys, staff and parents, and Churchill Songs for 5,000 people at the Royal Albert Hall in November.
Alongside these celebrations the HDT is in the midst of a £100m development campaign, the scale and ambition of which the School has not seen before. Priorities include a new state of the art science centre, a substantial dining hall refurbishment project and a new sports building. In addition, over the next decade the Governors have ambitious plans to widen pupil access, funding 100 free places and extending significantly our means-tested bursary provision.
Accordingly the Trustees of the HDT and its Chief Executive are looking to continue the expansion of the Trust's activities and appoint an Associate Director, to support this crucial function at Harrow. The successful candidate will have considerable responsibility for the expansion of the fundraising and development performance of the Trust, delivering on challenging fundraising targets, and working within a high-performing team.
The HDT shares a busy office with staff members of the Harrow Association (HA). Several support functions, such as data management, communications and accounting are shared. The HDT and the HA are separate organisations in order to preserve the clarity of their respective roles. The HA has around 8,500 members and a substantial programme of activities and social events.
THE ROLE
Associate Director: key purpose
The Associate Director is expected to assist in the expansion of the fundraising and development performance of the HDT beyond its current major contribution to the School, and to share the responsibility for achieving ambitious new funding targets. In particular, the successful candidate will develop further the plans for widening our fundraising activities, continue the fundraising aspects of the School's long-term strategic development goals and increase donor participation.
The post-holder will report to the Chief Executive but have their own considerable areas of responsibility as well as a working link with the Chairman of the Development Trust, Trustees, Harrow Masters and key support staff, all working members of the HDT and HA office, School staff, Governors and the HA.
Key responsibilities
1. Delivering challenging fundraising targets, working alongside the Chief Executive, the Directors of Development and other HDT staff. The successful candidate will develop, plan and manage their own strategy within the School's development priorities, paying particular attention (as mentioned above) to increasing awareness of the School's longer-term goals, and increasing participation, especially during the remainder of the 450 Anniversary period and beyond.
Oversight of regular giving programme and implementation of strategy, including the execution of future telephone campaigns and giving days
Maintain and grow membership of the 450 Society, securing repeat gifts and moving donors up the giving tiers.
Identifying and developing relationships with grant-making trusts or other sympathetic organisations
Increasing mid-level gift requests, of over £50,000
Supervising the legacy promotion campaign and developing memorial gifts' g Establishing and working with a network of volunteers
2. Cultivating relationships with all donors but especially those at a major and/or mid-level value
3. Developing the culture of donor engagement and affinity and planning and implementing a more robust donor stewardship programme
4. Establishing more effective donor research processes and data analysis with which to identify donor patterns
5. Establishing effective working relations with the School community, both on the teaching and non teaching staff sides
6. Establishing effective working relations with the HA Board and Old Harrovians generally
7. Participating fully in the HDT and HA's extensive programme of social and fundraising events in the School, London, the UK and around the world
8. Maintaining fundraising good practice, compliance and ensuring their workload is well managed
9. With colleagues, developing communications and marketing materials relevant to the HDT including campaign brochures, legacy material and fundraising literature
10. Ensuring that all fundraising activities meet the high standards demanded by Harrow School and its constituency
11. Investigating and developing social media and online fundraising practices 6
THE PERSON
Experience and knowledge
Proven track record of major gift fundraising, ideally for academic or charitable institutions g A successful track record of innovation and achievement in fundraising
Experience of prospect management, prospect tracking and stewardship programmes g Experience of negotiation
Experience of working with development boards and volunteers
Proven ability to research, present projects or ideas and clinch agreements (both orally and through high quality written reports)
Outstanding credentials as an effective but diplomatic operational trouble-shooter', with substantial personal qualities and motivation
Numerate with experience of managing budgets and tracking development income g Advanced IT skills with the ability to use and manage research tools, social media, online giving and fundraising databases
A working knowledge of tax-efficient donation methods and requirements of operating a charity g Awareness of and belief in independent education
Skills and personal qualities
An excellent communicator, both in writing and orally, who is able to inspire confidence and develop lasting relationships
Able to think strategically, formulate ideas and creative solutions, and present them effectively both internally and to donor prospects
Able to persuade, negotiate and influence others, demonstrating the flexibility, personal sensitivity, clear thinking, diplomacy and tact that is needed when working with professional and academic colleagues and prospective major donors
Able to respond flexibly and decisively, while adapting to changing and challenging circumstances Have high expectations, able to take the initiative, and driven to reach goals and targets
Possessing the authority to represent the values and purposes of an institution dedicated to academic excellence
Committed to continuous professional development
Able to work under pressure and with confident self-presentation.
A willingness and ability to work outside regular hours, to undertake travel both in the UK and internationally, and a willingness to attend events in the evening and at weekends