Major Gifts & Alumni Relations Director

Pulaski Academy | Little Rock, Arkansas
Reports to: Assistant Head of School for Institutional Advancement

Position Overview

Pulaski Academy (PA) seeks a strategic and relationship-driven Major Gifts and Alumni Relations Director to join its Advancement Team. This individual will play a central role in advancing philanthropic support and strengthening alumni engagement, with a particular emphasis on the school’s upcoming Capital Campaign.

The Director will manage a portfolio of major gift prospects, cultivate meaningful relationships with key constituents, and implement a comprehensive alumni relations program that fosters lifelong connections to the school. Candidates must demonstrate a sustained record of advancement leadership with measurable fundraising outcomes.

Key Responsibilities and Demonstrated Success Measures

• Major Gifts: Identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward donors, focusing on gifts of $100,000+
• Demonstrated success securing and stewarding major gifts of $100,000+ in an independent school or comparable mission-driven environment, with a consistent record of closing six-figure commitments. 
• Capital Campaign: Partner with senior leadership to execute strategies supporting campaign planning and implementation.
• Proven leadership in Capital Campaign execution, including partnership with senior leadership to advance campaign strategy and achieve defined fundraising goals. 
• Alumni Relations: Develop and lead programs that increase alumni engagement, participation, giving, and alumni board development.
• Proven track record of strengthening alumni engagement and philanthropy within a school community, including increasing participation, giving, and developing effective alumni leadership structures. 
• Relationship Management: Serve as an ambassador for PA through consistent outreach, visits, and engagement with alumni, parents, and donors.
• Evidence of building trusted relationships with high-net-worth donors, parents, alumni, and community leaders, resulting in measurable growth in donor pipeline, retention, and giving. 
• Development Strategy: Develop a plan to cultivate major donors and corporate sponsorships, as well as a gift management, recognition, and stewardship strategy for all key stakeholders.
• Experience designing and implementing a comprehensive advancement strategy that integrates major gifts, corporate partnerships, stewardship, and donor recognition aligned with institutional priorities. 

• Leadership: Recruit, train, and guide volunteers to play an active role in major gift fundraising and campaign initiatives.

• Demonstrated ability to recruit, train, and mobilize volunteers in support of major gifts and campaign initiatives. 
• Ambassador: Represent PA at major school, donor, and alumni events, and maintain an active presence in the Little Rock community as an ambassador for the school.
• Established credibility as an ambassador for a school or community organization, with an active presence in the Little Rock community and experience representing the institution at key events. 
• Advancement Operations: Maintain accurate donor records, track progress toward goals, and ensure best practices in stewardship and reporting.
• Proficiency in advancement operations, including donor database management, portfolio tracking, and reporting to support data-informed decision-making and goal attainment. 
• Communication strategy and public speaking: Communicate with key stakeholders about PA, our Capital Campaign, and the opportunity to shape our organization's future. 
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to clearly articulate PA’s mission, vision, and strategic priorities to diverse stakeholders. 
• Event management: Plan and host small gatherings for alumni and key stakeholders to promote the school and our Capital Campaign.
• Proven ability to plan and execute targeted, high-impact donor and alumni engagements that deepen relationships and drive philanthropic support. 

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree preferred.
• Minimum of five (5) years of experience in fundraising, major gifts, and advancement.
• Demonstrated success in major gifts or comparable relationship-based revenue generation.
• Excellent communication, organizational, and interpersonal skills.
• High level of professionalism, discretion, and sound judgment.
• Willingness to travel and work both locally and out of state on special events, including occasional evenings and weekends.
• Must pass required background and reference checks, including fingerprinting and misconduct clearance.

About Pulaski Academy

Since 1971, Pulaski Academy has served as an independent, coeducational, college-preparatory learning community that prepares students academically, socially, ethically, artistically, and physically for the world that lies before them. Our mission is to inspire students to explore, create, contribute, and achieve. Located in the Pleasant Valley area of suburban west Little Rock, PA currently enrolls approximately 1232 2.5 year old through twelfth grade students. The institution is composed of four divisions or schools: Early Childhood School, Lower School, Middle School and Upper School. PA’s Upper School enrolls approximately 415 students in grades 9-12. Pulaski Academy has consistently led the way and set the standard for academic excellence in the state. A strong curriculum, valued traditions, nurturing faculty, and a diverse extracurricular program enhance the educational experience for students. Graduates go on to attend some of the most competitive and highly regarded colleges across the nation. In the last five years 35 PA students have been selected as National Merit Finalists. In addition the Class of 2009 boasted a composite score of 27 on the ACT and an aver...age of 606 on the reading, 634 on the math, and 608 on the written portions of the SAT. Members of the Class of 2009 were accepted to 116 colleges and universities in twenty-nine different states. Every 2009 graduate will attend college. Twenty Advanced Placement and twelve honors courses are available to our Upper School students. In the three academic years prior to 2008-2009 PA had three National AP Scholars, 30 AP Scholars with Distinction, 14 AP Scholars with Honor, and 44 AP Scholars. At the heart of Pulaski Academy is the relationship that teachers and students share. With 120 faculty members (Pre-K through 12), PA offers an impressive student faculty ratio of 11:1, providing for individual attention and a wide selection of course offerings. More than half of PA faculty members hold advanced degrees. Average faculty teaching experience is twenty years, ten of which are at PA Core values, travel learning opportunities, and service learning projects are integral components of the dynamic curriculum. Award winning artists, musicians, and journalists receive a strong foundation within PA’s classrooms. Athletic teams contend annually for district, regional, and state championships (PA was the state champion in football in 2008-2009). And annual state and national winners in such competitions as National History Day, Model UN, and the National Peace Essay contest are a testament to the school’s talented students and dedicated faculty members. In fall, 2008, Pulaski Academy opened the doors to an exciting, more spacious education world for its students. The school expanded its campus from fifteen to thirty-two acres and added over 180,000 square feet of facilities. Opportunities for PA students have never been greater. A larger campus translates into enhanced academic and enrichment programs, an expanded LS library, a state-of-the-art gym, extensive technology opportunities, a sizable book and spirit store, and multiple venues for the performing arts. Many of the facilities may be viewed on our website at www.pulaskiacademy.org.

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Connections working at Pulaski Academy