The Berkeley Carroll School, a preK through 12th -grade school, located in Brooklyn, New York, has retained the executive search firm of Deerfield Associates to conduct a national search for the position of Director of Advancement. The target hire date for the selected candidate of choice will be in the Fall of 2023. To learn more or apply for this position, please visit the Deerfield Associates website.
MISSION
A passion for learning is at the heart of Berkeley Carroll. Our school is an intellectual, creative, and equitable community where devoted teachers challenge and engage talented students. Our demanding curriculum and vibrant civic life prepare our diverse graduates for success in college and for the greater endeavor—a life of critical, ethical, and global thinking.
ABOUT THE BERKELEY CARROLL SCHOOL
Berkeley Carroll is a vibrant, independent, coeducational day school serving almost 1,000 students in Prekindergarten through 12th grade. Centrally located in Park Slope, Brooklyn, Berkeley Carroll brings together students from 60 zip codes through out New York City and New Jersey. From the founding of the original Berkeley Institute in the late 19th century, through its evolution to the present, the school has been committed to providing a rigorous college preparatory program and a student-centered approach to education that focuses on critical, ethical, and global thinking. Admission to Berkeley Carroll is competitive, and our educators, students, parents and guardians value both achievement and community.
At Berkeley Carroll, students at each grade level navigate a challenging and innovative curriculum that emphasizes interdisciplinary studies along with critical thinking, self-reliance, and collaboration. Guided by a committed and talented faculty, learners are encouraged to pose questions as well as answer them, and they are rewarded for intellectual risk taking. Berkeley Carroll is accredited by the New York State Association of Independent Schools (NYSAIS).
In the 2022-23 academic year, Berkeley Carroll enrolled 990 students: 368 in Lower School, 296 in Middle School, and 326 in Upper School. Forty percent of our students identify as students of color. With a 6:1 student-to-teacher ratio, learners in all divisions enjoy close relationships with faculty, 83% of whom hold advanced degrees. Among senior administrators, 56% identify as people of color, as do approximately 26% of faculty in the Lower School, 31% of faculty in the Middle School, and 34% percent of faculty in the Upper School.
This year, Berkeley Carroll awarded $9.3 million in tuition assistance, including $100,000 in emergency financial aid. Additionally, the school provided $360,000 in ancillary financial aid, which supports school-related activities and items not covered by tuition.
In 2014, Berkeley Carroll acquired an apartment building adjacent to its Grade 1-4 building at 701 Carroll Street, with the eventual goal of renovating and combining the two structures. The apartment building (703 Carroll Street) is currently undergoing a complete renovation that will result in new instructional spaces slated to receive students and faculty beginning in September 2025. Completion of the additional phases of the Carroll Street campus renovation and expansion–the 701 Carroll Street building renovation and the subsequent combination with 703 Carroll Street–will be reliant on a significant capital campaign.
OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES
Building on the success of an experienced development team, Berkeley Carroll’s new Director of Advancement will raise the school’s philanthropic profile by developing and implementing a comprehensive fundraising strategy aligned with its mission and vision. The new Director of Advancement will partner with the Head of School to assess, evaluate, design, and implement a plan for the optimal Advancement Office as the school prepares to meet aspirational fundraising goals.
The ideal candidate welcomes the opportunity to collaborate on a diverse senior administrative team, appreciates the school’s history, mission, and values, and seeks to promote both a culture of philanthropy and equitable access.
Over the past several decades, Berkeley Carroll has developed a successful fundraising program that has enabled the School to build its endowment and add major capital improvements to the campus. The Annual Fund supports the School’s balanced budget and has both exceeded goals and broken records for the past three years.
The growth and continued success of the school creates an opportunity to strengthen its development efforts and expand its development goals. The Director of Advancement will work with a variety of stakeholders to communicate the value of a Berkeley Carroll education to a wide constituency, organizing a strategic plan to identify, cultivate, solicit, and provide stewardship for potential and current donors. The Director of Advancement will also work closely with the Board of Trustees and its development committee in preparation for the next large campaign.
RESPONSIBILITIES
- Work closely with the Head of School to plan the strategic direction for advancement and future campaigns for Berkeley Carroll.
- Lead, manage, and inspire a dedicated, experienced, and expanding advancement office staff.
- Evaluate current fundraising strategies and approaches as well as recommend changes as appropriate.
- Develop and manage the execution of fundraising strategies to attract significant gifts for the school, achieving long-range financial goals within the context of established fundraising objectives.
- Provide strong, effective, and highly visible leadership in the internal and external community to capitalize on the full potential of fundraising opportunities.
- Work closely with the Board of Trustees and its relevant subsidiaries, including the Development, Communications, and Admissions committees to reach fundraising goals.
- Oversee and evaluate programs and events to secure annual gifts, major gifts, and gifts to the endowment.
- Oversee the gathering, organization, and use of up-to-date information for all fundraising initiatives.
- Provide regular, detailed reports and information to the Head of School and trustees to help in decision-making and program evaluation.
- Manage Advancement Office personnel-related activities, including the hiring, training, supervision, and evaluation of staff in order to help them successfully meet their responsibilities.
- Work closely with the Director of Communications to develop, implement, and manage strategic marketing and communications initiatives that effectively promote the organization to internal and external constituencies via appeals, letters, emails, social media, and printed publications.
- Manage the Advancement Office budget.
- Embrace and enhance the school’s diversity and inclusion initiatives in both the Advancement Office and the broader School community.
QUALIFICATIONS, SKILLS, AND COMPETENCIES
- Demonstrated experience as a leader in fundraising and development.
- Bachelor’s Degree is required; advanced degree in a related field is preferred.
- A minimum of eight to ten years of experience in relevant aspects of fundraising, alumni relations, leadership, and external relations experience, ideally in an independent school, college, university, or other educational setting.
- Knowledge and experience in organizing, managing, and conducting a capital campaign.
- A commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion and the ability to collaborate on a diverse team.
- Strong interpersonal skills and a positive attitude; the ability to make people feel valued and motivated while accomplishing challenging tasks.
- Successful fundraising experience with donor cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship, along with demonstrated experience in securing major gifts.
- Proven ability to strategically lead, implement, and integrate a full range of development programs, including annual fundraising campaigns and initiatives, major gift and planned giving for alumni, parents, and friends.
- A successful record leading, managing, and mentoring a team of dedicated professionals.
- Keen attention to detail and the ability to maintain discretion with respect to confidential information.
- Strong communication, project management, and organizational skills with a track record of working effectively with a wide range of constituencies including students, faculty, staff, parents, trustees, alumni, donors, and prospects.
- Ability to effectively present information to school leadership, Board of Trustees, public groups, and internal constituencies.
- Analytical skills necessary to read, analyze, and interpret marketing and business-related journals, financial reports, and legal documents.
- Willingness to work outside the regular school day when needed.
- Experience and interest in embracing technology to leverage the Advancement effort with Alumni, parents, guardians, and other constituencies.
- Mastery of a relational database, such as Raiser’s Edge, and Google Suite.
LISA YVETTE WALLER, Ph.D., HEAD OF SCHOOL
Dr. Lisa Yvette Waller became the Head of School of Berkeley Carroll in July 2019. Dr. Waller began her teaching career at Milton Academy. While completing her doctorate in history at Duke University, she joined the Dalton School as a high school history teacher and advisor, later serving as Associate Director of Admissions, Director of the High School, and Assistant Head of School for Progressive and Inclusive Practice.
Dr. Waller is a Trustee of several organizations including the New York State Association of Independent Schools (NYSAIS), the Guild of Independent Schools of New York City, Oberlin College and Conservatory, The Spence School, and the GO Project. She is also a member of the NYSAIS Commission on Accreditation. Additionally, she has served on the Board of Visitors of Duke University’s Graduate School of Arts and Sciences as well as both the Executive Committee and the School Leadership Team at the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music and Art & Performing Arts.
Deeply interested in theory and practice related to race and education, Dr. Waller contributed her article “The Pressures of the People” to Manning Marable and Peniel Joseph’s anthology entitled The New Black History: Revisiting the Second Reconstruction (2011). Additionally, Dr. Waller has been a featured presenter at events sponsored by the Ford Foundation, the National Association of Independent Schools, and the New America Foundation, among other organizations.
DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION
The Berkeley Carroll community believes that the robust and dynamic learning community described in its school mission requires it to be an equitable and inclusive environment that embraces a wide array of identities, perspectives, experiences, life stories, and realities. The school’s diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) work supports the goal of providing opportunities for all community members to have what is required to be successful in an environment where they feel that they can be their authentic selves. This is understood to be an essential component of socio-emotional well-being and academic success.
To be actively anti-racist and to affirm the experiences of those who are marginalized and in our society, Berkeley Carroll has committed to initiatives across all areas of the school and with all constituencies. Educators, students, and families work to disrupt racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, and other forms of bias and discrimination in the school while responding effectively when incidents of bias arise. In all areas, we strive for constant growth and improvement.
A LEARNING COMMUNITY IN BROOKLYN
Berkeley Carroll is centrally located in Park Slope, a thriving neighborhood in northwest Brooklyn, New York City. The school’s campus includes two Lower School buildings on Carroll Street, the Middle and Lower School building on Lincoln Place, the athletics and aquatics center on President Street, and the performance and instructional spaces on Sterling Place. Pedestrian-friendly Park Slope features historic buildings, charming cafés, green space, access to public transportation, as well as proximity to Prospect Park, the Brooklyn Academy of Music, the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, the Brooklyn Museum, and the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music. All contribute to the culture of the neighborhood and draw locals and tourists alike. Faculty and staff reside in all five boroughs as well as Connecticut and New Jersey, enjoying an easy commute via public transportation.
BERKELEY SCHOOL BENEFITS
The Berkeley Carroll School offers a dynamic and supportive work environment, competitive salaries, and a generous benefits package that includes a retirement plan, paid vacations, and medical insurance.
Target Salary Range: $200,000 – $250,000
Contact Information
Confidential referrals and nominations of top tier advancement professionals for this excellent professional opportunity are encouraged and welcome by the search firm of Deerfield Associates which is assisting Berkeley Carroll School with the search.
To explore this superb career opportunity on a highly confidential basis, interested candidates are asked to send your résumé, a letter of interest articulating your interests and particular areas of expertise, along with a list of four (4) references (who will be contacted only if mutual interest is determined), to:
Doug Cooney, Executive Search Consultant, DEERFIELD ASSOCIATES Executive Search, Inc.572 Washington Street, Suite 15, Wellesley, MA 02482 Telephone: 781-237-2800.
Email: jobs@deerfieldassociates.com