St. Columba’s Episcopal Church seeks a full-time (hybrid) Director of Development and Stewardship to design and implement all aspects of congregational giving and to develop external funding sources and revenue through writing grants, maximizing the use of our property, and hosting special events and campaigns.
NATURE AND SCOPE
St. Columba’s is a church on a mission to live God’s love. We are “an inclusive and welcoming Christian community of all ages that encourages spiritual curiosity, celebrates children and youth, and embraces the world in the spirit of God’s justice and love.”
St. Columba’s is a large, multi-staff church with an engaged and very active congregation, an average Sunday attendance of 425 in person and 150 on line, and annual operating budget of $3.2 million. Currently, 560 households provide $2.6 million. With a separate budget of $2 million, we operate a nursery school for 100 children, 20% of whom have learning differences. Principal worship on Sunday is celebrated with all ages in four or five services in a variety of liturgical styles. We are committed to becoming an anti-racist church, operating a zero waste campus, partnering with others to end family homelessness in the District of Columbia, and we are currently hosting three Afghan refugee families. Many households have been - and continue to be - drawn to St. Columba’s vibrant ministries with and for children, youth, and their families. Across all ages, participation in small groups is increasingly the norm as we seek to equip one another to practice faith in our daily lives. We are developing a digital community among those who worship and participate with us online.
While participation in most churches is declining, life and ministry at St. Columba’s is dynamic. With a compelling vision, we’re making changes both small and large – driven by our own vision and plan, and in response to changes in the world and society around us. We seek to live into the future God has for us, and to incarnate our God-given potential as individuals and as a congregation. Visit our website columba.org.
JOB SUMMARY
The Director of Development and Stewardship (DDS) will develop, coordinate, and implement processes to promote organizational awareness, engagement, and financial growth. She/he/they is a member of the senior leadership team, reports to the Rector, supervises the Director of Communication, works closely with the Director of Finance and Administration, and leads or participates in a number of staff teams to insure coordination of all ministries and meet organizational goals. The DDS is expected to function at a very high level of personal and professional creativity, take initiative and responsibility for specific areas of ministry, and work collaboratively with others.
This is a fulltime hybrid position, with flexible hours; in person weekly staff meetings, Sunday presence 1-2x/month; occasional evening meetings.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
• Coordinate the design of a comprehensive stewardship strategy consistent with rector and vestry’s goal to create a culture of gratitude and generosity grounded in theology of stewardship
• Execute the annual stewardship plan with staff, vestry, and parishioners, including donor identification, cultivation, solicitation, and recognition
• Analyze giving patterns and engagement, media insights, and industry trends to determine the most promising strategies to promote church financial and community growth; adjust plans and execute accordingly
• Set and manage key performance indicators to ensure strategic, financial and operational achievements
• Coordinate with the Director of Communication and the communication and connect teams to set goals, guidelines, and timelines to support organizational goals
• Coordinate with education/formation staff in stewardship teaching for all ages, including children
• Cultivate donors with significant giving capacity; design special events as needed; manage rector’s relationships with top 5-10% of giving members
• Prepare for and support a multi-million dollar capital campaign anticipated in 2024 for St. Columba’s 150th Anniversary (we expect to hire consultants to oversee the campaign)
• Design and execute an ongoing planned giving campaign to grow the church’s endowment
• Prioritize, coordinate and execute fundraising campaigns for special projects
CORE COMPETENCIES AND QUALIFICATIONS
• Effective project management skills; high degree of creativity, versatility and attention to detail
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Effective interpersonal experience developing relationships with volunteers, donors, and staff
• Skilled at delegation, collaboration and resource utilization
• Discrete in handling confidential information
• Innovator with a proven ability to take initiative on a new project, build capacity and grow revenue streams
• Minimum of three years’ experience and successful track record as fund-raiser and grant-writer
• (Bonus Points): Familiarity with and appreciation for the Episcopal Church and the theology of stewardship
• Bachelor’s Degree
• High competence in computer programs – Google suite, Excel, database (bonus for exp w Realm) – and digital social media – Facebook, Instagram, etc.
APPLICATION
A competitive compensation package including full benefits is offered. Anticipated start date is early 2023.
Interested candidates should send a cover letter and resume to the Rev. Ledlie I. Laughlin, Rector, St. Columba’s Episcopal Church, jobs@columba.org or 4201 Albemarle St. NW, Washington, DC 20016. No phone calls, please.
