RANSOM EVERGLADES SCHOOL Coconut Grove, Florida Director of Advancement Start Date: on or before July 1, 2020 www.ransomeverglades.org OVERVIEW Ransom Everglades School, a Grade 6-12 independent day school with 1,106 students in Coconut Grove, Florida, is a top-tier private school with a public purpose, combining unique and rigorous college preparation with a commitment to improving the community and the world. Widely considered one of the best schools in Florida and the nation, Ransom Everglades boasts a highly diverse student body, a talented and committed faculty, and a remarkable greater-Miami location on Biscayne Bay. Guided by the words of founder Paul C. Ransom, a follower of John Dewey, Ransom Everglades produces graduates who “believe that they are in the world not so much for what they can get out of it as for what they can put into it.” Through a truly innovative curriculum, the mission of Ransom Everglades is to provide an educational environment in which the pursuit or honor, academic excellence, and intellectual growth is complemented by concern for the physical, cultural, and character development of each student. Developing each student’s leadership capabilities is equally important. Almost all students participate in service programs — many of which are conceived, funded, staffed, and led by students. In everything it does, Ransom Everglades strives for excellence. The Advancement Office serves as a critical element in these efforts. To this end, the School seeks a new Director of Advancement to work with Head of School Penny Townsend, the Board of Trustees, volunteers, and Advancement staff and increase overall engagement and philanthropic support. The Search Group | Carney, Sandoe & Associates 2 FAST FACTS TOTAL STUDENTS: STUDENTS WHO IDENTIFY STUDENT-TEACHER RATIO: 1,106 AS PEOPLE OF COLOR: 10:1 54% FACULTY WHO HOLD AN FINANCIAL AID: ADVANCED DEGREE: $6.1 million 76% awarded annually The Search Group | Carney, Sandoe & Associates 3 ACADEMICS AND STUDENT LIFE The majority of Ransom Everglades students attend both the Middle and Upper schools. Having students for all seven years provides the faculty the opportunity to design an academic experience that is both ambitious and custom-built around the needs of each student at each grade level. In the Middle School, with guidance and inspiration of teachers who are experts in their academic fields, students strengthen their identities, acquire fundamental skills, develop talents, and discover the activities about which they are most passionate. All Middle School students take classes in English, mathematics, social studies, science, Spanish, and physical education each day. Electives in the arts and other world languages, along with grade-level courses in programming and robotics round out the schedule. As students navigate the Upper School, they apply their knowledge and skills to increasingly challenging, problem-based scenarios in all disciplines. Foundational courses in science, history, and English comprise the ninth- and tenth-grade course loads, along with courses in math, languages, and elective options in the arts, computer science, and speech and debate. As upperclassmen, students select from a broad range of courses based on their interests and abilities. Upper and Middle School classes use the Harkness Method of inquiry and collaboration, requiring students to prepare, discuss, debate, present, and defend points of view. Teachers guide the discussions, but students navigate their way through information together, constructing understanding for themselves rather than being told what to know. As it did from the start, Ransom Everglades also requires every student to master basic sailing, canoeing, and kayaking skills. One of the most distinctive aspects of Ransom Everglades’ experiential pedagogy is the annual Outward Bound program for ninth graders. Year in and year out, through its cutting-edge academic, arts, and sports programs and its commitment to service, Ransom Everglades helps diverse and talented students develop the experiences, skills, and knowledge that guide them confidently through life in a changing world. The Search Group | Carney, Sandoe & Associates 4 COCONUT GROVE, FLORIDA Coconut Grove — founded in 1873 by an eclectic mix of pioneers, artists, intellectuals, and adventurers — is the oldest neighborhood of Miami, located along the shores of Biscayne Bay just south of the city’s downtown business district. Today, Coconut Grove is a sought- out residential community known for its diversity, as well as for it shops, restaurants, open-air cafes, parks and gardens, and year-round arts programming. With its waterfront on Biscayne Bay, this is also a popular boating, sailing, and fishing community. A key attraction of Coconut Grove is the easy access to the greater Miami and Miami Beach community, one of the nation’s most vibrant and diverse cultural centers, with a strong economy, excellent weather, and outstanding beaches. Close by are the Everglades National Park and the Florida Keys. KEY INITIATIVES Initially, the new Director of Advancement must focus on several specific tasks: • To oversee the successful completion of REinventing Excellence: The Campaign for Ransom Everglades, the school’s $75 million capital campaign slated to run through 2023; • To grow and enhance the school’s Fund for RE, which currently raises $3 million-plus annually; • To provide leadership and mentorship to Advancement staff, including adding key staff positions and taking a close look at roles and responsibilities; • To develop and staff a strong, working Advancement Committee; • To work closely with Admissions and Communications in all realms; • To form a key working relationship with Head of School Penny Townsend. The school has enviable support from both its parent body and alumni, with the latter’s participation percentage in the Annual Fund hovering above 25%, excellent for a day school. The new DOA will instill discipline, direction, and leadership to the overall program, particularly as it relates to the campaign and the major gift process. Additional areas for enhancement include planned giving and alumni engagement, especially around reunions. The Search Group | Carney, Sandoe & Associates 5 RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE POSITION Reporting to the Head of School, the Director of Advancement works closely with the Head of School and the Board of Trustees, including staffing the Development and Campaign Committees, and related Board task forces. The DOA will provide visionary leadership to the development and constituent relations (parents, grandparents, alumni parents, alumni, and friends), and programs in support of the school’s mission, vision, and goals. Specific responsibilities include: • Provide support to the Head of School in fulfilling her advancement responsibilities; • Develop strong working relationships with the Board and other key constituencies; • Externally represent Ransom Everglades to current and prospective constituencies; • Sustain and enhance current development, alumni relations, and parent programming; • Help implement annual support goals, with an emphasis on The Fund for RE; • Increase annual giving participation and dollars; • Formulate leadership gift solicitation strategies; • Ensure prompt and accurate gift and pledge recording, acknowledgement, and compliance with school policy and philanthropic best practices; • Serve as an effective mentor and communicator to constituents with different personalities and cultures; • Enhance the school environment by serving as an active and visible community member. QUALIFICATIONS AND QUALITIES OF THE POSITION Ransom Everglades seeks a Director of Advancement who possesses the proven leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills to help the school maintain its commitment to academic rigor and a student-centered experience. The school seeks a candidate who leads with imagination, vision, energy, and drive. The following qualities will be welcomed: • 7-10 years of leadership fundraising experience, including campaign planning and management, ideally in an independent school, college, or university; impressive track record in fundraising, communications and/or alumni administration; • Track record of conceptualizing, planning, and cohesively integrating a full range of advancement programs; • A firm believer in the school’s values and the capacity to articulate the case for support of Ransom Everglades; • Contributor to the overall strategic planning of the school; • Excellent communication skills, both oral and written, and a sophisticated understanding of what should be communicated to different audiences; • A decisive and confident leader, embracing the school’s culture and with the ability to develop consensus; • Highly professional team-player, with a strong sense of integrity and desire to work effectively with colleagues, volunteers, and boards; • Thorough grasp of the current trends in advancement and issues facing independent schools. The Search Group | Carney, Sandoe & Associates 6 PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS • Child-oriented and committed to education. • Ability to understand and embrace the mission of the school. • Strategic thinker who sees the larger picture. • Ability to manage and mentor staff. • A good listener. • A strong, team player. • Empathetic, open, and warm. • Fair, but demanding. • Community-minded. • Versatile and flexible. • Confident voice in the room. • Superb people skills. • Process-oriented. • Discreet. • Excellent communications skills. Compensation package will be highly competitive and commensurate with experience. The Search Group | Carney, Sandoe & Associates 7 TO APPLY Interested and qualified candidates should submit electronically in one email and as separate documents (preferably PDFs) the following materials: • A cover letter expressing interest in both the position and working in Miami; • A current resumé; • A list of five professional references with name, phone number, and email address of each (references will not be contacted without the candidate’s permission) to: John G. Clark Senior Consultant [email protected] Lisa Parsons Search Consultant [email protected] The Search Group | Carney, Sandoe & Associates 8.