Associate Director of Alumni Relations en Cushing Academy

Description

Cushing Academy seeks a dynamic and strategic Associate Director of Alumni Relations to collaborate with the Director of Advancement and Advancement colleagues to build a comprehensive alumni engagement program and strengthen the lifelong connection between our graduates and the Academy. This role serves as a primary driver of alumni relations strategy, combining relationship building, fundraising, and donor stewardship to advance the Academy's mission and strategic goals.

The Associate Director will cultivate meaningful relationships with our diverse alumni community, drive philanthropic participation, and create innovative programs that engage graduates across all generations and geographic locations.

Working with regional, class-based and reunion volunteers, the Associate Director will develop events, communication and segmentation strategies and tactics to meet both dollar and donor goals. Personal cultivation and solicitation of assigned prospects and high-level volunteers is required, with a goal of 100 substantive visits each year. 

Major Duties and Responsibilities:

Alumni Engagement

• Creates targeted strategies and programming to engage alumni personally through on-campus, local and regional events and via digital communications and networks.
• Attend and promote attendance of graduates at campus and regional events and networking events.
• Assist in all aspects of volunteer management, including recruitment, training, and staffing, including reunion volunteers and Alumni Council members.
• Serve as the liaison for all milestone Reunion classes.
• Oversee transition of graduating class to alumni community, including “welcome” event/present and onboarding of graduating seniors to various alumni career networking platforms.
• Partner with campus departments around campus visits for alumni. Create alumni weekend programming.
• Continually update/maintain alumni records via Raiser’s Edge via email/text/social.

Annual Giving 

• Assist the Director of Annual Giving to implement creative, multi-channeled strategies to increase donors and participation in The Cushing Fund from all alumni classes.
• Oversee senior class gift and student philanthropy programs.
• Identify, recruit and manage a small team of Cushing volunteers for The Cushing Fund (initial focus on milestone reunion years). Recruit/support members of the Alumni Council. 
• Qualify, engage, solicit and steward young alumni prospects and donors with a goal of 100 substantive meetings annually to focus on growing the number of donors to Cushing Academy.
• Work with the Director of Annual Giving to create and implement targeted content for alumni that aligns with institutional strategic priorities and key messages.
• Assist in the production, mailing, and emailing of fundraising appeals as needed.

Event Coordination

• Assist in the production, mailing, and emailing of alumni event invitations and reunion materials. 
• Develop comprehensive planning timetables and procedural guidelines for all aspects of events.
• Work with colleagues to establish an annual calendar of events. (Determine event purpose, location, theme, and host in conjunction with the Director of Advancement).
• Adhere to a budget, manage event finances, including check requests, invoicing, and reporting. 
• Work with colleagues and key external constituents regarding their participation in and/or attendance at events and coordinate schedules accordingly.
• Identify event venues, negotiate space contracts and book event space.
• Manage staffing for all alumni events, ensuring adequate volunteer and staff coverage.

Alumni Communications

• Collaborate with the Communications team to create targeted and compelling messaging for alumni audiences across print, email, web, and social media platforms.
• Develop content that highlights alumni stories, achievements, and the impact of giving to strengthen affinity and inspire participation.
• Maintain a consistent voice and tone in all alumni outreach that aligns with Cushing’s brand and fosters a sense of belonging.
• Utilize data insights to tailor communications and ensure relevance to different alumni segments within the alumni population.

Collaboration and Administration

• Partner with Advancement colleagues to align young alumni strategies with overall departmental fundraising and engagement goals.
• Maintain detailed records of donor interactions, event attendance, and communications in the school’s CRM system.
• Monitor and analyze performance metrics to evaluate the effectiveness of programs, adjusting strategies as necessary to achieve results.
• Represent the Advancement Office at school events, alumni gatherings, and professional conferences as needed.

Requirements

Qualifications: 

• Bachelor’s degree required.
• At least 2+ years of experience in independent schools or higher education, with a focus on alumni relations, fundraising, or student engagement; 10+ years of professional work experience preferred. 
• Must be proficient with the use of Microsoft Office / Google Suite, the internet, knowledge of Blackbaud and familiarity with fundraising and relational database software, plus a willingness to learn new systems/tools.
• Demonstrated ability to use good judgment to handle confidential information sensitively.
• Demonstrate strong interpersonal skills, including an upbeat, collaborative approach to their work.
• Able to handle multiple projects simultaneously with superior follow-through and ability to meet deadlines and goals.
• Possesses strong attention to detail, accuracy and organizational capabilities.
• Must have good written and verbal communication skills.
• Exceptional customer service skills.
• Unflinching integrity seasoned with humor, perspective, and curiosity.

Physical Requirements:

• Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer.
• Frequent standing, walking, and moving about campus during events.
• Ability to lift and carry event materials, supplies, and equipment (typically up to 25 lbs).
• Must be able to travel domestically (by car, train, or air) for alumni events and donor visits.
• Flexibility to work evenings and weekends to support alumni events, reunions, and school functions.

Work Environment:

• Professional office setting with frequent in-person, phone, and virtual interaction.
• Fast-paced environment requiring the ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously.
• Regular travel to regional and national alumni gatherings, requiring adaptability to different venues and schedules.
• Event settings may include both indoor and outdoor environments, sometimes requiring extended periods of standing or moving.
• Collaboration with colleagues, volunteers, alumni, and external vendors in varied environments (school campus, hotels, conference centers, restaurants, etc.).