Executive Brief

Major Gifts Officer
Dana Hall School

Dana Hall School

Dana Hall is an independent boarding and day school for girls in grades 5-12. Located in Wellesley, Massachusetts, Dana Hall offers a dynamic and challenging academic program in an environment with a deep commitment to social and emotional learning. It’s a place where students discover and celebrate exactly who they are, and use that understanding to forge meaningful, successful lives. Dana Hall is a top all-girls school in Massachusetts where students learn how to lead the discussions and immerse themselves in the quest to question and grow—in the library, lab, and classroom, and on the stage and playing field.

As the metropolitan area’s sole girls’ boarding school, Dana Hall’s 55-acre campus is nestled among residential neighborhoods, just a five-minute walk from the center of town and a 30-minute train ride to Boston. Dana Hall is also distinguished as the region’s only school with a comprehensive equestrian program, offering students access to exceptional riding facilities and competitive opportunities.

At a Glance:

Audacious since 1881, Dana Hall School has always been dedicated to providing the vigorous education that every girl deserves—one that’s academically ambitious, rich with opportunity, and fiercely empowering.

Click here to view Dana Hall's data for the 2025-26 school year.

The Campus:

Dana Hall's Advancement Department

Dana Hall School’s Advancement Department, led by Chief Advancement Officer, Christie Baskett, alongside a dedicated team of development and alumnae relations professionals, is spearheading Fearless Futures: The Campaign for Dana Hall School—a historic, multi-year, $75 million comprehensive campaign. Closing December 31, 2026, the campaign is already over goal, having raised more than $78M for five key priorities: growing the endowment to $100 million to fund financial aid and programming; strengthening the annual Dana Fund for current-year needs; renovating the Upper School classroom building to enhance project-based learning; fostering community impact and experiential opportunities; and completing Sisters Field with a state‑of‑the‑art turf athletic facility. Using a full spectrum of giving options—from one-time, multi-year, planned, and legacy gifts to naming opportunities—the Advancement team has successfully engaged alumnae, parents, and friends to support Dana Hall’s vision for an enduring, transformative educational future.

Leadership Spotlight

Betsy Rigby – Director of Development

Betsy Rigby
Director of Development

Betsy Rigby has worked in the field of fundraising in the Boston area for over 30 years for both small nonprofits and for the largest healthcare system in the state, both as a staff member and as a consultant, and in both frontline and managerial roles. For the Partners HealthCare system, she created the first talent management program in healthcare in the area. As a consultant, she worked with clients as diverse as St Jude's Children's Research Hospital, California State University Long Beach, and the Salvation Army. At Dana Hall, she is working with parent and alumnae donors to complete the school's largest campaign and teaches a class on philanthropy to seniors. She has been active in professional organizations her whole career, having served on the boards of the Association of Fundraising Professionals and Women in Development of Greater Boston and as the Development Chair for the Group for Institutional Advancement of the AAMC. She currently serves on the distribution committees of three grant-making organizations. She holds a Bachelor's from Tufts University and a Master's from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Betsy will assume the role of Chief Advancement Officer March 1, 2027.

The Opportunity: Major Gifts Officer

Dana Hall – Major Gifts Officer – Job Description (PDF Download)

Position Summary

Dana Hall School seeks an accomplished, relationship-driven Major Gifts Officer to advance the School’s philanthropic priorities through strategic donor engagement and frontline fundraising. This role is responsible for managing and growing a portfolio of major gift prospects, including current parents, past parents, and alumnae, with a focus on securing gifts of $10,000 and above for the annual fund and other institutional priorities.

The Major Gifts Officer will cultivate meaningful relationships across the community, re-engage alumnae, and develop thoughtful, audience-specific strategies that align donor interests with Dana Hall’s mission and vision. The ideal candidate will bring a strong track record of major gift success, cultural fluency, excellent collaboration skills, and a deep commitment to building community and fostering inclusive practices.

Reports to: Director of Development

Responsibilities, Qualifications, and Expectations

Key Responsibilities:

Managing a portfolio of alumnae and parent donors and prospects with an emphasis on individual donor relationships, solicitations, and stewardship; conducting regular prospect meetings (4-6 per month) with the goal of qualifying and soliciting major gifts ($10,000 +) for the Dana Fund, the endowment and other priorities in order to increase donations from the portfolio at least 10% annually
Holding at least six planned giving conversations with prospects annually
Collaborating with the Director of Alumnae Relations to support reunion committees in their fundraising efforts, identifying fundraising targets and class gift designations, increasing the alumnae donor participation rate each year and soliciting those who attended reunion but have not yet given
Meeting with 15-20 new families to introduce them to the work of the department at the start of the school year
Planning and implementing outreach and engagement efforts that focus on Young Alumnae including the annual Young Alumnae Challenge, creating its giving page and outreach strategies, resulting in increased participation annually
Planning and conducting regular college visits to engage young alumnae
Managing the Alumnae Instagram account, developing content, posting regularly and expanding the number of followers in collaboration with the Director of Alumnae Relations
Within the STAR club, managing the club for seniors each year, achieving at least 90% participation by seniors in their class gift
Developing and implementing strategies for approaching alumnae who have been designated Daughters of Wealth
Participating and contributing with colleagues on new programs and initiatives within Advancement
Developing timely and relevant institutional knowledge to create and implement solicitation and stewardship strategies for prospects
Entering activity in Raiser’s Edge/RE NXT and generating reports as needed
Working collaboratively with the entire Advancement team and especially with the other front-line fundraisers as well as the Director of Alumnae Relations
Participating in and contributing to Advancement team meetings
Attending relevant Dana Hall events, which may include limited travel, as well as evenings and weekends, as necessary
Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

Bachelor’s degree required.
Minimum of three years of fundraising and donor management experience required.
Previous volunteer management experience required.
Proficiency with a variety of computing systems required.
Knowledge of data management systems and processes preferred.
Experience with Blackbaud or other relevant fundraising database solutions preferred.
Commitment to Dana Hall School’s mission and values.

Personal Attributes:

Successful candidates will demonstrate:

Excellent customer service and relationship-management skills.
Strong collaborative skills, with a clear team-oriented approach.
Excellent time-management skills, with the ability to manage multiple tasks and projects simultaneously while meeting deadlines and maintaining high-quality work.
Strong organizational skills, with exceptional attention to detail and the ability to develop effective action plans to achieve goals.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
High level of discretion and sound judgement in handling sensitive and confidential information.

Dana Hall seeks candidates who will contribute to and are committed to diversity and multicultural educational practices.

Compensation:

This is a full-time position with a salary range of $70,000-$85,000, commensurate with experience.

Applications & Nominations

Dana Hall School has partnered with Boyden. For more information about this opportunity or to submit a cover letter and resume, please email:

Lisa Vuona
Managing Partner, Boston
lvuona@boyden.com
LinkedIn

Lisa Vuona has decades of experience in executive search and human resource management, primarily in the non-profit, healthcare and education sectors. She is distinguished by her track record and network, and by her approach, which combines the strategic power of data with a finely tuned ability to understand the client’s organization and identify high-caliber leaders who fit the culture.

Leslie Smith
Senior Associate, Boston
leslie.smith@boyden.com
LinkedIn

Leslie Smith has helped numerous individuals and organizations achieve their goals. She works with non-profits and educational institutions, helping to define leadership needs and connecting them with the right talent. Along with extensive knowledge of the non-profit sector, she has a passion for strengthening mission-driven organizations and advancing diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging.

Don’t check off all the boxes or meet every single requirement? We have learned that potential candidates hesitate when applying for a job unless they meet every single requirement. Boyden Boston is dedicated to inclusivity and valuing diversity and equity in the workplace. If this opportunity excites you, but your background may not be a perfect match, we still encourage you to apply.