Do you enjoy “moving the needle” in the nonprofit world? Engaging constituencies personally, with events, and through sophisticated communications online and traditional? Developing meaningful relationships with donors, partnering with them to advance the institution with gifts large and small? Fishburne Military School, the oldest (1879) and smallest all-male military boarding school in Virginia, seeks a new fundraising professional to serve as its Director of Advancement. The Director of Advancement reports to the president who is a seasoned fundraiser eager to support the Advancement Office in growing annual and capital giving.
FMS serves young men in grades 6 – 12 with an optimal enrollment between 150 – 175 cadets. Day students typically comprise one quarter of the student body and there are a small number of international students. Grades 6-8 comprise Fishburne Middle School a separate all boys day school outside the Corps of Cadets. Fishburne has over 5,000 constituents in its database, mostly alumni but also parents, parents of alumni, grandparents, former employees, and friends. Advancement efforts have produced between $500K - $750K in annual giving in recent years from more than 300 donors. There is prime opportunity to improve this. While capital campaigns have been modest at $4-6M, recent single gifts of $4.5M in 2019 to build a new field house and $1M in 2023 toward barracks renovations indicate significant capacity within the constituency.
The Director of Advancement at FMS supervises a staff of three. There are two support personnel split between database management and alumni relations and a digital marketing specialist who also manages an array of publications. Hiring an Annual Fund Director is under consideration. Major events on campus over the course of a school year include parents’ weekends (fall and winter), graduation, special military parades, and Alumni Weekend in April which is well attended. The director works closely with the Fishburne Military School Alumni Association (FMSAA) on this weekend and other areas of mutual interest. The Advancement Office is located in a well-appointed renovated house across the street from the main campus.
The ideal candidate will be a dynamic young or mid-career professional with significant fundraising experience, preferably in an independent school who is ready to advance in their career. A senior advancement professional looking for a new setting, especially one with untapped potential would also be a great fit. An undergraduate degree is required and working knowledge of Blackbaud Raisers’ Edge NXT is desirable. Military experience is not essential. Compensation and benefits are consistent with other small boarding schools. Some remote work is negotiable. Interested persons should send a letter of interest and resume to Colonel Randal E. Brown (VA), President at rbrown@fishburne.org
Located in downtown Waynesboro, Virginia, in the bucolic Shenandoah Valley 30 minutes from Charlottesville, Fishburne Military School is a private non-profit non-sectarian boarding school for boys in grades 7 – 12. Ideal enrollment is between 150 – 175 cadets comprised mostly of domestic boarders but also including day and international students. It is governed by an independent board of trustees comprised of alumni and past parents. Fishburne is the oldest military boarding school in Virginia (1879) and the board is committed to its small scale and all male mission. When founded, FMS was modeled after nearby Virginia Military Institute and Fishburne’s iconic barracks quadrangle reflects this. The relationship between the two schools remains close. As a non-sectarian school, the FMS Army JROTC program is part of US Army Cadet Command and rated an honor school of distinction. FMS is accredited by VAIS and is a member of NAIS, TABS, & CASE..
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Fishburne embraces its new brand … We see wh...at’s great in you. The student body is comprised of a core of young men with an affinity for the military and a desire to get an early start on this career. Along with this group are many other boys who were overlooked in their previous settings and not growing to their potential. With its small scale and structure, individual attention, and dedicated faculty and military staff, all of whom understand leveraging relationships to develop young men; Fishburne excels at enabling its cadets to reach their full potential. FMS has a conventional college prep curriculum, but one which is evolving in new and exciting ways with community partners and to develop life skills in our boys. Required athletics and physical training produce not just resilient young men but several each year who go on to play collegiate sports. The vast majority of FMS graduates will go on to civilian higher education. A significant number each year do matriculate to one of the US Service Academies or military colleges. Several each year earn valuable ROTC scholarships. Some boys will elect military enlistment to obtain GI Bill benefits before going to college and still others may pursue specialized technical training.
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FMS is a small close-knit community that feels like family and this is certainly true of the employees. Most FMS administrators, faculty, and staff are dedicated educators without military experience. The personnel of the Army JROTC Department and Commandant’s Office all possess military backgrounds and direct the Corps of Cadets. In the spirit of “bricks & mortar do not a school make”, our professionals are a great strength.
