Most Important Skills for a Director of Development at Lighthouse Public Schools
A Director of Development's day involves "a variety of things," balancing independent tasks like grant writing with strong interpersonal interactions within the school community. This role, unlike teaching, offers constant novelty and a mix of self-directed work and collaborative strategizing, allowing for engagement with "high wealth donors" and other community members.
Grant Writing, Fundraising, Community Engagement, Strategic Planning, Interpersonal Communication
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Karen Fee
Director of Development
Lighthouse Community Public Schools
University of Southern California, '91
University of Utah, '96, MEd in Eduation
International Relations & Affairs
Education
Education
Scholarship Recipient, Took Out Loans
Video Highlights
1. The day-to-day work is constantly changing and offers variety.
2. The role involves a mix of independent work (e.g., grant writing) and collaboration with school staff and community members.
3. A Director of Development may work with diverse funding sources and stakeholders, balancing grant applications with high-net-worth donor engagement depending on the organization's size and needs.
Transcript
What does the day in the life of a director of development look like?
I was explaining that it's similar to teaching, except you're not around children or students. I taught children, and there's always something new to do. That's one of the things I like about it.
Some people do end up in development work and strictly work with grants or high-wealth donors. I do a little bit of everything because Lighthouse is fairly small.
I also do yard duty once a week. On campus, I interact with teachers a lot. So I get to do a variety of things. It's very interpersonal, but also a lot of work on your own, like in the grant portals.
I like the variety of self-directed work and also work within the school community and with my colleagues, a lot of strategizing work, etc.