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Director of Development

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Director of Development

Montclair Kimberley Academy

Onsite Montclair, New Jersey

Montclair Kimberley Academy (MKA) is a premier independent day school in Montclair, New Jersey, serving approximately 1,040 students from junior kindergarten through grade 12. With three campuses, MKA offers an innovative, college-preparatory curriculum rooted in the motto “Knowledge, Vision, and Integrity.” Faculty emphasize individualized attention, fostering ethical development, intellectual growth, and personal success.

Founded in 1974 through the merger of Montclair Academy and the Kimberley School, MKA is committed to academic rigor and holistic student development. Its programs in arts, athletics, STEM, and character education prepare students for purposeful lives of confidence, leadership, and distinction. A strong and inclusive community ensures that students graduate ready to thrive in higher education and beyond.

The Opportunity

Montclair Kimberley Academy seeks a dynamic and strategic Director of Development (DoD) to lead all fundraising and community engagement activities in support of its mission. Reporting directly to the Head of School and serving on the Administrative Council, the DoD will play a critical role in shaping the future of philanthropy at MKA.

The Director will partner closely with the Head of School, Board of Trustees, and senior leadership to establish long-term fundraising goals and guide an upcoming capital campaign. They will oversee a team of 7.5 development professionals, manage a personal portfolio of major gift prospects, and advance a culture of philanthropy across the school community.

This is a moment of opportunity to build on MKA’s strong fundraising history, which recently included raising $4.2 million in fiscal year 2024. With a highly engaged community, a commitment to access and diversity, and a new era of institutional priorities, the DoD will have the chance to inspire transformational giving, grow the philanthropic pipeline, and shape MKA’s future impact.

The ideal candidate will bring extensive campaign leadership experience, creativity in donor engagement, and proven success in closing major gifts. Independent school or higher education experience is desirable, as is the ability to thrive in a complex, fast-paced environment with diplomacy, vision, and collaboration.

The salary range for this role is $175,000 – $215,000.

Montclair Kimberley Academy
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    By admin|2025-09-02T21:12:10-04:00September 2, 2025|Comments Off on Director of Development

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    A respected professional services leader and a sought-after advisor to organizations across the nonprofit sector, Jackie Sullivan draws on an extensive toolkit of problem-solving strategies to consistently deliver innovative solutions and actionable recommendations for her clients. With a focus on tactical implementation, big-picture thinking, and high-touch relationships with stakeholders, she has earned the trust of numerous organizations engaged in life-changing work around the world.

    Known for approaching challenges with tenacity and determination, Jackie brings a wealth of experience in independent school, higher education, and global and social nonprofit leadership and consulting that positions her as the ideal partner for recruiting top-tier talent.

    Expertise

    Jackie’s core strengths lie in her profound understanding of organizations and their operational intricacies, coupled with her ability to assess and fulfill the unique needs of development offices within these institutions. Her deep well of knowledge regarding the inner workings of institutions allows her to navigate their complexities with precision and insight, while her breadth of experience gives her an industry-level perspective.

    Jackie has partnered with the full range of independent schools, including boarding and day schools, faith-based schools, single-gender schools, and specialty programs, as well as an array of higher education, global, and social nonprofits.

    Experience

    Jackie’s experience as a seasoned development officer within independent schools and higher education, as well as her extensive experience as a strategic consultant partnering with these institutions, uniquely positions her as a top expert and advisor for leaders in education.

    Before joining Lindauer, Jackie honed her expertise in navigating the complexities of a range of educational and nonprofit environments working both in-house in development offices at institutions like Syracuse University, the Pingry School, and Delbarton School as well as externally as a principal consultant at Graham-Pelton, a global leader in nonprofit consulting.

    Her commitment to the field includes serving on the Board of Directors for The Giving Institute and, previously, on the board of the Morris Education Foundation.

    Education

    Jackie holds a BA in Math and Psychology from Syracuse University.

    Josh Maker brings to Lindauer and its clients significant global philanthropic consulting and project management experience in the nonprofit sector.

    Prior to joining Lindauer, Josh played a key role in advancing alumni and donor engagement at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. He partnered with institutional leaders and volunteer committees to design and deliver flagship reunion programs that strengthened the School’s philanthropic pipeline and deepened alumni commitment.

    Josh also spent several years at Grenzebach Glier and Associates (GG+A) where he served in multiple roles. As the Executive Director of Consulting Resources, Josh was a member of the firm’s senior leadership council and led a team in Chicago of 10 professionals in delivering client reports, presentations, and trainings. As the Chief of Staff to the President, he worked in close partnership with GG+A’s President and senior leadership to deliver on the firm’s strategic initiatives, as well as supporting the President in all of her client engagements. In the role of Senior Project Manager at GG+A, Josh managed upwards of 20 client projects at a time, ranging in sectors from arts and culture, academic medicine and healthcare, higher education, independent schools, to voluntary sectors.

    Josh has partnered with a number of clients including; Art Institute of Chicago, Brooklyn Law School, Carnegie Mellon University, Cancer Research UK, Charlotte Country Day School, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Drexel University, Esade Business School (Barcelona), Fuller Theological Seminary, Houston Methodist Hospital Foundation, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Philadelphia Museum of Art, San Francisco Conservatory of Music, Sidwell Friends School, Tate, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, University of Queensland, and the University of Toronto.

    Josh holds a Master of Arts in Cultural and Creative Industries from King’s College London, and Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from Kent State University.

    As Senior Search Administrator and Executive Assistant, Dianne Cullinane acts as the liaison between Lindauer clients, candidates and consultants. She provides high-level strategic coordination and detailed administrative, client service and communications support to facilitate each search, balancing an array of clients and assignments.

    Dianne brings over 35 years-experience as an Executive Administrative Assistant, with a decade of those years spent in higher education fundraising. Dianne began her time at Simmons in the President’s Office, working with the Board of Trustees, Corporators and President’s Council. She learned all aspects of fundraising as the Executive Assistant to the Vice President of Advancement at Simmons College while earning her Bachelor’s degree. She also served as Associate Director of Institutional Programs and Special Events in her tenure at Simmons, handling all the strategy, planning and implementation of all institutional events. Known for her high level of organization and relationship-building, she facilitated cross-campus collaboration, helped build external visibility for the university’s brand, and identified opportunities for new events and expanded audience engagement. Before Simmons, Dianne worked at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts supporting the Senior Vice President of Corporate Relations, at Choate Hall & Stewart in the corporate legal arena, and in the Human Resources office of The Ritz-Carlton Boston.

    Dianne holds a Bachelor’s in Psychology from Simmons University in Boston, Massachusetts.

    Ali McLane has been a fundraising operations consultant for over 20 years, specializing in prospect screening development, analysis and implementation. As one of the original owners of Prospect Information Networks,’ P!N, the screening product that ultimately became ResearchPoint, Ali developed the first comprehensive vetting and implementation program for screening results, working with over 500 clients. Prospect Information Network was ultimately acquired by Blackbaud in 2008. In her research and analytics consultant role at Lindauer, Ali plays a leadership data architect role for the firm, driving our client-facing research capabilities, developing best practices for candidate pool development, and adjusting those practices as industry and technology evolve.

    In 2008, Ali began her career as an operations consultant, working for Dini Partners, then Bentz, Whaley, Flessner, as Senior Consultant. Chairing the Fundraising Operations certification program at Rice University Center for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Leadership, has allowed Ali to continue her love of teaching, which started as a public speaking instructor and Speech & Debate Coach at Texas Tech University. At Rice CPNL, Ali’s focus is Prospect Research, Donor Relations classes, and mentoring the students working toward the certification.

    Ali is a co-founder, past president, and board member of the Southwest Chapter of the Association of Professional Researchers (APRA). She is past president of APRA of Greater Houston and is a charter member of the Association of Advancement Services Professionals (AASP), serving on their prospect development best practices committee. Ali is a volunteer with APRA International, serving on the 2010 Nominating committee, the 2011 APRA International Conference Curriculum Planning Committee, and the 2013 on-line education committee. She is a frequent conference presenter, including APRA, AFP, CASE, AHP, and specialized fundraising organizations. Ali also serves on The Emerald Circle Executive Committee 2019 – 2021 for the Girl Scouts of San Jacinto as Vice President.

    Ali holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Communications Studies from Texas Tech University. She is an active member of the Texas Tech University College of Media and Communication Advisory Board.

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