Ave Maria School of Law seeks a Chief Development Officer to lead and execute a sustainable development program that broadens the base of philanthropic support for Ave Maria School of Law (Ave Law), particularly for major gifts of $50,000 and above. The Chief Development Officer will provide direct support to the Dean, administrative leadership, faculty, and central and school-based development staff to meet fundraising goals and build affinity in support of philanthropic priorities. The Chief Development Officer will identify, qualify, cultivate, solicit, and steward a portfolio of 100 to 120 major gift prospects while developing and executing a strategy to identify, qualify, cultivate, solicit, and steward gifts up to and exceeding $1 million. To be successful, the Chief Development Officer will collaborate closely with fellow fundraisers, deans, department heads, faculty, and administrative staff to achieve fundraising goals and work closely with prospect research, and development and alumni relations colleagues to identify, cultivate, and track major gift prospects. The Chief Development Officer will play a critical role in developing meaningful connections with alumni, parents, and friends of Ave Law while developing strategies to move them through the donor continuum, resulting in more robust engagement and philanthropic support, including outright and planned gifts.

Ave Maria School of Law is a Catholic law school dedicated to educating lawyers with the finest professional skills. Inspired by Pope John Paul II’s encyclical Fides et Ratio, Ave Law offers a distinctive legal education—an education characterized by the harmony of faith and reason. Formed by outstanding professional training and a distinctive educational philosophy, Ave Maria’s graduates are equipped for leading positions in law firms, corporate legal offices, the judiciary, and national, state, and local government. Ave Law offers an outstanding legal education in fidelity to the Catholic Faith, as expressed through Sacred Tradition, Sacred Scripture, and the teaching authority of the Church. University legal education began in Catholic universities, and Catholic law schools have been the bearers of a tradition that safeguards the dignity of the human person and the common good. Ave Law affirms Catholic legal education’s traditional emphasis on the only secure foundation for human freedom—the natural law written on the heart of every human being. Ave Maria affirms the need for society to rediscover those human and moral truths that flow from the nature of the human person and that safeguard human freedom. Ave Maria School of Law recognizes the central and indispensable role of the Ordinary of the Diocese of Venice in promoting and assisting in the preservation and strengthening of its Catholic identity.

"While many law schools prioritize rankings or prestige, Ave Law prioritizes values. We focus on the natural law—the moral foundation written on the heart of every human being—and empower our students to approach the legal profession with a profound respect for human dignity and justice. Ave Law was founded to train lawyers who will change the world. I am confident that our graduates go out into the world as well-trained, faith-filled lawyers eager to make their mark." — John Czarnetzky, Chief Executive Officer and Dean

For more information, including core competencies and qualifications, please refer to the full prospectus.