Title: Director of Development
Reports to: Chief Development Officer, Growth and Expansion
Department: Development & Communications
Location: New York, NY
Hours per week: 35 hours
Remote Status: On-Site
Classification: Full-Time, Exempt
About the Organization
Children of Promise, NYC’s (CPNYC) reimagines a just society that values the purpose of every child impacted by mass incarceration and removes barriers to create opportunities for children to thrive and achieve their full potential. CPNYC’s mission is to support and advocate for the children of incarcerated parents while speaking out against root causes that affect the communities we serve, including systemic racism, poverty, and bias in our nation’s criminal justice system. CPNYC has successfully developed an innovative model, the only one of its kind in New York City, which co-locates a licensed mental health clinic and children’s centers in Bedford Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, and the South Bronx. CPNYC provides an array of youth development programming and services tailored to each child’s individual strengths and challenges and fosters a unique uplifting environment to foster hope and resilience.
Position Overview: The Director of Development leads CPNYC’s fundraising and communications efforts and serves as an ambassador and resource generator for the organization. Reporting to the Chief Development Officer, Growth and Expansion, the Director of Development elevates CPNYC’s vision and mission to diverse audiences and inspires engagement from donors, sponsors, funders, volunteers, and community partners.
The Director of Development is a hands-on senior leader who develops, implements, and oversees strategic fundraising and communications campaigns, community engagement, and special events to reach the organization’s revenue goals. The Director networks and builds relationships with people in the criminal justice reform movement, seeks opportunities for community partnership, and creates opportunities to host community events such as panel discussions and speaking engagements for the CEO and other key staff. The Director of Development supervises the Communication Specialist, Volunteer Engagement Manager, Corporate Engagement Manager, Grant Writer, and Development Associate.
Essential Job Functions
Development Management and Team Leadership
- Create and implement a development and communications plan that increases funding and grows and diversifies the funding base
- Manage the development and communications team, and work effectively with consultants and with the finance and program teams
- Supervise, develop, and support the Communication Specialist, Volunteer Engagement Manager, Corporate Engagement Manager, Grant Writer, and Development Associate
- Report regularly to the Chief Development Officer, the CEO, and the Board of Directors on the progress of the development program
- Work in partnership with the Fundraising Committee and Marketing Committee of the Board of Directors, the Young Professionals Council, and the Women’s Philanthropy Group
- Participate in the budget process and funding plan for the organization
Individual Giving
- Oversee the individual giving program, working closely with senior leadership, the Board, and stakeholders to build the donor base at all giving levels through major gifts, special appeals, monthly giving, cultivation, and special events
- Build a monthly giving program and a major gift program
- Identify, cultivate, and track major donors, and develop engagement strategies that build lasting donor partnerships
- Partner with the Chief Development Officer and the CEO to build a major donor prospect pipeline, including a stewardship plan and touch-point events
- Develop a regular schedule of donor cultivation and stewardship strategies and tactics
- Guide the Board and fundraising committees to maximize relationships and support solicitation strategies
- Review and refine individual donor, annual giving, and Board fundraising campaigns
Corporate Partnership
- Leverage existing corporate relationships and identify and cultivate new corporate engagement opportunities
- Build a pipeline of potential corporate partners, and conduct the research, decks, proposals, and letters needed to conduct outreach
- Work with the Volunteer Engagement Manager to create volunteer engagements and maximize corporate volunteer experiences during Days of Service
- Solicit sponsorship in support of special events and community activities
Foundation Grants
- Work with the Grant Writer and senior leadership to build a pipeline of private, family, and corporate foundations through research and cultivation strategies
- Establish meetings with foundation leads, engage foundations in program thought leadership activities, and write letters of inquiry
- Ensure the development of prospects and the consistent and timely submission of grant proposals and reports
- Work with the finance and program teams to provide budgets, data reports, and supporting documents for submission and reporting
Special Events
- Conceptualize and lead the production and execution of the annual spring event, including program content and special guests, corporate sponsor recruitment, and engagement of the Host Committee and other stakeholders
- Partner with the team to create special event strategies that engage donor, corporate, and community support
- Oversee peer-to-peer fundraising initiatives and work with the team to build an audience across social media platforms
- Serve as liaison to the Board of Directors and the Young Professionals Council, ensuring the department supports their special event activities
Communications
- Help shape the organization’s communication strategy, and work with the team and the organization’s PR firm, if one is retained, to create and manage communications and outreach program that elevates CPNYC’s profile and engages media, new donors, partners, funders, volunteers, and mentors
- Coordinate media opportunities and public speaking engagements for the CEO and other key staff
- Coordinate interviewing and storytelling with scholars, families, and the CPNYC team
- Ensure consistent and regular engagement on digital platforms and email, and work with the graphics team on public education and marketing materials
- Work with staff to increase the visibility of CPNYC’s program model and support participant recruitment at the Brooklyn and Bronx locations
Data and Reporting
- Maintain accurate Salesforce records of donations, donor information, and fundraising activity, applying Moves Management practice across the donor portfolio
- Oversee the databases and software used to run development and communications operations
- Provide regular updates to senior leadership on fundraising progress and outcomes
Required Knowledge, Skill and Experience
Education and Experience:
- Bachelor’s degree in nonprofit management, business administration, communications, or a related field, or equivalent work and life experience; advanced degree preferred
- Minimum of five years of development, fundraising, communications, and nonprofit management experience; seven or more years preferred
- Demonstrated fundraising accomplishments across individual, corporate, and foundation giving, including soliciting and closing major gifts
- Experience in Board, committee, and volunteer management
- Experience producing and managing special events
- Experience overseeing the databases and software used to run development and communications operations, and proficiency in donor management software and the Microsoft Office Suite
- Relevant experience working with confidential information, with extremely high reliability and integrity
- Adept at digital and social media strategies and platforms, and at engaging donors through digital platforms
- Expertise in engaging the media and in public speaking, with the ability to tell a compelling story to diverse audiences
- Excellent project management, writing, and research skills, with strong attention to detail and the ability to manage multiple projects and simultaneous deadlines
- Entrepreneurial nonprofit mindset, with the ability to conceptualize, strategize, and implement fundraising and communications campaigns that raise visibility and engagement
- A deep appreciation for CPNYC’s work, mission, and population, and commitment to issues related to human rights and social justice
Conditions of Employment
Employment with Children of Promise, NYC is contingent upon the satisfactory completion of all pre-employment requirements, including verification of employment history and professional references, clearance through the New York State Statewide Central Register of Child Abuse and Maltreatment, fingerprint-supported criminal history record checks as required for work with children, and proof of eligibility to work in the United States.
COMPENSATION:
Commensurate with the experience and qualifications of the selected candidate. The salary range for this position is $80,000 to $85,000.00 per annum. CPNYC provides an excellent benefits package including health, dental, vision, life insurance, 403B Plan, and the opportunity to make an impact in the lives of marginalized Black and Brown children and youth in New York City. We are committed to a diverse, socially just, and welcoming work environment and people of color, people with varying abilities, and people of all sexual orientations and gender identities are especially encouraged to apply.
Disclaimer: The statements herein are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by the employee in this position. These statements are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of a person in this position.
Children of Promise, NYC is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, age, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, marital status, pregnancy, religion, citizenship, national origin/ancestry, physical/mental disabilities, military status or any other basis prohibited by law. EOE, M/F/D/V
Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree in nonprofit management, business administration, communications, or a related field, or equivalent work and life experience
- Advanced degree
- Minimum five years of development, fundraising, communications, and nonprofit management experience
- Seven or more years of relevant experience
- Demonstrated fundraising accomplishments across individual, corporate, and foundation giving, including soliciting and closing major gifts
- Experience in board, committee, and volunteer management
- Experience producing and managing special events
- Experience overseeing databases and software used for development and communications operations
- Proficiency in donor management software and Microsoft Office Suite
- Experience handling confidential information with high reliability and integrity
- Digital and social media strategy and platform expertise
- Media engagement and public speaking expertise
- Excellent project management, writing, and research skills
- Strong attention to detail and ability to manage multiple projects and simultaneous deadlines
- Commitment to human rights, social justice, and the organization's mission
- Satisfactory employment history and professional reference verification
- New York State Statewide Central Register of Child Abuse and Maltreatment clearance
- Fingerprint-supported criminal history record check
- Proof of eligibility to work in the United States
What We Do
Children of Promise, NYC is a community-centered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that partners with children and families impacted by mass incarceration. The organization provides an innovative after-school program, summer day camp, and mental health clinic designed to dismantle stigma and heal from trauma, empowering children of incarcerated parents to lead healthy, productive lives and break the cycle of intergenerational involvement in the criminal justice system.
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