The Organization
Prep for Prep is an education and leadership development program that creates ethical and effective leaders who reflect our diverse society. Prep identifies New York City’s most promising students of color, prepares them for success at the nation’s top independent schools throughout the Northeast, and supports their academic and personal growth through college graduation. Today, over 5,000 students and alumni in the Prep for Prep Community are leaders in every field imaginable.
Position Overview
Are you looking to make a measurable impact on the lives of the students and communities Prep serves? Do you like to take on complex challenges and find creative solutions? Do you consider yourself a life-long learner who has intense professional will and humility to continually advance your professional development and leadership skills? If you possess these qualities and appreciate rigorous standards, values, structures, and best practices, then you will find working at Prep to be a most fulfilling and highly rewarding experience.
Prep for Prep seeks a Director of Development to expand fundraising potential by identifying new sources, deepening donor relationships, and securing major gifts to meet organizational growth and development. Prep is known for its generous and active Board of Trustees—a gold standard in nonprofit leadership—along with its growing Associates Council, Alumni Council, highly committed Prep Alumni Community, dedicated and growing donor base, and top-flight executive leadership, administrative, and programmatic teams.
We are looking for a Director of Development who can provide highest-standard service with high-impact results and can thrive as an adept and effective leader working with the team, across the organization, and with prominent, high-profile volunteers, donors, and community stakeholders.
The Director of Development reports to the Vice President for External Affairs (VP), works collaboratively with the VP, the Director of Alumni Affairs, and the Director of Communications to set short-term and long-term strategic priorities; manages a five-person Development team responsible for raising $12 million+ annually through special events, institutional giving, and individual giving programs; and supports the engagement of the Board of Trustees, Associates Council, and Executive Leadership in fundraising, including prospect identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.
Key Areas of Responsibility:
In collaboration with the Chief Executive, VP for External Affairs, and team directors, set and meet annual fundraising goals through the following objectives and key results:
– Develop and grow Individual Philanthropy through Trustee and Council philanthropic support and fundraising, major gifts, special project initiatives, annual giving programs, and year-end appeals to raise $4 million or more annually. Short-term and long-term strategies for growth will include prospect identification, segmentation strategies/market-based approaches, leveraging all stakeholder connections, meeting volunteer solicitors where they are, leveraging the science of story to build urgency around the case for support, increasing interaction and engagement through a rigorous moves management program, and working closely with the team, executive leadership, and volunteer solicitors to set optimal strategies for targeted cultivation, solicitation, stewardship, and further outcomes management and investment.
– Maintain and expand Corporate and Foundation revenue to raise $3 million or more annually. Growth of Institutional Giving will include continued cultivation and stewardship of traditional private and corporate foundations to attract the full range of grant-making opportunities, development of corporate sponsorships with existing and new partners, and making in-roads to family foundations and family offices by leveraging Trustee, Council, Alumni, and donor business connectivity. In general, Prep’s key stakeholders provide excellent entrée to all of these institutional funders.
– Maximize fundraising potential and donor relationship-building through Prep’s major annual event, The Lilac Ball. This special event—attracting a 1,200+ audience of top-level supporters and their guests, along with partnering and community stakeholders—is expected to meet at least one quarter to one third of the overall annual fundraising goal, currently a minimum net goal of $3 million or more through the Honoree give and raise, Trustee and major donor table sponsorships, individual ticket sales, alumni giving, and an at-event Text-to-Pledge drive.
– Proactively explore new giving opportunities to expand Prep’s long-term base of support and revenue potential, including online giving, programmatic funding, challenge/matching gift schemes, and planned giving programs.
Serve as an effective leader in partnership with the VP and fellow team directors to motivate the team and drive results through the following deliverables:
– Hire, train, guide, and evaluate team members responsible for these pillars of Development: Individual Philanthropy, Institutional Giving, Special Events, and Development Operations.
– Oversee and manage all fundraising consultancies, including the Lilac Ball and any other initiatives or funding campaigns.
– Lead by example, with the VP and Director of Alumni Affairs, in cultivating mid-level and major donors, prospects, and institutional donor contacts with face-to-face meetings, site visits, correspondence, invitations, and constituent introductions to deepen Prep connections.
– Drive Trustee and Council committee work—Nominating, Development, Board Relations, various Associates Council groups, and other ad hoc committees or task forces—in partnership with the Chief Executive and VP to advance objectives and ensure key results to include: securing new sources of revenue; cultivating corporate partnerships; identifying new Trustees, Council members, and Lilac Ball honorees; and deepening donor relations and board engagement.
– Provide creative vision and production leadership, in partnership with the Chief Executive, VP, and Director of Communications, for all fundraising material and other print or digital collateral to tell the Prep story and build the case for support, including the Annual Report, Lilac Ball materials, event invitations, presentations and videos, giving brochures, and more.
Provide overall direction for development operations, and infrastructure needs to ensure the efficiency and efficacy of programs, procedures, and protocols. Areas of infrastructure and operational management include, but are not limited to the following:
– Data Management/Filing Systems – Database/CRM platform(s), including an FY20 migration from Blackbaud’s R.E. 7.9 to NXT; online apps and other giving platforms; traditional donor files and record-keeping.
– CRM/Moves Management – establish portfolio management system in Blackbaud’s NXT using existing liaison structure and building upon all team members as fundraisers with target visits and related goals; set cultivation and solicitation strategies; and target revenue goals.
– Budgeting/Financial/Metrics Reporting – set SMART goals; track revenue and expenses against budget; chart and evaluate metrics through analysis reporting; oversee gift/pledge processing and pledge collection; exercise development/finance best practices for reconciliation and auditing.
– Research – Utilize available online tools and the internet to collect biographical information to assess philanthropic interests and net wealth ratings; establish systems for conducting and collecting research and reporting formats; develop protocols for Trustee, Council, and Executive Leadership review and engagement.
– Stewardship Plan – Execute an effective acknowledgement system to include timely letters, notes, and calls; implement a robust and gratifying touchpoints calendar; develop templates to share Prep stories by mail and e-mail; schedule and plan visits; produce cultivation and fulfillment events; ensure timely follow-through; and develop other unique opportunities for donors to experience the program at work.
Skills, Experience, Competencies:
– BA required with a minimum of 5-7 years or more of development experience with increasing responsibilities and goals, and demonstrated fundraising results.
– Superb written, oral, and interpersonal skills, and consistently high attention to detail.
– Impeccable time management, follow-through, and flexibility in executing development program.
– Creative, start-up, self-driven, and ideal-team-play attitude—demonstrating humility, hunger, and people smarts.
– Astute and attentive donor and volunteer service mentality, exercising discretion, and excellent judgement in handling confidential information and in alignment with organization objectives.
– Highly organized and inspiring team leader with prior supervisory experience, building vulnerability-based trust, healthy conflict, active commitment, accountability, and focus on results.
– Functional knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher, Adobe), Google Docs, and familiarity/ease with online applications for expense reporting and operational needs.
– Experience with Blackbaud’s Raiser’s Edge 7.9 and NXT or similar donor data management software preferred.
– Cultural competencies working with diverse constituents, including alumni, donors, trustees, direct program service participants, and other stakeholders.
Prep for Prep does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sexual orientation, or ethnic or national origin and is an equal opportunity employer.
How To Apply
Please email a cover letter and resume with the subject line “Director of Development” to personnel@prepforprep.org and kgreene@prepforprep.org.