Director of Development and Fundraising

The Director of Development and Fundraising is a key member of Startcare’s senior leadership (SLT) team and is primarily responsible for ensuring the agency’s financial growth, stability, and programmatic success through effective multi-year resource fund development strategies in alignment with the organization’s mission and values.

The Director of Development and Fundraising collaborates with leadership to define the agency’s fundraising goals and provides boots on the ground leadership and oversight of all philanthropic support and program development activities, including major gifts, governmental, planned giving, grants, annual giving, special events, communications, and stewardship, aligned with StartCare’s annual operations.

Essential Functions

• Develop and operationalize the fund development strategy, donor programs, and long and short-term fundraising goals to support programmatic success and agency viability.
• Establish performance measures, monitor results, and evaluate the efficacy of the fund development program.
• Manage the fund development function efficiently and oversee development activities.
• Identify and address development issues that affect the well-being and effectiveness of the organization and development strategy.
• Engage elected officials and their offices for collaboration on community initiatives and funding opportunities.
• Oversee the public funding application and grant process on the local, state, and federal level.
• Research, pursue, and secure appropriate city contracts while working closely with the Program and Strategy department.
• Engage relevant non-profit organizations, religious institutions, government agencies to establish community partnerships and referral pathways of participants into StartCare programs.
• Work with the Board of Trustees to maximize Board giving and participation as well as to recruit new Board members.
• Cultivate, attracts, manage, and retain a balanced portfolio of corporate and private donors; continuously identify engage, and convert prospects.
• Coordinate and oversee a stewardship program in collaboration with the fund development team.
• Create the annual fundraising calendar and oversee fundraising events including the annual Gala.
• Collaborate with the development team to identify and pursue funding opportunities; oversee grant writing initiatives.
• Foster a culture of philanthropy within StartCare and donor communities through volunteerism, targeted communication, and active engagement.
• Maintain donor and financial records in accordance with general accounting and fundraising standards.
• Increase visibility of StartCare’s development activities and maintain good public relations.
• Ensure the design and development of marketing activities; oversee the development and dissemination of donor communication, the Annual Report, and other strategic stakeholder messaging.
• Lead the Fund Development Committee, establish the Fund Development Charter, and serve as the thought leader with StartCare’s Board of Directors, and external stakeholders, including government agencies.
• Participate in the development, implementation, and monitoring of StartCare’s annual operating budget; set and manage the budget for the fund development division, including campaign budgets, and collaborate with the Chief Financial Officer and Human Resources on divisional workforce and compensation planning.
• Build and manage a high-performing team to support fundraising operations; align team performance with agency objectives and fundraising goals.
• Formalize the standard operating procedures for fund development and establish policies to achieve best practices, accountability, and compliance with all regulations and laws, the code of ethics for fundraising professionals, as well as StartCare’s mission and values.
• Keep abreast of developments in philanthropy and fund development and participate in seminars and workshops to support role success.
• Other duties as requested and needed.
  
  

Required Qualifications & Competencies

• Bachelor’s degree in business administration, marketing, or a related field.
• 5 years of progressive experience in fund development with a proven record of success in securing public dollars.
• Solid Understanding of the city and state legislative and funding process, timeline, committees, application process (discretionary and capital), and relevant guidelines/rules.
• Experience overseeing and executing small- and large-scale development events including classic fundraisers as well as targeted engagement and cultivation opportunities.
• In-depth knowledge of fundraising principles and governance, as well as a foundational understanding of nonprofit accounting, budgeting, and financial nonprofit reporting.
• Expert communication skills, as well as writing, analytical, and research skills to craft clear and compelling funding proposals and strategic communication content.
• Skilled negotiator, decision maker, problem solver and project manager.
• Dynamic leader with a high emotional quotient, and demonstrated success in fostering a cohesive, diverse, high-performing team.
• Ability to prioritize and handle multiple projects on an ongoing basis.
• Ability to work well independently within a team environment.
• Commitment to StartCare’s mission.
• Working knowledge of MS Office applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
  
  

Preferred Qualification

• Master’s degree in business administration, non-profit management, or a related field.
• Certification as a fundraising executive (CFRE).
• Knowledge of the mental health and substance use crisis in general as it relates to New York
  
  

PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES

• A strong evidence-based/data-driven mindset with an aptitude for analytics; demonstrated ability to structure, visualize, and analyze data.
• Deadline-focused and able to understand the need for a quality product delivered on time.
• Enterprising individual- Well-developed emotional intelligence, generational savvy, and be energized by innovation and change management in a fast-paced, rapidly changing environment with some level of ambiguity.
• Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills are needed to effectively share and engage the entire organization.
  
  

Additional Requirements

Able to work outside the traditional hours of 9:00 am to 5:00 pm upon request.

Supervisory Responsibilities

This position may supervise staff and volunteers.

Travel Requirements

Significant travel (>25%) is required to fulfill the responsibilities of this role.