Director of Development and Communications

Organizational Overview:

CASA-NYC is a volunteer-based, not-for-profit organization that provides advocacy for children and youth involved in New York City child welfare proceedings. Our mission is to ensure children and youth involved in the child welfare system have their needs met and rights protected, and children in foster care move into safe and permanent homes as quickly as possible. The children, youth and families we serve have been impacted by intergenerational trauma, structural racism and chronic poverty. We are actively working to fully integrate trauma-informed, anti-racist principles into our work. We partner with family members and their allies to support them in overcoming barriers to safety, stability and family reunification and achieving equitable outcomes.

We strongly encourage candidates fluent in multiple languages and candidates from groups that have historically experienced oppression to apply. We are committed to advancing racial justice and civil rights in our advocacy, and we value the dynamism and perspective that staff diversity, equity, and inclusion bring to the work and culture of our organization. We strive to promote behaviors, attitudes and policies that enable us to work inclusively and effectively in cross-cultural situations with clients, co-workers, and community partners. We actively recruit and seek to grow and maintain a staff that is diverse along many axes, including but not limited to race, ethnicity, and national origin; disability; socioeconomic background; and sexual orientation and gender identity; and to develop a pathway to leadership opportunities for people from historically oppressed populations.

Position Description:

The Director of Development & Communications plays a crucial role in the organization by providing strong and strategic leadership for all aspects of fundraising and communications. Their primary objective is to create significant awareness about the organization's work and garner active engagement and support from funders. They report directly to the Executive Director and work closely with the board of directors, senior staff members, and consultants to manage all external communications and fundraising-related activities. With a current team of 2-3 members under their supervision, the Director of Development & Communications also manages outsourced development support with an unwavering commitment to excellence.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and execute strategies for the cultivation, solicitation and stewardship of current and prospective donors, with a focus on cultivating new major donors and corporate donors
• Develop cultivation and stewardship plans that create a high-quality donor experience including: regular correspondence, thoughtful donor engagement and invitations, professional proposals, mailings, and acknowledgements
• Plan and execute two major fundraising events annually, our spring benefit and fall luncheon, as well as several smaller donor engagement events, with the support of board development  committee
• Provide staff and board with comprehensive fundraising data to guide the implementation of our strategic plan
• Serve as staff liaison to the development committee of the board of directors
• Work closely with consultants and board development  committee to assist with planning, organizing and producing fundraising and donor engagement events 
• Ensure the integrity and accuracy of the donor database
• Identify grant opportunities and oversee grants calendar. Oversee the grant development process including identifying grant opportunities, overseeing grants calendar, writing,  reviewing and editing grant proposals and reports as needed
• Develop creative and compelling digital and print communications strategies utilizing a range of tools; build and maintain a strong presence on social media; develop brochures, newsletters, press releases, and appeal letters that educate the community and promote the organization
• Prepare and send written communication for members of the board of directors, associate board, donors, partners and stakeholders as needed 
• Build relationships with key journalists and manage press and other external inquiries as needed.
• Work closely with board marketing committee to leverage board members’ expertise and experience in this area,  gather input/recommendation and implement when appropriate, and keep board apprised of relevant metrics  
• Provide effective supervision to a development associate, a communications associate, and a development & communications coordinator

Qualifications: 

• Minimum 7-10 years of experience as a successful development professional with in-depth knowledge of all aspects of fundraising and communications
• A successful track record of cultivation, solicitation and stewardship of major gifts and corporatedonors
• Extensive fundraising event planning experience
• Knowledge of NYC and national fundraising landscape 
• Exceptional written and oral communications skills  
• Strong time management skills and ability to establish priorities and meet deadlines 
• Ability to cultivate  strong relationships with members of the board of directors, staff, donors and other stakeholders
• Highly organized, detail-oriented, and reliable 
• Familiarity with common donor database and fundraising software
• Ability to take initiative and work independently, and to adapt to shifting priorities
• Ability to work flexible hours – some evenings required (up to several times/month) for board meetings, fundraising events and other functions
• Demonstrated commitment to principles of diversity, equity and inclusion

CASA-NYC is a partner project of the Fund for the City of New York. We are an equal opportunity employer and encourage people of color, immigrants, LGBTQ-identified and differently-abled candidates to apply.

Salary ranges from $113,252-$143,457 commensurate with experience. A competitive benefits package includes a 401(k) retirement plan with a 2:1 match, health, dental and vision insurance, flexible spending accounts, pre-tax transit costs and a generous paid time off package including 20 vacation days. The Director of Development and Communications will have a hybrid work environment, working 2-3 days each from home and from CASA-NYC’s office at 48 Wall Street.

Please follow these instructions in order to be considered for the position:

To apply email jobs@casa-nyc.org with “Director of Development and Communications” in the subject line. Please send a resume and detailed cover letter explaining your interest, passion, and experience, with a specific answer to the following required question:

How have your background and experiences, professional or otherwise, prepared you to contribute to CASA-NYC's ongoing efforts to increase diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace, and/or to advocate for justice for children and families disproportionately impacted by the child welfare system?

Feel free to think broadly about your response to this question, applying various aspects of your life, personal and professional experiences. Please also reference in your cover letter where you saw this posting.

A competitive benefits package includes a 401(k) retirement plan with a 2:1 match, health, dental and vision insurance, flexible spending accounts, pre-tax transit costs and a generous paid time off package including 20 vacation days. The Director of Development and Communications will have a hybrid work environment, working 2-3 days each from home and from CASA-NYC’s office at 48 Wall Street.