Director of Development & Communications

About HPAC

Hunts Point Alliance for Children (HPAC) is a nonprofit organization transforming the lives of children and families in Hunts Point, a vibrant South Bronx neighborhood. Founded in 2006 in response to the low education outcomes of at-risk students in Hunts Point, HPAC pursues the bold mission of expanding the hopes and potential of the neighborhood and its families. We accomplish this by nurturing children and youth along their path to college or career.

HPAC currently directly serves approximately 300 children across broad areas:

• Early Childhood Education builds early learning and executive functioning skills for children ages 0–4.
• Youth Development and Scholarship Support includes HPAC’s Community to Career Pipeline for children in grades 4–12.
• The FamilyProject helps families achieve household stability to provide a nurturing environment for their children.
• Alliance and Community convenes even schools and 17 local organizations to meet neighborhood-wide needs.

The Position

The Director of Development & Communications will lead HPAC’s fundraising and external engagement efforts, driving forward a multi-million annual fundraising goal in collaboration with the Executive Director and Board of Directors. This role is responsible for growing and stewarding individual and corporate donor relationships, helping to source foundation and government grants, and nurturing those funders, ensuring clear, inspiring communication across all channels, and building a robust alumni network.

The Director works cross-functionally with senior leadership to support programmatic funding, organizational sustainability, and visibility. This is a strategic leadership role, ideal for someone who is passionate about equity, community voice, and education, and who thrives in a collaborative, mission-driven team.

Key Responsibilities

Development:

Individual Giving: Identify, develop, and implement strategies to grow HPAC’s base of individual donors; lead cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship for mid- to major-level donors.

• • Corporate Engagement: Build and manage a portfolio of corporate donors and sponsors; develop customized pitches, partnerships, and employee engagement opportunities.
  • Foundation Grant Opportunities: Work with consultants to identify possible foundation grant opportunities. Coordinate on drafting compelling grant submissions. Work with the Executive Director to maintain and grow foundation relationships.

Government Grants: Oversee the government grant relationships and reporting requirements. Identify new opportunities for government sponsorship at the local, city, state, and federal levels.

• • Collaborate with the Executive Director, Board of Directors, and senior leaders to prepare annual fundraising plans aligned with programmatic goals.
  • Manage the full lifecycle of government grants, including researching opportunities, applying, renewing, tracking deadlines, and preparing all required reports in collaboration with relevant staff.
  • Serve as a visible and compelling external ambassador of HPAC to donors, partners, and community stakeholders.
  • Co-lead the design and execution of annual campaigns, including the Arts Fundraiser, End-of-Year Campaign, and HPAC’s Annual Cocktail Benefit, working with the relevant Board Committees and Board Chair.

– Advise the Board (and the relevant Committees) on, and coordinate in, the planning and execution of targeted events including fundraisers, donor briefings, community showcases, and alumni gatherings.

• • Support the Board of Directors in activating their networks through personal solicitations, campaigns, and cultivation events.
  • Partner with HPAC’s Development Consultant to draft grant proposals and reports in collaboration with program staff and track deadlines.
  • Create and analyze reports to assess fundraising campaign performance and forecast giving trends.
  • Oversee and manage HPAC’s CRM systems—Salesforce and OneCause—to ensure accurate donor data, effective segmentation, customized outreach, and comprehensive reporting.
  • Oversee the planning and execution of special eventsincluding fundraisers, donor briefings, and alumni gatherings.

Communications:

• Develop a compelling and persuasive narrative regarding HPAC’s mission and accomplishments for use in grant requests, donor communications, social media, and funding campaigns.
• Work with leadership and consultants to produce persuasive printed and digital materials, including press kits, newsletters, and the Annual Report.
• Supervise external vendors and consultants, including social media managers, graphic designers, photographers, and videographers.
• Support consistent brand messaging across platforms and ensure communication strategies are aligned with organizational priorities.

Alumni Network and Junior Board:

• Launch and steward an alumni engagement program that includes social, professional, and service opportunities aligned with HPAC’s mission and programming.
• Serve as staff lead for the HPAC Impact Council (JuniorBoard), mobilizing this group to support fundraising, alumni relations, and volunteerism.

Qualifications

• 3–5+ years of experience in nonprofit fundraising, including individual giving, corporate partnerships, grant writing, and donor communications.
• Demonstrated success managing donor portfolios and cultivating relationships across diverse stakeholder groups.
• Experience with CRM platforms (Salesforce, OneCause) and fundraising event planning.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills; strong storyteller with a donor-centric mindset.
• Highly organized with strong time management and multitasking abilities.
• Comfortable collaborating across teams and working independently in a fast-paced environment.
• Experience launching or managing alumni networks and/or engagement programs is highly desired.
• Bachelor’s degree required; related field (e.g., education, communications, nonprofit management) preferred.