Development Manager, Grants & Operations

Inside Philanthropy; Northern, New York (KY, NY); Hybrid; USD 80,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Studio in a School seeks a Development Manager, Grants & Operations, to lead the institutional giving portfolio and strengthen fundraising systems. The role partners with the Chief Development Officer to drive government and foundation grants from prospecting through reporting, while ensuring data integrity and timely submissions.

The position oversees development operations, donor communications, and cross-department collaboration, with a hybrid NYC-area schedule and a focus on strategic

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required.
• Minimum of three years in a Development office with institutional fundraising exposure.
• Experience with Raiser’s Edge and online donation platforms such as Network for Good.

Responsibilities

• Manage a portfolio of government, foundation, and corporate funders with proposals, reports, and stewardship communications.
• Own the full grant lifecycle from prospecting to reporting and compliance.
• Maintain an institutional funding calendar and coordinate internal deadlines for submissions.
• Collaborate on institutional fundraising strategy and revenue planning with the CDO.
• Support funder cultivation and stewardship through briefings, site visits, and follow-ups.
• Oversee gift processing, acknowledgments, and data quality in Finance coordination.
• Produce fundraising dashboards, revenue reports, and pipeline analyses for leadership.

Skills

Raiser’s Edge

Raiser’s Edge NXT

Microsoft Office

Network for Good

Constant Contact

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Tools

Raiser’s Edge

Raiser’s Edge NXT

Job description

The Development Manager, Grants & Operations (Development Manager) serves as a strategic fundraising and operations partner, leading Studio in a School (Studio)’s institutional giving portfolio while strengthening the systems that support all fundraising activities. The role is responsible for managing government and foundation grants from prospecting through reporting, producing compelling proposals and stewardship communications, maintaining accurate donor and gift records, and delivering timely fundraising analysis. Working collaboratively across departments, the Development Manager helps advance the long-term fundraising strategy.

The Development Manager is a full-time, exempt, non-union position reporting to the Chief Development Officer.

About Studio in a School

Studio in a School fosters the creative and intellectual development of young people through quality visual arts programs, directed by professional Artist Instructors, arts and cultural internships, and apprentice-based learning in the arts. The organization also collaborates with and develops the capacity of classroom teachers, school leadership, and others who provide or support arts programming and creative development for young people both in and outside of schools.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities

Grants & Institutional Giving

• Manage a portfolio of government, foundation, and corporate funders, developing compelling proposals, applications, reports, and stewardship communications.
• Own the full grant lifecycle, including prospect research, qualification, strategy, writing, internal review, submission, award tracking, compliance, and reporting.
• Maintain an institutional funding calendar and coordinate internal deadlines to ensure accurate, timely submissions and deliverables.
• Collaborate with the CDO on institutional fundraising strategy, annual revenue planning, and implementation of the organization’s strategic plan.
• Support funder cultivation and stewardship through briefings, site visits, meetings, and timely follow-up.

Development Operations

• Manage timely and accurate gift processing, reconciliation, acknowledgment, and documentation in coordination with Finance.
• Maintain Raiser’s Edge records, coding standards, constituent information, actions, and data-quality protocols.
• Produce mailing lists, donor segments, and campaign data; conduct regular database cleanup and quality-control reviews.
• Prepare fundraising dashboards, revenue reports, pipeline analyses, and materials for the CDO, senior leadership, and Board of Directors.
• Maintain development files and documentation to support strong institutional memory, reporting accuracy, and audit readiness.
• Manage fundraising systems, workflows, templates, and procedures to increase efficiency and support evolving revenue goals.

Cross-Departmental & Event Support

• Provide administrative and operational support for fundraising events, including invitations, registrations, donor lists, materials, and follow-up.
• Coordinate event logistics and vendors as needed, working closely with Development colleagues and external partners.
• Serve as a responsive partner to colleagues across Studio, gathering information and translating program impact into effective fundraising materials.
• Contribute to department planning, special initiatives, and other development priorities as assigned.
• Other responsibilities as assigned.

Desired Skills and Background

Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree required.
• A minimum of three years of experience in a Development office with a broad understanding of institutional fundraising practices.
• Experience using Raiser’s Edge and Raiser’s Edge NXT; experience with Microsoft Office; strong familiarity with online donation platforms such as Network for Good and e-communication platforms such as Constant Contact.
• Knowledge of any of the following preferred but not required: New York City philanthropic community, government arts agencies, arts education, and the visual arts field.

Personal Qualities and Habits of Work

• Commitment to the mission of Studio in a School.
• Self-motivation, assertiveness, positive demeanor and willingness to work in a collaborative team environment.
• Strong work ethic; highly organized and able to anticipate, plan for, and reach deadlines.
• Willingness to take the initiative and prioritize and manage multiple assignments in a fast-paced environment.
• Excellent writing and editing skills and a high comfort level working with financial data.
• Practiced in handling confidential information and appropriate use of discretion.

Location

We are currently working on a hybrid schedule. The Development Manager will be asked to work 2 days per week in our office at 75 West End Avenue, New York, NY, or in the field, though this schedule may shift and evolve.

Hours

As a member of the administrative staff, the Development Manager is expected to work from 9 AM to 5 PM each workday. Any schedule shift request must be requested in advance and receive approval from the supervisor.