Director of Development

Project Find; New York (NY); On-site; USD 110,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Project FIND seeks a Director of Development to spearhead fundraising, donor relations, and communications. You will lead campaigns, manage grants, and collaborate with program and communications teams to advance the organization's mission serving seniors in New York City.

The role requires building partnerships with foundations, government funders, corporations, and individual donors, while guiding a capable team and coordinating campaigns across channels.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in nonprofit management, public administration, business administration, social work, public health administration, or a related field required; master’s degree preferred.
• At least five years of senior-level management experience with staff and multiple concurrent projects.
• Exceptional leadership, communication, and relationship-building skills.

Responsibilities

• Develop and oversee fundraising campaigns to increase unrestricted support.
• Lead donor identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship for individual donors, foundations, and corporate partners.
• Supervise grants management, including prospect research and government/foundation applications.
• Plan and execute fundraising events and donor recognition activities.
• Collaborate with Brand Manager to create compelling donor communications and annual reports.
• Provide regular fundraising metrics and reporting on progress toward goals.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Relationship-building

Strategic planning

Fundraising

Education

Bachelor’s degree in nonprofit management or related field

Master’s degree preferred

Job description

Company Description

Project FIND’s mission is to provide low- and moderate-income and homeless seniors with the services and support they need to enrich their lives and live independently. Today Project FIND operates four supportive housing residences that are home to more than 700 people and four older adult centers with over 3,500 members. Our members and residents range from the healthy and active to the frail and homebound to the unhoused. For all these individuals, Project FIND is a critical resource, providing housing, meals, and programs that help individuals navigate the challenges of aging by encouraging community engagement and healthy living. Project FIND’s older adult centers are dedicated sites that provide a variety of meals, activities, and services to people over the age of 60. Please visit our website at: www.projectfind.org.

Job Summary

Reporting to the Executive Director, the Director of Development (DoD) is a key member of Project FIND’s leadership team and serves as the organization’s primary relationship manager for development and communications. The Director will lead the planning and implementation of fundraising strategies that strengthen relationships with individual donors, foundations, corporate partners, and government funders. This position will oversee funding applications, donor communications, grant reports, and agency-wide messaging that promotes Project FIND’s mission, programs, activities, and impact across print, web, social media, and other communications platforms. The DoD will work closely with the Fundraising Manager and Brand Manager to advance these priorities.

Fund Development

• Develop and oversee plans for new and expanded fundraising campaigns, with a focus on increasing unrestricted support for the organization.
• Lead donor identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship efforts for individual donors, major donors, foundation partners, and corporate supporters.
• Expand participation in planned giving, recurring gift, and corporate matching programs through targeted outreach and promotion.

Grants Management

• Supervise and conduct prospect research to identify funding opportunities that align with Project FIND’s social service programs.
• Pursue funding opportunities that reflect the priorities and needs of the agency’s residents, members, and participants.
• Develop and submit government and foundation grant applications, letters of inquiry, and required reports for supported initiatives.
• Lead the grantmaking workgroup by setting meeting agendas, identifying funding priorities and opportunities, recommending strategies for funder engagement, and tracking progress toward grant goals and outcomes.
• Collaborate with internal and external stakeholders to grow corporate and individual giving.
• Partner with the Executive Director to develop innovative revenue streams that support the organization and its programs.

Special Event Management

• Lead the planning, design, and execution of Project FIND fundraising, cultivation, and volunteer recognition events.
• Coordinate with staff, vendors, and partners to ensure successful event planning and implementation.
• Manage event-related invoices, contracts, timelines, and logistics.

Build Relationships

• Prepare compelling donor communications, including campaign letters, acknowledgments, appeals, and email updates.
• Serve as a primary point of contact for foundations, City Council staff, individual donors, and other key supporters.
• Design and conduct agency tours and cultivation meetings for key donors, funders, and community partners in collaboration with the Fundraising Manager.
• Create and manage Project FIND giving societies that recognize and deepen donor engagement.
• Represent Project FIND at external networking, community, and industry-related events.

Reporting Progress

• Develop fundraising and communications metrics and provide regular reports on progress toward goals.
• Oversee the fundraising database and related workflows, including data entry, grant tracking, and reporting for individuals, corporations, and foundations.

Promotion of the Agency’s Brand

• Collaborate with the Brand Manager to develop social media content, website updates, and the monthly newsletter.
• Lead the planning, organization, writing, and editing of the organization’s annual report and calendar.
• Ensure consistent, mission-centered messaging about Project FIND’s programs, activities, results, and impact.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in nonprofit management, public administration, business administration, social work, public health administration, or a related field required; master’s degree preferred.
• At least five years of senior-level management experience, including the ability to manage staff and multiple concurrent projects with sound judgment, efficiency, and professionalism.
• Exceptional leadership, communication, and relationship-building skills, with the ability to work effectively with internal and external stakeholders.
• Demonstrated ability to build strong partnerships with a wide range of constituents, including individual donors, foundation program officers, residents, participants and their family members, the Executive Director, Board of Directors, development staff, program and administrative staff, volunteers, and vendors.
• Prior experience as a Development Director or in another development leadership role.
• Strong goal-setting, planning, and prioritization skills, with the ability to lead senior management, the development team, and the Board of Directors in creating annual development plans with clear goals, timelines, assignments, and milestones.
• Commitment to Project FIND’s mission and approach.
• Familiarity with New York City’s foundation, government, and corporate funding landscape.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including experience preparing proposals, donor correspondence, presentations, and other development materials.

Schedule

Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., with occasional evening, weekend, or holiday availability as needed for events and organizational priorities.

Project FIND participates in E-Verify, which confirms employment authorization through an electronic database maintained by the Social Security Administration and Department of Homeland Security. E-Verify is not used as a tool to pre-screen candidates.