Senior Director of Development and Communications Hour Children

Hudson Ferris; New York (NY); On-site; USD 120,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Hour Children seeks a Senior Director of Development and Communications to lead multi-channel fundraising and build durable systems that grow revenue. You will anchor individual giving growth and oversee a grants calendar, direct mail, and stewardship programs.

Reporting to the Executive Director, you’ll supervise Institutional Giving Officer and Development Coordinator, drive SOPs, CRM discipline with Bloomerang, and collaborate across programs, finance, and communications to tell compelling

Qualifications

• 10+ years progressive fundraising experience with demonstrated strength in individual and major gifts.
• 3+ years people management; proven success building team SOPs and pipeline discipline.
• Familiarity with foundation/corporate/government funding, annual campaigns, and events.

Responsibilities

• Build and own the annual development plan with channel goals for each fundraising channel (individual, major/legacy, foundations, corporate, events).
• Translate strategy into quarterly, monthly and weekly operating rhythms: prospect moves, grant calendar, stewardship touches, and campaign milestones.
• Re-evaluate and adjust development plan quarterly to align with FY 26 Budget progress.
• Lead moves management for top 50–75 prospects; partner with board and ED on joint visits and solicitations.
• Build a recurring/upgrade ladder and a legacy/estate stewardship track.
• Supervise the grants pipeline; coach the Institutional Giving Officer and Development Coordinator; drive SOP adoption.
• Ensure rigorous CRM (Bloomerang) use, prospect tagging, and activity logging; maintain a shared development calendar.
• Plan mini-campaigns tied to storytelling and program moments; oversee ROI-positive event plan with the Coordinator.
• Work with Program/Impact, Finance, and Communications to align narratives and brand roadmap.

Tools

Bloomerang

Job description

Hudson Ferris has been retained by Hour Children, a leading provider of services to incarcerated and formerly incarcerated women in New York State to execute a search for their Senior Director of Development and Communications.

Senior Director of Development and Communications

Why this role?

Hour Children needs a senior fundraiser who can convert strategy into sustained, diversified revenue while building durable systems and a high-performing team. The CDO anchors individual giving growth (our biggest potential for revenue growth), orchestrates and leads the team in executing a multi-channel development plan, including a grant calendar, direct mail program, and targeted stewardship plan. This person will also be responsible for building upon and improving department, and in some cases organization-wide SOPs to maintain overall effectiveness in Hour Children’s fundraising.

Title & Reporting

• Title: Senior Director of Development and Communications
• Reports to: Executive Director
• Direct Reports: Institutional Giving Officer, Development Coordinator

Core Responsibilities

• Build and own the annual development plan with channel goals for each fundraising channel (individual, major/legacy, foundations, corporate, events).
• Translate strategy into quarterly, monthly and weekly operating rhythms: prospect moves, grant calendar, stewardship touches, and campaign milestones.
• Re-evaluate and adjust development plan quarterly to align with FY 26 Budget progress.

Individual & Major Gifts (Primary Focus)

• Lead moves management for top 50–75 prospects; partner with board and ED on joint visits and solicitations.
• Build a recurring/upgrade ladder and a legacy/estate stewardship track.

Institutional Giving Oversight

• Supervise the grants pipeline (foundation, corporate, government LOIs, proposals, reports) ensuring narrative alignment with program capacity, as well as on-time submission for applications, reports, and renewals.
• Manage, coach, and set clear OKRs for the Institutional Giving Officer and Development Coordinator; drive SOP adoption (acknowledgments, data hygiene, grant workflow, stewardship).
• Ensure rigorous CRM (Bloomerang) use, prospect tagging, and activity logging; maintain a shared development calendar.

Campaigns & Events

• Plan mini-campaigns tied to storytelling and program moments; oversee an efficient, ROI-positive event plan partnered with the Coordinator.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Work with Program/Impact to surface outcomes and case studies; with Finance to align revenue forecasts; with Communications to implement the brand/message roadmap.

Qualifications

• 10+ years progressive fundraising experience with demonstrated strength in individual and major gifts.
• 3+ years people management; proven success building team SOPs and pipeline discipline.
• Familiarity with foundation/corporate/government funding, annual campaigns, and events.

Success Metrics (first 12 months)

• Meet or exceed FY26 private revenue targets, focusing on Individual: $600,000, Corporate: $100,000, Foundations: $1,438,000, Events: net positive performance.
• 40+ substantive major-donor moves/quarter; 12–18 joint ED/Board asks annually.