Director of Development (Spring 2022)

March 29, 2022 | by admin

The Bronx Charter School for Children seeks a results-oriented Director of Development to build a philanthropic program to ensure the organization has the resources needed to achieve its mission.

About The Bronx Charter School for Children

The Bronx Charter School for Children (TBCSC) is an independently operated public charter school in the South Bronx with a mission to empower children to achieve their greatest potential both as students and as members of their communities. TBCSC began in 2004 serving students in kindergarten through 5^th grade, and recently expanded to middle school after approval by the state. In Fall 2021, TBCSC opened a second campus for 6^th and 7^th grade and will expand to 8^th grade in the fall of 2022.

TBCSC is unique - in important ways - from many other New York City schools. As a stand-alone charter school, it can focus squarely on its core mission – teaching and learning – while preserving a child and family-oriented environment. TBCSC has robust schoolwide systems that ensure a student’s well-being, improved academic outcomes, and educational success. It fosters a culture that supports the social and emotional health of all students—and their families—and provides a safe and respectful learning environment.

Diversity, equity and inclusion are at the core of who TBCSC is and their commitment to these values is unwavering. TBCSC continues to build an inclusive culture that encourages, supports, and celebrates the diverse voices of their employees, fueling their mission and connecting them closer to the scholars, families and community they serve.In the most recent state testing, TBCSC outperformed the state by 18% on the ELA (English Language Arts) exam. It provides Art, PE, Music and Technology to all students. TBCSC offers small classes (between 23 and 25 students) with an extended day/extended year program, as well as a free after school program. It also provides professional development for faculty and staff, and a career path for teachers that includes acquiring Master teacher status.

About the Opportunity

As a public charter school, TBCSC receives a percentage of the per-pupil funds from state and local school districts for operational costs based on enrollment. This funding, however, is considerably less than what traditional public schools receive, and philanthropic support is needed to fill the gap. TBCSC has begun to make inroads with government and foundation funding including from the Walton Family Foundation and the Charter School Growth Foundation. TBCSC is now seeking an exceptional, results-oriented Director of Development (DOD) to build a philanthropic program to ensure the school has the resources needed to achieve its mission.

Serving as the chief fundraiser of TBCSC, the DOD will report to and partner with the Executive Director while working closely with the Board of Trustees and other school leadership. The DOD will be responsible for creating and implementing a comprehensive fundraising strategy that will grow philanthropic revenue over the next several years. A key initiative will be building and diversifying TBCSC’s donor base. This will require developing a culture of philanthropy at TBCSC by advancing partnerships with corporate and foundation donors, identifying and cultivating prospective individual donors, exploring government funding opportunities, and establishing TBCSC’s mission in various philanthropic circles.

The right candidate will be a well-rounded development professional who is committed to the mission of TBCSC and is excited by the opportunity to make a significant contribution to the growth and expansion of a highly regarded charter school.

Key Responsibilities

Leadership

• Partner with the Executive Director and organizational leadership to take TBCSC’s development program to the next level
• Provide leadership in all facets of the development program including planning, analysis, major donor identification and cultivation, coordination of volunteer leadership efforts and related activities
• Work with individual Trustees and the Board of Trustees as a whole to identify and access fundraising sources for TBCSC and enhance overall Board fundraising capabilities
• Develop strong and collaborative working relationships with other members of senior leadership to best understand TBCSC’s mission and work, and effectively articulate this information to donors and the public
• Work effectively and collaboratively with the Executive Director to ensure development activities are well coordinated with and supportive of school priorities

Fundraising

• Design, implement, and oversee a comprehensive, proactive development plan focused on expanding and enhancing institutional and high net worth relationships and building strategic partnerships
• Develop highly competitive proposals and budgets for government, foundation and corporate support that present a compelling case for support
• Grow philanthropic relationships with high net worth individual and institutional prospects
• Identify emerging trends and opportunities in philanthropy that are relevant to the mission and work of TBCSC

Management

• Develop a strong donor pipeline that focuses on institutional and high net worth individual donor identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship
• Engage Executive Director in key donor cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship activities
• In partnership with marketing counsel, contribute to a marketing plan that integrates messaging/communications with fundraising and enhances and further promotes the school’s identity in the South Bronx community and beyond
• Review development program and design strategies for setting progressive revenue goals, establishing meaningful metrics, and evaluating performance
• Oversee the building of an effective development infrastructure, including systems and data infrastructure, policies, and procedures to ensure effectiveness and accountability across the program
• Manage resources and outcomes efficiently and effectively
• As appropriate, determine the need for and recruit talented professionals to join a successful development team

Key Qualifications

• Passion for TBCSC’s mission, and for addressing educational inequity and advancing education reform
• 5+ years of fundraising experience with institutional donors preferred, experience with individual donors an added plus
• Development experience in an organization without a built-in constituency; experience in a school or educational choice/reform organization an added plus
• Ability to strategically link organizational and programmatic initiatives with opportunities for fundraising
• Ability to create and implement strategy to guide program growth, expand funding sources, leverage existing prospects, and build sustainable organizational partnerships
• Demonstrated track record of success in identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and securing philanthropic gifts, particularly from institutional funders
• Exceptional writing and communication skills with the ability to produce effective, compelling proposals
• Experience partnering with a Board and senior leadership to develop and/or advance a culture of philanthropy
• Knowledge of and ability to oversee research, tracking, and reporting systems, including grant stewardship, compliance, and reporting.
• Highly organized, attentive to detail, and able to anticipate, plan for, and meet deadlines
• Self-starter with strong execution mindset
• Experience with Raisers Edge a plus

The Bronx Charter School for Children is an equal opportunity employer that welcomes any qualified applicant and values diversity of all kinds.

COVID-19 Vaccination Policy

All staff at The Bronx Charter School for Children are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 (a person has received all recommended doses in their primary series of a COVID-19 vaccine).

Compensation

The salary range for this position is $115,000 - $125,000.

For more information, please visit www.developmentguild.com

Please email your cover letter and resume in confidence to: bronxcharterschool@developmentguild.com