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Director of Development
Edith & Carl Marks JCH of Bensonhurst
7802 Bay Pkwy
Brooklyn, NY 11214
Principal Responsibilities:
In association with the Centennial, the Marks JCH is launching an ambitious fundraising effort
encompassing major gifts, endowment giving, and planned and legacy giving. The campaign will
deepen relationships with longtime supporters, reconnect with alumni and families whose lives
have been shaped by the J, engage new philanthropic partners, and inspire significant
commitments to the J's future. It will build the long-term financial strength to:
- Keep essential programs strong and accessible, so children, teens, families, working
adults, and older adults always have a place to connect, grow, receive support, and
experience Jewish life.
- Respond when crisis strikes, with the flexible resources to move quickly when
vulnerable families and communities need help most.
- Invest in the people and places that define the J, including the exceptional staff who
build relationships of trust and the welcoming facilities and campgrounds where
identities are formed and memories are made.
- Keep the J affordable and welcoming to all, sustaining a vibrant community and a
trusted human-services safety net.
The Director of Development will be a central member of this effort in a front-line fundraising
role, working closely with the CEO, CDO, Board members, and other leaders to turn the
excitement of the Centennial into transformational philanthropic relationships and enduring
support.
Responsibilities
The Director of Development provides day-to-day leadership of the fundraising program:
growing contributed revenue, leading institutional fundraising, strengthening development
systems, and supervising staff and consultants.
Development Leadership and Team Management
- Lead and grow the annual giving program to $2 million+ annually, including donor
acquisition, renewal, upgrading, and stewardship.
- Develop annual fundraising plans, goals, calendars, and benchmarks; track revenue, and
donor activity.
- Oversee donor stewardship and reporting so supporters receive timely, compelling
information about the impact of their giving.
- Supervise the Development Associate and other development staff/consultants, providing
direction, coordination, and accountability.
- Lead foundation and government grant fundraising, including prospect research, proposal
development, submissions, reporting, and renewals, working with program staff and a
fundraising consultant.
- Play a key supporting role in the Major Gifts, Endowment, and Planned Giving
Campaign, helping coordinate strategy, materials, and stewardship.
- Maintain accurate use of the CRM and provide the CDO with regular fundraising,
pipeline, and revenue reports.
- Partner with the CDO, CEO, Board members, program staff, and finance staff to identify
funding priorities and advance opportunities.
- Work with the CDO to bring the Centennial to the entire J community, including clients,
alumni, staff, volunteers, and partners, through events, communications, and
opportunities to celebrate the J's history and future.
Major Gifts
- Support the CEO, CDO, and Board in cultivating and soliciting major donors, working
with a portfolio of approximately 75-125 donors and prospects capable of giving $10,000
or more.
- Engage donors through 7-12 substantive visits or meaningful contacts per month (120+
annually), advancing relationships and coordinating next steps with leadership.
- Participate in solicitations of $10,000+, and partner with the CEO, CDO, and Board on
larger, transformational asks.
- Prepare donor briefings and talking points to equip executive and Board members for
cultivation and solicitation meetings.
- Identify and qualify new prospects from the donor base, alumni, Board networks, and
wealth-screening resources, and assist Board members in activating their networks.
Minimum Qualifications:
Qualifications and Key Attributes
- At least 8 years of progressively responsible nonprofit fundraising experience, including managing a development program and personally securing significant individual gifts.
- Demonstrated success growing annual giving and contributed revenue, expanding a major-donor pipeline, and closing gifts of $10,000 or more.
- Experience with major-gift campaigns, endowment fundraising, planned giving, capital campaigns, or similar initiatives.
- Experience with foundation and/or government fundraising and grants management.
- Familiarity with the Jewish communal funding landscape and New York City philanthropy.
- Excellent relationship-building skills and genuine comfort engaging donors, Board members, staff, and community members in settings from private homes and workplaces to community events and social service environments.
- Ease building authentic relationships with people from a broad range of cultural, socioeconomic, and professional backgrounds.
- Experience supervising development staff/consultants and managing multiple priorities and deadlines.
- Strong knowledge of fundraising metrics, donor pipelines and CRM systems, plus proficiency in prospect research and wealth-screening tools.
- Creativity and agility in a fast-paced environment with multiple relationships and emerging opportunities.
- Excellent writing, communication, organizational, and project-management skills.
- A collaborative, hands-on style and a deep appreciation for the J's mission.
Salary:
$135,000 - $150,000
Agency Information:
For nearly 100 years, the Edith and Carl Marks JCH of Bensonhurst has been a home base, a
source of stability, and a beacon of hope for generations of New Yorkers. Founded in 1927 as a
center of Jewish community life in Brooklyn, the Marks JCH has grown into one of New York
City's leading comprehensive human services organizations. It serves people from all walks of
life and remains rooted in the Jewish values that have guided it from the beginning.
The Marks JCH has welcomed successive generations of immigrants and refugees. Today,
people come from across Brooklyn and New York City for workforce development and job
placement; English-language classes; early childhood, afterschool, camp, teen, and young adult
programs; services for older adults and Holocaust survivors; support for women, especially
single mothers; mental health services; and vibrant cultural and community programs. The
agency's work is powered by a deeply committed Board and a highly experienced, long-tenured
staff. Many staff members are themselves immigrants or children of immigrants and share the
cultural and linguistic backgrounds of the people they serve.
In 2027, the Marks JCH will celebrate its 100th anniversary. The Centennial is more than a
celebration of the past. It is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to honor a century of impact,
engage new generations of supporters, and build the resources that will secure the J's future. The
Director of Development will join the Marks JCH at this pivotal moment, becoming part of its
history while helping ensure the institution remains strong for the next 100 years