Organization Summary: Prep for Prep is an education and leadership development program that creates ethical and effective leaders who reflect our diverse society for the benefit of all. Prep identifies New York City’s most promising students of color, prepares them for success at the nation’s top independent schools throughout the Northeast, and supports their academic and personal growth through college graduation. Today, over 5,000 students and alumni in the Prep for Prep Community are leaders in every field imaginable.
The Opportunity: Do you want to help Prep advance its mission and vision, having a measurable impact on the young people and communities we work with? Do you like to take on complex challenges and find creative solutions? Do you consider yourself a life-long learner who has intense professional will and humility to continually advance your professional development and leadership skills? If you possess these qualities and appreciate rigorous standards, values, structures, and best practices, then you will find working at Prep to be a most fulfilling and highly rewarding experience.
Prep for Prep seeks a Development Officer, Individual Philanthropy, as an integral member of a dynamic team identifying new philanthropic sources, deepening donor relationships, and securing individual support along a continuum of giving to expand and increase support to meet organizational growth and development. Prep is known for its generous and active Board of Trustees—a gold standard in nonprofit leadership—along with its Associates Council, Alumni Council, highly-committed Prep Alumni Community, dedicated and growing donor base, and top-flight executive leadership, administrative, and programmatic teams.
We are looking for a Development Officer, Individual Philanthropy, who can provide the highest-standard service with high-impact results and can thrive as an adept and effective development professional working within a team, across the organization, and with prominent, high-profile volunteers, donors, and community stakeholders.
As part of a five-person Development team–within a 13-person External Affairs/Advancement department (including Alumni Affairs, Communications, and Development), which is responsible for raising $11 million annually—the Development Officer, Individual Philanthropy, reports to the Director of Development (DOD), and works in partnership with the DOD, Chief Advancement Officer (CAO), and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to maintain and grow Individual Philanthropy, including annual giving, special project support, major gifts, planned gifts, special events, and the advancement of Board of Trustee/Associates Council relations.
Meeting & Exceeding Annual Fundraising Goals:
- Responsible for an Individual Philanthropy goal to raise $4 million+ annually.
- Responsible for a Special Event goal to gross $3 million+ annually.
Major Gift Donor/Prospect Research & Moves Management:
- Partner with DOD, CAO, CEO, and members of the Board of Trustees and Associates Council to meet fundraising goals both through Individual Philanthropy programs and the annual Lilac Ball.
- In coordination with the DOD and CAO, provide strategic direction on portfolio management for all major gift donors and prospects, overseeing cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship for existing, lapsed, new, and prospective donors.
- Oversee volunteer and staff solicitors to ensure consistent communication and strategic support for active and effective fundraising and donor relations involvement.
- Maintain management metrics and report on solicitation tracking, results, and outcomes analysis.
- Build and manage a personal portfolio of donors and prospects to deepen relationships and move individuals from cultivation to solicitation, including target visits, meetings, personalized outreach, invitations, touchpoint communications, solicitation, and stewardship.
- Supervise and conduct prospect research, identifying potential major donors, Board and Associates Council members, and Lilac Ball Honorees, and determining ways to engage them with Prep for Prep.
Annual Campaigns and Events Management:
- Direct all Special Appeals, overseeing staff management of vendors for print collateral, direct mail, online appeals, and personalized solicitations driven by Trustees and Associates Council members.
- Drive in-house project management of special events, coordinating staff work and event consultants on printed material, mailings, solicitation follow-up, event planning, production, and execution.
- Responsible for annual program of cultivation/stewardship events, including but not limited to dinners, cocktail receptions, programs and meetings, site visits, and other engagement opportunities.
Board Relations and Associates Council Management:
- Support the work of the Board’s Development, Nominating, and Board Relations Committees, preparing meeting material and agendas, taking minutes, and driving next actions.
- Support the work of the Associates' Council, preparing for meetings, planning activities, connecting members to volunteer opportunities, and driving fundraising goals.
Development Operations/Gifts Management & Stewardship:
- Accountable for tracking revenue and expenses against budget; charting and evaluating metrics through analysis reporting; overseeing gift/pledge processing and pledge collection; exercising development/finance best practices for reconciliation and audits.
- Oversee prospect/donor research and biographical profiles, upholding database/CRM practices.
- Supervise stewardship efforts, including acknowledgment process and notification of gifts to Trustees and Associates Council members.
- Able to work occasional evenings and weekends to meet objectives and staff donor/prospect events and assume other responsibilities and special projects as assigned.
- BA required a minimum of 3-5 years or more of direct development experience in Individual Philanthropy with increasing responsibilities and goals and demonstrated fundraising results.
- Superb written, oral, and interpersonal skills, and consistently high attention to detail.
- Impeccable time management, follow-through, and flexibility in executing development programs.
- Creative, start-up, self-driven, and ideal-team-play attitude—demonstrating humility, hunger, and people smarts.
- Astute and attentive donor/volunteer service mentality, exercising discretion, and excellent judgement in handling confidential information and aligning with organizational objectives.
- Highly organized and inspiring team player with demonstrated ability to lead projects by collaborating with and motivating team members through active commitment, accountability, and focus on results.
- Functional knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher, Adobe), Google Docs, and familiarity/ease with online applications for expense reporting and operational needs.
- Experience with Blackbaud’s Raiser’s Edge 7.9 and NXT or similar donor data management software preferred.
- Cultural competencies working with diverse constituents, including alumni, donors, trustees, direct program service participants, and other stakeholders.
Please email a cover letter and resume with the subject line “Dev Officer, Individual Philanthropy” to [email protected] and [email protected]