Director of Development

About JQY JQY is a mental health organization that empowers Jewish queer teens and young adults to live healthy, joyful lives. Our work is grounded in our deep understanding of Jewish tradition and mental health best practices, enabling us to provide critical services and programs for at-risk youth from historically non-accepting communities. We save and improve lives by connecting youth to one another, to providers and relevant resources, and to opportunities to see themselves and their futures. About the RoleJQY’s Director of Development is a senior leader responsible for owning and driving the organization’s fundraising strategy, systems, and execution.This is a high-impact role for an experienced development professional who is ready to function as the leader of JQY’s development efforts, bringing both strategic vision and the ability to build and implement the systems needed to sustain long-term growth.The Director of Development will serve as a member of JQY’s senior team. Working in close collaboration with the Executive Director, this role is expected to lead and grow JQY’s development function, ensuring strong infrastructure, clear strategy, and consistent revenue growth across all channels.This person will supervise JQY’s Development Manager and will be responsible for ensuring that JQY’s development work is both strategically driven and effectively executed through strong systems and team coordination.Key ResponsibilitiesDevelopment Leadership, Strategy & Systems (30%)Own and lead JQY’s overall development strategy, including annual and multi-year fundraising goals.Design and implement the systems, processes, and infrastructure needed to support a growing development function.Establish clear metrics, tracking, and accountability across all fundraising efforts.Identify opportunities for growth across all revenue streams and build strategies to pursue them.Serve as the primary internal leader for development, ensuring alignment across staff, Board, and volunteer leadership.Act as a strategic thought partner to the Executive Director, while maintaining ownership over development planning and execution.Major Gifts & Individual Giving (30%)Build and manage a portfolio of major donors and high-capacity prospects.Lead cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of individual donors.Develop and implement a strategy to significantly grow JQY’s individual giving program.Partner with the Executive Director and Board to deepen donor relationships and increase giving levels.Identify and activate new donor pipelines and networks.Events, Campaigns & Donor Engagement (20%)Lead the fundraising strategy and execution of JQY’s annual gala.Develop and implement a broader year-round engagement strategy, including smaller donor events, parlor meetings, and cultivation opportunities.Oversee and drive fundraising campaigns throughout the year (i.e. seasonal campaigns, digital campaigns, and special initiatives).Ensure all events and campaigns are aligned with JQY’s overall development strategy and donor engagement goals.Create meaningful opportunities for donors to engage with JQY’s work beyond a single annual event.Partner with program staff to build and support a long-term alumni-to-donor pipeline strategy.Ensure that alumni engagement efforts are aligned with broader development goals.Team Leadership & Management (10%)Supervise and support the Development Manager, ensuring clarity of roles and strong collaboration.Provide structure, systems, and direction to enable the Development Manager to execute effectively.Oversee the Development Manager’s work in:Grant writing and reportingDonor tracking and CRM managementDay-to-day development operationsProvide structure, guidance, and professional development to support their continued growth.Ensure that all development work is executed at a high level across the team.Institutional Giving (10%)Provide strategic oversight of institutional fundraising efforts.Partner with the Development Manager, who leads execution of grant writing, reporting, and tracking.Support high-level institutional funder relationships and strategy development as needed.Qualifications & Experience7-10+ years of progressive experience in nonprofit fundraising, including senior-level leadership experienceDemonstrated success in building and leading development strategy and infrastructureProven track record of securing significant revenue, particularly through major gifts and individual givingExperience designing and implementing development systems and processesStrong experience managing donor relationships and personally soliciting major giftsExperience supervising and managing staffAbility to operate independently with strong judgment, prioritization, and decision-making skillsExceptional communication and relationship-building skillsComfort working in a growing organization and building systems that may not yet existDeep alignment with JQY’s mission and valuesSalary and BenefitsSalary for this position is $125,00-$150,000 annuallyCompetitive benefits packageUnlimited PTOAccess to all WeWork offices worldwideHybrid work schedule, with at least 3 days in our NYC office (Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays)