Background
The Brotherhood Synagogue, located on Gramercy Park, is the largest Jewish congregation in downtown New York City with 800 member units. It is an independent, progressive community -- unaffiliated with, but following, the Conservative tradition. This combination allows the Synagogue to honor the spiritual and ethical heritage of the Jewish faith and celebrate the deep commitment and wide diversity of their membership. The Brotherhood is a very special place - the beautiful, warm, and welcoming atmosphere provides a home for many synagogue activities, meaningful spaces for prayer and for celebrations, education for children of all ages, classes for adults, social outreach and other programs which support and enhance the community.
Position
The Brotherhood Synagogue is looking for a strong and accomplished fundraiser to be their new Manager of Development and Member Engagement. This position will report to the Executive Director. With a seven-figure endowment and an annual fund that currently raises about $750k, the Manager of Development and Member Engagement will work with both the Executive Director and Chair of the Development Committee to influence and implement a comprehensive fundraising strategy focused on the long-term sustainability of the synagogue. The goal is to grow and expand the initiatives currently in place and include the Annual fund, major and planned gifts, foundation grants, and targeted fundraising.
A critical piece of the fundraising plan will be to engage the Brotherhood membership by activating their interest and encouraging greater participation in synagogue life, taking advantage of a broad range of social, educational, Religious and community activities. The Manager of Development and Member Engagement will use their exemplary relationship-building skills to connect to the Brotherhood community and foster and grow membership.
Reporting to the Executive Director, the Manager of Development and Member Engagement will work closely with Synagogue leadership, senior staff, and the Board of Trustees. A critical relationship will be with the Chair of the Development Committee. The candidate should be self-motivated and comfortable being a visible and active part of the community. Being a creative generalist who can collaborate on the design and implementation of cultivation and stewardship strategies is a plus.
Specific Responsibilities:
- Establish fundraising protocol and strategies working with the Development Committee and Development chair
- Identify and research prospective major donors from existing donor base and event participants, community, foundations, Nursery School, Hebrew School, Early Childhood Program and Tikvah Special Education Program
- Seek out and develop relationships with congregants who may not otherwise be engaged or attend events
- Maintain and deepen donor relationships through regular communication, stewardship, and solicitation
- Locate potential grant sources and prepare grant proposals as well as grants reports
- Draft correspondence and acknowledgments, including pledge follow-up and tribute gifts, ensuring appropriate recording and reporting of all gifts
- Develop, manage, and expand fundraising events, as appropriate, to meet fundraising goals
- Set dollar goals for fundraising in collaboration with the Development Committee, Budget Committee and Executive Director
- Work with Membership Committee to design and execute engagement for new members
- Write and coordinate all Development materials including but not exclusively limited to the annual fund appeal, quarterly newsletter article, case statements, and web content
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s Degree, or equivalent experience
- Minimum of three years of fundraising experience with proven success required
- Prior grant writing experience preferred, but not required
- Development experience with religious institutions is preferred, but not required
- Knowledge of New York Jewish philanthropy a plus
- Strong interpersonal skills and proven ability to form strategic relationships both internally and externally
- Superior written and oral communication skills
- Ability to work collaboratively with staff, fostering collegiality and a positive work culture
- Excellent organizational skills with the ability to multitask and meet deadlines
- Creative and flexible
- Availability to attend events during the day, evenings, and weekends
- Comfortable interacting with the congregation
- Highly proficient with Microsoft Office
- Proficiency in donor management platforms, prospect research and wealth screening tools; familiarity with ShulCloud a plus
Compensation:
The salary range for this position is $90,000 - $110,000 plus benefits.
To apply:
Please send a cover letter and resume to [email protected]. Please include Development and Member Engagement in the subject line.