Director of Philanthropy

About the role

Position Summary

The Director of Philanthropy, reporting directly to the CEO, leads the Katz JCC's fundraising program and is responsible for growing the philanthropic support that sustains the JCC and its programs. In this role, the Director will have the exciting, rare opportunity to build a development and philanthropy department and process from scratch. This person will own the annual development plan; manage and develop our CRM and other development-focused IT; oversee the grants and donor portfolios; partner with lay leadership on cultivation and solicitation; build a culture of philanthropy across JTeam members (i.e., staff members) and board; and lead stewardship and acknowledgments, legacy giving, corporate sponsorships, and a future capital campaign (in partnership with a consultant), among other responsibilities. While this role does not initially include direct supervision, we hope this individual can build and grow the department. This is a newly created, director-level position focused on fundraising. It does not carry organization-wide administrative or executive responsibilities.

Fundraising Strategy & Planning

• Develop and execute an annual philanthropy plan, including specific revenue goals by source, totaling $750K. • Grow the number of new donors by 10% year over year through a deliberate mix of events, digital outreach, and community and program-participant conversion. • Within the first six months, establish baseline donor metrics, including donor counts, retention, average gift size, and revenue by source, and achieve overall and first-year donor retention rates that exceed national benchmarks by the end of year two. • Identify new opportunities for support through major gifts, annual giving, sponsorships, and institutional funders, and recommend initiatives to diversify revenue. • Develop and regularly update the Katz JCC's case for support, ensuring it reflects current strategic priorities and informs all donor-facing materials. • Monitor fundraising results against goals, analyze data and trends, and adjust strategy accordingly.

Major Gifts & Donor Relations

• Devote approximately 50% of time to building and personally managing a portfolio of 40–50 major and high-capacity donors, conducting cultivation meetings, solicitations, and stewardship independently and alongside the CEO and lay leaders. • Engage board members and lay leaders in identifying, cultivating, and soliciting donors. • Hold a minimum of eight donor meetings per month. • Serve as an ambassador for the Katz JCC in the Jewish and broader Atlantic County communities and with regional philanthropic partners. Campaigns, Grants & Events • Develop and lead an annual campaign in partnership with lay leadership, including year-end giving and direct mail efforts. • Manage and oversee Life & Legacy, as well as endowment development and growth. • Develop and manage capital campaign materials, including naming and dedication opportunities and supporting marketing materials. • Identify and pursue government, corporate, and foundation funding; write compelling proposals; and oversee deadlines, reporting, and renewals using an active grant tracking system. • Plan and manage signature special events, including but not limited to the Golf Tournament (in partnership with Jewish Family Service of Atlantic County), the Arts, Books and Culture Festival, Sports Night, and Summer Series, as well as cultivation events for donors and corporate partners. • Collaborate with marketing on fundraising messaging, donor communications, and campaign materials