Director of Development

The Brooklyn Community Bail Fund (BCBF) is committed to challenging the racism, inequality, and injustice of the criminal legal system and the immigration detention and deportation regimes. From 2015 through 2019, BCBF operated a revolving bail fund in the criminal legal space, paying $5 million to free nearly 5,000 New Yorkers from pretrial detention. In 2018, in partnership with an Advisory Council of community-based organizations, we launched the New York Immigration Freedom Fund program. Since then, we have paid nearly $5 million in immigration bonds for community members who are unable to afford it themselves and help support their critical post-release needs. Our ongoing work to dismantle the intertwined criminal legal and immigration systems includes continued public education and advocacy—in partnership with allies and impacted communities—to influence policy and legislation locally and nationally. 

Position Overview

BCBF is seeking a Director of Development to provide strategic and hands-on leadership of our fundraising program at a time of significant organizational growth and development. The Director of Development will create, lead, and manage annual and multi-year fundraising plans to support our annual operating budget and immigration bond fund, and will identify the strategic partnerships, tools, and messages that will ensure the success of those plans. This is a new full-time position reporting to the Executive Director. As a member of the leadership team, the Director of Development’s principle responsibilities will include:

Strategic Planning and Leadership

• In collaboration with the leadership team, identify organizational funding needs and create strategic fundraising plans to meet them.
• Work closely with the Executive Director and leadership team to manage and deepen relationships with existing institutional funders and major donors to build on the success of BCBF’s current fundraising program.
• Create and implement a stewardship program aimed at retaining and cultivating deeper ties with BCBF’s significantly expanded donor base. Broaden and deepen BCBF’s donor base; strengthen BCBF’s capacity to launch and partner on grassroots and peer-to-peer fundraising campaigns; identify prospective institutional funders and major donors and create detailed strategies to secure their support.
• Identify opportunities to retain existing corporate support and secure new corporate supporters.
• Work closely with the Executive Director to generate opportunities for and support board involvement in fundraising.

Management and Operations

• Manage day-to-day fundraising operations; ensure that the systems, software and protocols necessary for an effective fundraising program are in place, including: robust and efficient donor engagement, gift tracking, grant proposal and application submission calendar, and reporting systems.
• Oversee the fundraising budget; actively manage revenue to ensure that annual operating budget objectives and plan goals are met; track multi-year revenue and fundraising trends; and use results to strategically plan future opportunities.
• Work with Fiscal team to provide revenue projections and reports; support monthly and annual reconciliation process; and support annual audit.
• Supervise and mentor Development and Community Engagement Associate and additional fundraising staff.
• Oversee application, reporting and contract management process for City Council funding.
• Develop, edit and/or review funding proposals, letters and other funder communications.

Communications

• Collaborate with the Communications Specialist and Executive Director to establish strategies and protocols for a comprehensive and multifaceted donor communication and messaging plan.
• Prepare quarterly Board meeting presentations and documents in support of development activities.

Qualifications

Qualified candidates will have substantial, broad-based fundraising and management experience and proven leadership skills with demonstrated success in planning and implementing significant development projects to achieve organizational objectives. Experience in creating successful grassroots campaigns would be particularly beneficial. Candidates will demonstrate a deep commitment to racial and other justice movements, understand fundraising as a key component of public education and community engagement, and have a personal commitment to BCBF’s mission. Ideally, successful candidates will have:

• 7+ years of progressive professional responsibility, including experience managing fundraising programs and staff.
• Significant experience securing support for a mission-driven nonprofit from a variety of sources, including major donors, institutional funders, digital and social media, special events, corporate partnerships and grassroots campaigns
• Familiarity with the social justice funding landscape.
• Intellectual curiosity, including the ability to listen to and learn from multiple voices.
• Ability to see the “big picture,” think strategically, and translate strategy into goals and actions.
• Outstanding written and oral communications skills, with ability to work fluidly across all levels, build collaboration and buy-in and generate support from internal and external stakeholders; ability to craft and articulate nuanced, sophisticated cases for support to diverse audiences and constituents.
• Fluency with MS Office suite; familiarity with Salesforce and MailChimp a plus.

Salary commensurate with experience. BCBF offers a generous benefits package. 

BCBF is an Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will be considered for employment without unlawful discrimination based on race, color, creed, religion, national origin, citizenship, age, sex, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, military status, marital status, familial status, caregiver status, predisposing genetic characteristics, veteran or active military service member status, pregnancy, arrest or conviction record, unemployment status or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.