Director of Institutional Giving

The Opportunity

The Day Care Council of New York (DCCNY) is seeking an inaugural Director of Institutional Giving who will lead its corporate and foundation fund development efforts and have primary responsibility for strengthening the internal infrastructure needed to support and grow the organization’s budget through foundation and corporate donors. The ideal candidate will be an experienced development professional who enjoys collaborating with senior staff, can self-manage, flawlessly write fundraising materials, easily toggle between setting big-picture strategy and fulfilling detail-oriented operational fundraising needs, and has the experience and gravitas to lead staff and board fundraising conversations around corporate and foundation giving. Under the strategic direction of the Director of Institutional Giving, DCCNY aims to cultivate and strengthen its relationships with funders, while also expanding and diversifying its donor base and pipeline to include additional foundation and corporate support. DCCNY has an annual operating budget of approximately $15M for FY25, and the current revenue model is comprised of government grants (97%), membership dues (2%), and grants and contributions (1%). There is tremendous revenue growth potential from previously unexplored foundation and corporate donors, and the Director of Institutional Giving will oversee this growth and will not lead government grant efforts. This full-time, New York City-based hybrid position will report to the Executive Director.

More About DCCNY

Now in its 77th year, the Day Care Council of New York (DCCNY) is a membership, advocacy, and service organization for NYC’s early childhood education providers and for families seeking quality early childhood education and care services. Founded in 1948 to fight for the survival of publicly funded child care centers when federal funds were eliminated at the end of World War II, today, DCCNY continues to play several important roles in NYC’s early childhood education system. With a mission to seek support for and assist in the development of quality early childhood education and family and group family care services, which are designed to promote the sound growth and development of children and their families, DCCNY is recognized as a leader in NYC’s advocacy community. DCCNY collaborates with member agencies on labor relations, public policy, and training needs.

As a leading research and advocacy organization, DCCNY pushed for NYC’s continued expansion of early childhood education, including the launch of Universal Pre-K programs, salary parity for community-based early childhood educators, and the retention of several initiatives introduced through emergency orders in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in support of families’ ability to access affordable quality child care. DCCNY continues to push for public support of high-quality, affordable child care for low-income families in NYC and serves as a resource to center-based providers and their governing boards of directors, and family and group family child care providers. DCCNY plays a key role in supporting the growth and development of NYC’s early childhood workforce.

Candidate Profile and Key Qualifications

The ideal candidate will exemplify the following competencies and characteristics:

• • 6+ years of substantial development experience with demonstrated success in increasing organizational revenue, including extensive experience with corporate and foundation fundraising
  • Strong, authentic verbal and written communication skills including significant experience with grant and report writing, donor communications, and additional fundraising materials; must be capable of generating and finalizing error-free written content in a timely manner
  • Ability to lead the creation of the organization’s first short- and long-term development plan with achievable goals and tactical implementation plans
  • Energy, maturity, confidence, and expertise to serve as a subject-matter expert on foundation and corporate giving team at both the strategic and tactical levels; ability to advise on individual giving on an as-needed basis is helpful
  • Highly collaborative with dynamic team engagement skills; experience with and commitment to supporting the professional development and learning of team members across the organization
  • Success in cultivating relationships with institutional donors
  • Nimble, resourceful, and responsive to the needs of DCCNY's internal and external stakeholders
  • Knowledge of emerging and innovative funding sources
  • A commitment to centering diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility, and belonging in their work and possessing the cultural competencies to meet the needs of DCCNY’s diverse stakeholders
  • Experience with data and deadline-driven, detail-oriented project management as well as managing and prioritizing workflows
  • Commitment to DCCNY’s mission and ability to speak persuasively to stakeholders about the organization’s model and impact
  • Passion for DCCNY’s mission and values as well as equity in the early childhood education space
  • Fluency with technology, including Salesforce, Canva, Slack, MS Office 365, and Google Suite
  • Entrepreneurial spirit and comfort being the only institutional fundraising staff member until adequate funds are raised to support additional capacity
  • Flexibility to travel, especially within the five boroughs, occasionally for donor visits, events, conferences, and other development-related meetings as necessary

Core Responsibilities

Responsibilities of the Director of Institutional Giving include but are not limited to:

• • Write, edit, and finalize grants, reports, fundraising materials, and other development-related communications ensuring they are error-free and delivered in a professional and timely manner
  • Construct, articulate, and implement a comprehensive short- and long-term development strategy and implementation plan for foundation and corporate donors
  • Build the portfolio of foundation and corporate donors by envisioning and implementing strategies for qualifying, cultivating, stewarding, and soliciting foundation and corporate donors
  • Serve as a thought partner alongside the Executive Director, other senior staff, and the Board on all major fundraising initiatives to help DCCNY continue innovating in the early childhood education space
  • Develop and manage a development dashboard and other tracking systems to support donor development and overall goal setting; once developed, ensure the internal infrastructure at DCCNY is best utilized to support development operations, including the utilization of Salesforce to keep donor and stewardship details accurate
  • Assist in the execution of donor cultivation and fundraising events as needed
  • Attend and represent DCCNY at key fundraising events, meetings, and conferences as needed
  • Ensure the efficient and effective coordination of development workflows
  • Liaise frequently with program staff, keeping them apprised of key information, and to support their funder relationships
  • Build and maintain a strong working knowledge of DCCNY’s work in the early childhood education, advocacy, and policy space

Compensation and Benefits

The salary range for this position is $110,000-$135,000 and is commensurate with demonstrated experience and abilities. DCCNY also offers a comprehensive benefits package, including medical/dental/vision coverage, access to 401(k) and defined benefit plans, sick and vacation leave, paid holidays, life and disability insurance, and more. DCCNY is also committed to the professional development and advancement of its staff.

DCCNY thrives on diversity and is an equal opportunity employer committed to inclusive hiring. All offers of employment are contingent upon completing a background check, which includes verification of the applicant's social security number, criminal record, employment history, and educational history.

To Apply

This search is being conducted by Challenges and Solutions, LLC. If you need accessibility modifications to complete this application, please email the address below with your needs. Interested candidates should email a cover letter and resume to:

Mo Coffey at mo@challengesandsolutions.com. No calls, please.