Spence Chapin

Title: Senior Director, Development and Advancement

Reports to: CEO

Department: Development

POSITION SUMMARY

Spence-Chapin is seeking an accomplished, strategic, and relationship-driven Senior Director of Development and Advancement to lead and grow the organization’s philanthropic efforts. The Senior Director will be responsible for developing and executing a comprehensive fundraising strategy designed to increase contributed revenue, deepen relationships with existing supporters, attract new donors and partners, and build a strong and sustainable pipeline of philanthropic support. The successful candidate will be a relationship builder first and foremost – someone who genuinely enjoys meeting people, developing connections, and inspiring others to become invested in a mission.

This is a highly visible leadership position requiring an individual who is equally comfortable developing strategy and building personal relationships with donors. The Senior Director will work closely with executive leadership, the Board of Directors, program leaders, and the development team to connect donors and partners with opportunities to make a meaningful difference in the lives of children and families. The ideal candidate is an experienced fundraiser who understands that successful development is fundamentally about relationships – listening to donors, understanding what inspires them, and connecting their philanthropic interests with Spence-Chapin’s mission and impact.

This is an in‑person position with an annual salary range of $140,000-$150,000 commensurate with experience.

Spence-Chapin is a non‑profit organization based in New York City that has been providing adoption services and adoption support for more than 115 years. At Spence-Chapin, we believe that every child deserves a family, and we work tirelessly to advocate for children in need of a permanent, loving home. Over our history, Spence-Chapin has served more than 30,000 children, women, and families through our main program areas: Comprehensive Domestic and International Adoption Programs; Birth Parent Services; Family & Community Support Services; and International Humanitarian Aid through programs like our Granny Program to support children living in orphanages overseas.

Our work is made possible by individuals dedicated to our staff. At Spence-Chapin we find joy in celebrating each other, our co‑workers, and our clients. Everyone is treated with respect and dignity to strengthen the vibrancy of our community. We celebrate a culture of excellence, inclusivity, compassion, flexibility, and support. Spence-Chapin offers a competitive benefits package that includes full health benefits, generous PTO and holiday schedule, HRA & FSA plans, life insurance, retirement plan with employer contribution, paid maternity/paternity/adoption leave, commuter benefits, and more. Being part of the Spence-Chapin team is being part of a legacy, which for more than 115 years has provided critical services to children, women, and families around the world.

KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS & SKILLS

Fundraising Strategy & Leadership

• Develop & execute a comprehensive annual development strategy aligned with Spence-Chapin’s mission, strategic priorities, and growth objectives
• Execute ambitious, but achievable fundraising goals and develop clear strategies for reaching them
• Identify opportunities to diversity and expand philanthropic revenue across individual giving, major gifts, corporate partnerships, foundations, events, and other sources
• Build a strong pipeline of existing and prospective donors and partners capable of supporting the organization’s long‑term growth
• Establish fundraising metrics and regularly evaluate progress, opportunities, and challenges
• Serve as a collaborative member of the organization’s senior leadership team and bring a development perspective to strategic organizational decisions

Major Gifts & Individual Giving

• Build, manage, and actively cultivate a portfolio of major donors and high‑potential prospects
• Work directly with the Chief Executive Officer to prepare, steward, and execute one‑on‑one meaningful meetings with prospective and existing donors
• Personally lead donor cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship activities
• Develop individualized strategies for engaging donors and increasing their philanthropic investment in Spence-Chapin
• Create opportunities for donors to experience and understand the impact of Spence-Chapin’s work
• Strengthen the organization’s major gifts pipeline through prospect identification, research, cultivation, and relationship development
• Develop strategies to increase donor retention, annual giving, recurring giving, and donor lifetime value
• Explore opportunities to expand planned giving and other long‑term philanthropic relationships

Corporate & Foundation Partnerships

• Develop and strengthen relationships with corporations, foundations, family foundations, and other institutional partners
• Identify new philanthropic and strategic partnership opportunities that align with Spence-Chapin’s mission and programs
• Work collaboratively to develop compelling proposals, presentations, sponsorship opportunities, and funding requests
• Build partnerships that extend beyond transactional sponsorships and create meaningful, long‑term engagement with the organization

Donor Engagement & Stewardship

• Develop a thoughtful and highly personalized donor stewardship strategy
• Ensure donors understand the impact of their philanthropy and feel meaningfully connected to Spence-Chapin’s mission
• Partner with program and communications teams to translate the organization’s work into compelling stories of impact
• Develop donor communications, appeals, impact reports, presentations, and other materials that inspire continued and increased support
• Create meaningful opportunities for donors and prospects to engage with Spence-Chapin throughout the year

Board & Executive Leadership Engagement

• Partner closely with executive leadership on major donor strategy, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship
• Engage the Board of Directors as active ambassadors for Spence-Chapin and its mission
• Help board members identify and cultivate prospective donors, corporate partners, and other supporters
• Provide board members with the information, messaging, and tools needed to participate effectively in fundraising
• Regularly communicate fundraising results, pipeline development, opportunities, and priorities to leadership and the board.

Events & Donor Presence

• Provide strategic leadership for fundraising and donor cultivation events, including signature events and other opportunities to engage supporters
• Evaluate events not only by revenue generated but also by their ability to cultivate relationships, introduce new supporters, and strengthen the Spence-Chapin community
• Represent Spence-Chapin at philanthropic, corporate, community, and networking events throughout the New York region and beyond
• Develop relationships with individuals and organizations that can broaden Spence-Chapin’s visibility and philanthropic reach

Development Operations & Team Leadership

• Lead, mentor, and develop members of the development team, creating a collaborative, accountable, and results‑oriented culture
• Establish clear goals and responsibilities while supporting professional development and growth
• Ensure effective use of donor data, prospect research, and fundraising analytics
• Maintain a disciplined approach to moves management, donor pipelines, gift tracking, acknowledgment, and stewardship
• Develop and monitor the annual development budget and fundraising forecasts
• Ensure development activities follow applicable regulations, ethical fundraising practices, and organizational policies

EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor's degree required (or equivalent combination of education and relevant professional experience)
• Minimum of 7-10+ years of progressively responsible fundraising and development experience, preferably within a nonprofit or mission‑driven organization

TECHNICAL SKILLS

• Microsoft Office – advanced proficiency in Outlook, Excel, Word, and PowerPoint
• CRM experience - proficiency with a CRM like Raiser's Edge, Salesforce, Tessitura
• Familiarity with donor and prospect research platforms including DonorSearch, Foundation Directory, or WealthEngine
• Experience with gift processing, receipting, reporting, and fundraising analytics
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret data and develop actionable fundraising strategies

KEY COMPETENCIES

• Exceptional relationship-building and interpersonal skills
• Strong leadership experience with the ability to motivate, mentor, and develop staff
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to communicate an organization’s mission and impact in a compelling and authentic way
• Strong strategic, organizational, and project‑management capabilities
• Ability and willingness to attend donor meetings, cultivation opportunities, and events, including occasional evenings and weekends
• Demonstrated success cultivating, soliciting, and closing significant individual gifts
• Proven ability to build and manage a major gifts pipeline
• Experience developing relationships with high‑net worth individuals, corporations, foundations, and community partners

This job description is not intended to detail every aspect of your job or list every task you may perform. It is provided as a general overview of the responsibilities and skills required to do this job successfully.