Job Opportunities

JOB ANNOUNCEMENT: DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT

Reports to: Executive Director

Type: Full-time/Exempt

Location: New York City

Start-Date: Immediately

To Apply: Please send a resume and cover letter to DevelopmentDirector@hfls.org

The Organization

The Hebrew Free Loan Society fosters economic stability and opportunity among New Yorkers in need by providing access to safe, affordable credit in the form of 0%-interest loans.

Founded in 1892 by immigrants on Manhattan’s Lower East Side, HFLS has provided over $300 million to more than 875,000 borrowers. We are not the only microfinance organization in New York, but our model is unique: We are the only microlender providing an array of interest-free loans to low- and moderate-income borrowers. HFLS is a nonsectarian lender, making loans based on need to borrowers of all backgrounds.

HFLS maintains a 99.9% repayment rate, the result of a unique lending model that relies on guarantors to prevent default. As our loans are repaid, the capital is lent out again and again, helping more people and multiplying our impact over time.

The Opportunity

HFLS is in a growth phase, having added over $1 million in new lending per year for the past three years. We have an actively engaged Board and a growing donor base. There is an opportunity to achieve scale over the next 5-7 years, and resource development will be a key aspect of our strategy to achieve growth in the coming period.

Overview of the Role

The Director of Development ensures a robust level of financial support for the Hebrew Free Loan Society. S/he develops a strategy that includes multiple fundraising channels and is accountable for maintaining and strengthening the systems and staffing needed to execute this strategy with success. Working closely with the Executive Director and the Board, The Director of Development  holds chief responsibility for cultivating, stewarding and expanding donor engagement in ways that strengthen the organization’s present and secure its future. This position will focus strongly on prospect identification, donor stewardship and direct solicitation.

This is a great opportunity for an entrepreneurial yet process-oriented fundraiser who is interested in thinking creatively about how to build a more robust community of individual donors in support of Hebrew Free Loan Society’s unique mission. He/she must have the interpersonal and communications skills necessary to capture and represent HFLS’s unique voice and values. If you have a history of leading successful fundraising campaigns measurable results, and are excited by the idea of working to bring an organization to scale, this opportunity may be right for you!

Areas of Responsibility 

• Maximize the current potential for and continue to build a robust, multi-channel fundraising effort that supports HFLS growth goals
• Work with the Executive Director and the Development Committee to develop and implement an annual fundraising plan and goals; report on progress toward these goals throughout the year and revise as needed
• Leverage HFLS staff, Board, and Next Generation members to support the organization’s development effort

Individual Giving

• Support high-level solicitation efforts by developing strategy and tactics, providing briefing materials, preparing agendas and developing background research
• Identify candidates for individual cultivation in the existing cohort of Annual Campaign donors and run the system for cultivation and solicitation of these individuals
• Steward existing funders (with the ED and Board members)
• Empower all Board members and major donors to give personally and to solicit funds on behalf of HFLS

Foundations

• With ED, steward relationships with current foundation funders
• Supervise grant-writing consultant who writes new proposals and reports on current grants

Events and Other Channels for Fundraising

• Coordinate and manage the execution of fundraising events, including an annual benefit and several parlor meetings per year
• Launch a comprehensive planned giving program
• Manage all direct mail and online giving appeals

Communications

• Supervise the Development and Communications Manager, who will take the lead on the design, writing, execution and production of the Society’s external communication activities including the annual report, e-newsletters, various e-mails and online solicitations, and on social media engagement

Core Competencies

• Hustle:  The courage, confidence, self-belief, self-motivation, and self-determination to work hard and with passion; committed to getting the job done
• Grit:   The ability to sustain effort in the face of adversity.  Maintain consistency and focus over time with a “never give up” attitude
• Integrity: A strong sense of ethics and professionalism that ensures we do the right thing and maintains the organization’s excellent reputation
• Fundraising:  The ability to close fundraising asks from donors
• Relationship Building:  The ability to build meaningful relationships with colleagues and to strengthen donor retention
• Self-Motivation:  The ability to do what needs to be done, without significant oversight from managers or other team members
• Strategic Thinking: Ability to understand the environment in which HFLS operates and to choose the best means for achieving our goals based on opportunities, capacity and timing

Required Qualifications

• Passion for HFLS’s Mission and Core Values
• Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s degree and non-profit management experience preferred
• 6-8 years of fundraising experience with a proven track record in major gifts, individual giving and development systems
• Strong communications skills
• Extensive knowledge of the New York City Area philanthropic community, especially the Jewish community, and ability to seek out and engage new prospects