Director of Development

Background: 

JKHA/RKYHS is a leading Modern Orthodox, co-educational nursery through 12th grade day school set on a premier 20-acre campus in Livingston, NJ. Under the direction of Rabbi Eliezer Rubin, a world-renowned Jewish educator, an experienced leadership team, and a faculty of thought leaders in day school education, its 725+ students are challenged to explore opportunities, cultivate curiosities, think critically, and make a difference as they are prepared to be the next generation of Jewish leaders. For more than 60 years, JKHA/RKYHS student-centered General and Judaic Studies programs have been at the forefront of education allowing students to thrive in a rigorous dual academic program that emphasizes critical thinking, invention, and experiential learning.

JKHA/RKYHS inspires students to live lives of Torah and mitzvot; to embrace secular knowledge and American democratic values; to love and serve the Jewish People; and to forge a lifelong bond with the Land and State of Israel. JKHA/RKYHS aims to empower students to achieve personal excellence by teaching them how to learn, and by encouraging them to analyze, to create, and to pursue new intellectual challenges. JKHA/RKYHS helps students form strong, healthy identities as they take responsibility for themselves and their communities.

JKHA/RKYHS is fortunate to be the beneficiary of continued financial support from devoted stakeholders that has provided the school with the stability that comes from a strong endowment and debt-free facilities with a full complement of learning resources. From its state-of-the-art research laboratories to the school’s 6 acres of athletic grounds, JKHA/RKYHS utilizes every resource to support students as they achieve local, national, and international recognition. 

JKHA/RKYHS is accredited by the prestigious New Jersey Association of Independent Schools (www.njais.org). The school’s annual budget is $20M and is governed by a dedicated and collaborative Board of Trustees.  

To learn more about the school, please visit: https://www.jkha.org/

Position:

JKHA/RKYHS seeks a Director of Development who is skilled, motivated, and can bring past development experience to the role. The Director of Development will play a vital role in building off JKHA/RKYHS’s recent successful endowment, capital and annual campaigns furthering the mission of the school to inspire excellence. Working alongside the Head of School, the Board of Trustees, and faculty and staff, the Director will be responsible for defining and leading the strategic direction of all fundraising activities for JKHA/RKYHS. The Director will lead the fundraising team, cultivate major gifts, manage the annual campaign, and other fundraising initiatives and events. 

The Director of Development must be a highly articulate communicator and relationship builder skilled at making a compelling case for school support. The Director of Development will report to and work closely with the Head of School and will serve on the senior administration team.  

Essential responsibilities include:

• Forge relationships with donors and board members, strengthen current relationships and solicit gifts through personal meetings, events, and other activities.
• Focus on major gift cultivation, solicitation and retention.  Develop plans to identify donors who are capable of increased gifts.
• Foster a ‘culture of giving’ in the community through parent engagement at all levels of capacity;
• Design, enhance, and implement programs designed to secure both short- and long-range fundraising objectives. 
• Develop individually tailored face-to-face, one-on-one cultivation and solicitation meetings.
• Engage with the Head of School, Development Committee, and other lay leaders to set fundraising goals, strategize, manage their cultivation and solicitation of targeted donors, and report on progress toward goals.
• Support the Head of School in his role in the Development process, positioning him for maximum impact.
• Enhance and oversee the team and collaborate with other school leaders in support of Development efforts.
• Oversee maintenance of existing fundraising record keeping procedures in order to identify potential donors, track existing donors and acknowledge record and report all gifts.
• Serve as the “Face of Development” in the community by attending school events to forge relationships with parents, grandparents, and alumni.

Candidate Profile:

• Demonstrated knowledge of and passion for the mission of a Jewish Day School. Familiarity with Greater MetroWest community and JKHA/RKYHS a plus. 
• Powerful relationship cultivation skills; demonstrated ability to maintain a diverse network through integrated effective interactions with all levels of donors, peers, volunteers and staff.
• Strong organization skills and ability to create a strategy/vision and execute on it.
• Capacity to motivate, lead and collaborate effectively with a team of peers, fundraising staff, volunteer leaders and volunteer cultivators/solicitors around a common purpose; experience mentoring and developing the skills of junior team members.
• Strong interpersonal, communication and presentation skills (oral and written) to support cause across both informal and formal audiences; Grant writing experience a plus.
• Personable, energetic, self-starting nature with a willingness to roll-up sleeves to do whatever it takes to get the job done.
• Innovative with new ideas that can help increase fundraising capability at JKHA/RKYHS.
• 10 years of professional experience in a related field and non-profit experience a plus. 

If you are interested in learning more about the position and/or nominating someone for the role, please email search@scottgoldbergconsulting.com.