Director of Development and Membership Engagement
- Employer
- Kolot Chayeinu
- Location
- New York, United States
- Salary
- Salary Commensurate with experience
- Closing date
- May 11, 2021
View more
- Position Type
- Fundraising, Capital Campaigns, Donor Relations, Fundraising Administration, Grant Seeking, Major Gifts, Membership, Planned Giving
- Fields
- Religion
- Employment Type
- Full Time
Kolot Chayeinu/Voices of Our Lives is a 29-years-strong, fast-growing, progressive Jewish congregation in Brooklyn, NY with over 400 households. Kolot is a place of inclusive ritual, supportive community, dynamic educational programming, and the relentless pursuit of social justice. Read Kolot’s Mission Statement here.
We are seeking a full-time Director of Development and Membership Engagement (“Director”) to begin in July 2021.
BACKGROUND
Kolot is a
rapidly growing, unaffiliated congregation with a diverse and
engaged membership and shared progressive values. Our expanding
list of offerings includes: well-attended weekly Shabbat services
and annual High Holy Days with 1,000+ in attendance; growing
membership engagement offerings; an innovative Children’s Learning
Program and adult education; and active committees for member
support, racial and immigrant justice, and more. A strong signal of
support from our community is that our membership, attendance, and
program offerings have expanded during the pandemic.
The Director would join Kolot at an exciting time for our growing fundraising and membership efforts. We have increasingly built up a culture of giving, and 3 years ago we launched a successful multi-year fundraising campaign called Our Journey Forward (“OJF”), which cumulatively raised $1.2 million. OJF enabled us to expand staff, purchase new prayer books and engage in long-range planning, and allowed our new rabbi to start with a solid foundation.
Through the efforts of our leadership and members, Kolot has been able to avoid budget cuts during this pandemic year, and is in a strong organizational position. Over the past 5 years, we have built up a healthy reserve fund. Now, our Fundraising Committee and staff are planning the next major campaign, which will kick off this fall. With the additional efforts of this new Director position, Kolot will continue building a culture of giving and engagement aligned with our values.
This is the revenue breakdown of the budget, which ranges between $1.1 and $1.2 million:
-
Membership Dues - 43%. Our
congregation is committed to accessible membership for all (e.g.
sliding scale/“pay what you can” dues.)
OJF - 35%
High Holy Days/Other Giving -
15%
Children’s Learning Program Fees -
7%
ABOUT THE JOB
Based out of our Park Slope office, supervised by the Executive Director and working in collaboration with Kolot staff, clergy, the Board of Directors and volunteers on our fundraising and membership committees, this new position will:
-
Expand and direct the congregation’s
fundraising efforts in ways that engage Kolot members at all levels
of giving. We seek a candidate with a deep appreciation for
faith-based or other community settings, and who feels comfortable
and confident in making “giving” an integral part of how our
community lives out our vision and values. The Director will use
their skills and experience to help donors feel a sense of purpose
and connection as they personally invest in Kolot’s thriving
present and future.
-
Support our rapidly growing community
(over 60 new member households since September) by deepening
members’ connections to one another and to Kolot. The Director will
look holistically at the member experience, from engaging new
members, to helping members connect with programs, to supporting
staff in planning events that allow members to thrive in community.
The Director supports Kolot as a whole by helping us better
understand the needs of our members as we grow. This area of work
is a second priority that we would like the Director to step into
over time. It is anticipated that after the first or second year
with Kolot, the Director will ultimately dedicate 60% of their time
to fundraising and 40% to membership engagement.
Key responsibilities
-
Lead the congregation’s efforts to
strengthen a “culture of giving” throughout Kolot that honors the
values of our inclusive community
Lead fundraising strategy and
implementation, in cooperation with clergy, staff and board
Staff the Fundraising Committee
Cultivate individual donors,
including small, medium and major member-donors.
Develop fundraising skills of clergy,
staff and board to enable them to be comfortable with making direct
asks
Meet annual fundraising goals,
established with the board and senior staff
Manage all aspects of High Holy Days’
“culture of giving” and multi-year fundraising campaigns, including
direct mail, digital engagement and data management
Mobilize volunteers in fundraising
events and campaigns
Identify and pursue grant
opportunities
Membership responsibilities
-
In cooperation with staff, clergy and
members, create and implement a holistic vision of the member
experience and the yearly cycle of events
As a member of the senior staff team,
envision, plan and execute special events and programs, including
holidays and other community wide events
Help the Membership Committee develop
its vision and goals and provide staff support
Build and facilitate deeper
relationships between members and with Kolot
What Would Success Look Like? How Will You Be Evaluated?
-
Through your membership engagement
efforts, a culture of giving will become ingrained in the identity
of our congregation, resulting in an even more robust and
financially secure community.
Thanks in large part to your
creativity, ingenuity and detail-oriented implementation, Kolot’s
all-new fundraising campaign will deliver on the promise of our
past multi-year campaign and help sustain our future
growth.
With your encouragement and
leadership, Kolot’s board will embrace an expanded role in
fundraising efforts.
Under your expert tutelage, Kolot’s
lay-led Fundraising Committee will reach a new level of
effectiveness.
Through your interpersonal efforts,
our rabbi will be supported in the challenge of working with the
congregation’s existing major donors.
With help from your proactive
engagement efforts, Kolot will have successfully identified
potential new donors, both inside and outside the
congregation.
WHO YOU ARE
-
You are someone who wants to help a
29-year-old community grow in a meaningful and sustainable
way
Your values match ours: Kolot’s mission, vision, and
values.
You have 5-7 years experience in
non-profit development or program development in a social justice
and/or faith-based setting
You want to take your track record of
successful major donor cultivation and/or solicitation and
grassroots fundraising to the next level or to a different
space
You write polished and compelling
fundraising materials (donor solicitation, campaign documents,
grants, and more)
You have a deep understanding of one
or more of the following:
-
Fundraising in a congregation or
membership organization
Fundraising for racial and economic
justice movements
The Jewish social justice
landscape
Salary: $80,000 for 5 - 7 years of experience. If you have more experience, let’s talk. Plus: 10 secular holidays and various religious holidays; sick days; 4 weeks vacation; health insurance; voluntary 401k; voluntary dental/vision plan; and TransitChek.
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