Director of Development

Asphalt Green is seeking an experienced Director of Development to join our team!  This position is a full-time on-site role at Asphalt Green’s Upper East Side campus.  Reporting to the Executive Director, this position is a key member of senior management working closely with the Board of Directors.  The Director of Development will oversee all fundraising activities and initiatives, including individual giving, events, grants management, corporate sponsorships, capital campaigns, annual development budget and calendar, and reporting.

About Asphalt Green

Asphalt Green is a nonprofit sports, swim, and fitness organization in New York City dedicated to assisting people of all ages and backgrounds achieve health through a lifetime of sports and fitness.  Founded in 1984 on the site of a former Asphalt plant on the Upper East Side, Asphalt Green now serves over 50,000 New Yorkers with high-quality programs that cater to individuals at all skill levels, from the new swimmer or participant in recreational sports programs, to seniors staying fit, and athletes training for a spot in college or even the Olympics.  Asphalt Green is committed to bringing the same high-quality instruction of our fee-based programs to our free community programs that take place in schools, gyms, parks, and pools across New York City.

Governed by a 23-member Board of Directors, Asphalt Green’s pre-covid annual revenue was $30 million with 2 locations in Manhattan – the Upper East Side and Battery Park City. 

Asphalt Green is looking for a fundraising leader to achieve the organization’s fundraising goals of $3 million by cultivating relationships with donors (including parents and members), funders and stakeholders who are excited to support our mission.

Responsibilities

As the senior fundraiser, the Director of Development is responsible for preparing and implementing a comprehensive fundraising plan including ongoing projections, timetables, and deliverables that will detail Asphalt Green’s fundraising goals:

Individual Giving / Major Donors: Identify and communicate with prospective new donors as well as steward a portfolio of current donors including members and parents. 

Events Management: Lead all aspects of the $1+ million annual event plus smaller donor events throughout the year. 

Grants: Manage and build the portfolio of family and corporate foundations; maintain grant calendar and ensure all deadlines are communicated and met; and identify and cultivate new foundations and avenues of support

Capital/Endowment/Government Funds: Support the Executive Director in efforts to raise capital for specific large projects such as a new swimming pool or a goal to increase the endowment and on-going government operating and capital grants.

Reporting: Ensure an accurate and updated donor management system evaluating the effectiveness of all fundraising efforts.

Board Engagement: Work closely with the Board of Directors to engage them in their individual fundraising as well as a successful outreach program. 

Planned Giving/Junior Board/new initiatives:  Set strategy to determine next steps on launching a planned giving program, junior board, and other initiatives.

Communications/Marketing: Collaborate with the Marketing team on all communications related to philanthropy, including but not limited to content for social media, website, print materials, annual report, events, and press outreach.

Internal Partnerships: Interface with all departments, with a special emphasis on both the Community Programs Department and competitive sports teams, to learn firsthand about our many programs, fee-based and free.

Leadership:  Manage, motivate, and evaluate staff while creating a collaborative, healthy and productive work environment based on respect, teamwork and clear expectations.

Candidate Profile

The Director of Development will be an experienced (minimum of 7 years of experience operating at a Board level) and charismatic leader who will take a hands-on approach to building a best-in-class development program.  The ideal candidate will embody the Asphalt Green ethos of an active and healthy lifestyle through sports and fitness, coupled with deep experience driving fundraising success.

• Demonstrated ability to manage staff with donor-centric, data-driven development functions.
• Strong working knowledge of CRM strategies and platforms, both to build donor loyalty/retention and to use data to inform fundraising strategies.
• Proven track record of success raising at least $2 million a year with increasing levels of responsibility and a history of deepening and forging donor relationships.
• Strong knowledge of individual giving principles and best practices, demonstrated success and ability to prospect, pursue and cultivate new individual donors, experience in closing major gifts.
• Strong strategic thinking, able to see the “big picture” with the ability to take an idea from conception to implementation through collaboration with peers and partners to achieve desired outcomes.
• Exceptional communication and relationship building skills; able to inspire, influence, and educate a wide range of stakeholders; demonstrated record of success in developing and motivating fundraising teams.

Asphalt Green values equity and inclusion and is committed to the recruitment and retention of individuals of underrepresented backgrounds, including (but not limited to) gender identity and expression, race, religion and sexual orientation.