Vice President of Development

Vice President of Development

Community Service Society of New York

New York, NY

cssny.org

For more than 175 years, the Community Service Society of New York (CSS) has been a powerful voice on behalf of low-income families in New York. CSS works to promote economic opportunity for all New Yorkers, centering our efforts on the concerns and experiences of low-income communities and communities of color. To meet the organization’s ambitious agenda, CSS utilizes applied research, advocacy, litigation, volunteerism, and innovative program models to address the root causes of inequality, including providing direct service assistance to nearly 150,000 New Yorkers each year and mobilizing 500,000 hours of volunteer service. CSS also conducts the nation’s longest-running regular opinion poll focusing on the issues and concerns of low-income respondents. Drawing on insights from its research, services, and advocacy, CSS has championed groundbreaking campaigns for paid leave, housing justice, affordable transit, access to health care, and unlocking opportunity for New Yorkers with conviction histories. 

CSS seeks an innovative, entrepreneurial, and forward-thinking fundraising leader to serve as Vice President of Development (VPD). The successful candidate will create and execute a strategic plan for development, where prospective donor constituency is not immediately obvious. The VPD will identify potential donors, forge new relationships, and expand CSS’s financial resources and visibility. They will have responsibility for enhancing the existing infrastructure to grow the annual budget through the solicitation of major gifts, acquisition of corporate and foundation support, and government grants. To accomplish CSS’s goals and objectives, the VPD will streamline and standardize CSS’s government grants systems, practices, processes, and protocols.

The VPD will persuasively articulate the mission, history, and achievements of CSS and its aspirations for the future. The successful candidate will have a demonstrated track record of providing strategic direction and leading a fundraising operation that resulted in marked improvement and significant growth. They will have a personal interest in CSS’s mission and a demonstrated affinity to fundamental social and economic issues of our time.

Working in a culture of collegial and dedicated professionals, the successful candidate will report to the Office of the President, which includes the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, and work collaboratively with the Board of Trustees and the Senior Leadership Team. The VPD will work collaboratively with the Senior Leadership Team on grant writing efforts. They will have two direct reports and lead the development team of five.

The Community Service Society of New York has retained Freeman Philanthropic Services, LLC to facilitate this executive recruitment. Please send confidential inquiries and applications directly to Freeman Philanthropic Services, LLC via e-mail at CSS-VPD@glfreeman.com.