Development Manager

The Development Manager will lead all fundraising and development efforts for the United Charter High Schools network. This individual will be responsible for designing, implementing, and managing comprehensive development strategies to support both individual school sites and the organization as a whole. Working from the Central Office, the Manager of Development will cultivate major donor relationships, build institutional & corporate partnerships, support board engagement in fundraising (as needed), and oversee all aspects of gift solicitation, stewardship, and fund development—including seasonal appeals, endowment campaigns, and grant acquisition.

Please submit a resume, cover letter detailing your fundraising experience and interest in UCHS, and two writing samples (preferably including a grant proposal or donor communication) here

Essential Job Functions:

Fundraising Strategy and Execution

• Leading secondary readiness internships, externships
• Develop and implement a multi-year advancement plan that includes annual giving, major gifts, capital campaigns, and endowment development.
• Identify new funding opportunities and create pathways for sustainable revenue growth.
• Oversee seasonal giving campaigns (e.g., year-end appeals, Giving Tuesday).
• Develop and execute both short- and long-term fundraising strategies tailored to school specific and network-wide goals.

Major Gifts & Donor Cultivation

• Identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward major gift prospects and donors.
• Build and maintain a robust donor pipeline, including individual, corporate, and foundation partners.
• Manage a portfolio of high-net-worth individuals and organizations aligned with UCHS's mission.
• Plan and execute donor engagement events and recognition strategies.
• Create partnerships between organizations and UCHS for in-kind giving.

Grant Writing and Institutional Giving

• Research, write, and manage grant applications and proposals for public and private funding opportunities.
• Maintain a grant calendar and ensure timely submission of reports and proposals.
• Cultivate relationships with program officers and institutional funders.

Endowment and Planned Giving

• Lead strategy for building and managing the UCHS Endowment Fund.
• Develop planned giving materials and outreach strategies to secure long-term philanthropic commitments.

Communications and Outreach

• Collaborate with marketing and school site teams to create compelling fundraising materials and campaigns.
• Prepare donor impact reports, proposals, and fundraising collateral.
• Represent UCHS at networking, community, and donor events to promote the organization's mission and fundraising needs.

Required Knowledge & Skills:

• Minimum of 5 years of progressive fundraising experience in education, nonprofit, or finance-related sectors.
• Demonstrated success in major gift fundraising, endowment campaigns, and donor cultivation.
• Proven experience in grant writing and institutional fundraising.
• Strong knowledge of donor databases and CRM tools (e.g., Salesforce, Donor Perfect).
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills; strong public speaking and presentation abilities.
• Strategic thinker with outstanding project management and organizational skills.
• Self-starter with a high level of initiative, integrity, and adaptability.
• Commitment to the mission and values of United Charter High Schools.

Desired Knowledge & Skills:

• Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree in nonprofit management, business, education, or a related field is a plus.
• Experience working in a charter school or K-12 educational setting.
• Familiarity with New York's philanthropic landscape and education funding ecosystem

Physical Requirements and Working Conditions:

• Working in front of a computer screen for several hours per day.
• Hybrid office/remote (M/F) work with occasional travel to local school sites required.
• On-call to address emergencies related to public announcements.

Compensation and Benefits:

• Competitive salary based on experience
• Health, dental, and vision insurance
• FSA/HSA
• 8% Employer 403(b) contribution
• Generous PTO and holidays
• Hybrid work schedule (work from home Mondays and Fridays)
• Opportunities for professional development and growth within the organization

EEO/ADA

(Reasonable accommodations will be made in accordance with existing ADA requirements for otherwise qualified individuals with a disability)

This job description is not a complete statement of essential functions, responsibilities or requirements but represents the minimum level of knowledge, skills, and abilities needed. Management retains the discretion to add or change typical duties at any time and as required. All changes must be reasonable and within the functions of the role.

Salary Information

While the majority of new hires' starting salaries shall be expected to be placed in the first half of the range(s) to allow space to grow in the job, for those who already have significant relevant experience at that level of the job, placement at the higher end of the range(s) is possible.

Pay Range : $100,000- $110,000

Who We Are

United Charter High Schools (UCHS) is the largest and most successful public charter high schools' network in NYC. Originally founded as New Visions Charter High Schools by the nonprofit New Visions for Public Schools, it was established to provide quality educational opportunities for students in underserved communities. Renamed as UCHS as of July, 2024 the network consists of 7 charter high schools that held a collective graduation rate of 96% in both 2022 & 2023 whilst serving more than 3,000 students from the Bronx, Brooklyn and Queens.

UCHS high schools are some of New York's states highest performing charter high schools, consistently meeting and in many cases exceeding NYSED's Performance Benchmarks for Student Performance. They are outperforming NYS on the 4-year Cohort regents' exams and the 4-year graduation rate for all students and special populations. They also include the only NYC high school to receive the prestigious National Blue-Ribbon Award in 2022.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

We are an equal opportunity employer. It is our policy that all employees and applicants for employment will be treated in all respects on the basis of their merit and qualifications and without regards to their race, color, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, religion, gender, military status, marital status, ancestry, or any other reason prohibited by law. We believe that our teams should reflect the diverse communities we serve and that our culture and internal structures should be inclusive and equitable for all employees. We also recognize that

perspectives from communities that have been historically marginalized are critical to the work we do. Hence, we strongly encourage applications from individuals living in the communities that we serve or who are members of historically marginalized communities. We provide a comprehensive and competitive compensation and benefits package in addition to the opportunity to make a significant impact on education reform and in the lives of urban youth.