SAY, The Stuttering Association for the Young is hiring a seasoned, senior development professional to lead fundraising efforts for its ground-breaking, innovative programs. The Director of Development will report to and partner with the Executive Director as part of a growing staff. SAY is seeking candidates with strong backgrounds and experience in successfully cultivating a broad range of donors, including foundation grants, individual, corporate and government supporters. Ideal candidates want to diversify their portfolio of skills and experience with a non-profit organization doing extraordinary, life-changing work. SAY is looking for someone who is as unique as the organization itself: passionate about the mission, committed to service and to helping young people unlock their voices to say what they want to “SAY.” SAY is committed to diversity at all levels: in our programs; on our staff; and within our leadership. We strongly encourage candidates of color to apply.

For a complete profile of this role and the organization, candidates are encouraged to visit https://www.say.org/developmentdirector/.

The Organization

SAY is a 501c3 non-profit organization that empowers and support young people who stutter, and educates them, their friends, families and the broader public on issues of significance in the lives of these unique individuals. For over 20 years SAY builds a culture of radical acceptance while also encouraging confidence and communication skills. SAY does not “treat” young people who stutter, they work with the whole person by way of its three tentpoles: summer camp, creative expression and speech therapy.

Camp SAY, an American Camp Association (ACA)-accredited program, blends a traditional camp experience with SAY’s innovative programming in an idyllic camp setting. Camp SAY helps kids and teens develop confidence, friendships, and independence, improve school preparedness and learn to better advocate for themselves back home. Weekend day-camps in multiple cities throughout the country during the school year are bringing the seminal summer experience to a wider group of kids.

SAY calls its after-school and weekend programs CONFIDENT VOICES because that’s its end goal: that every child who participates will come away with the confidence to express themselves regardless of how “fluently” they speak. The kids create and perform short plays, write original songs and poems, and are mentored by professional artists. More than 80% of the children participating in the Confident Voices program return with the majority of participants remaining in the program for 5-7+ years. A new year-round arts program, SAY: DC, was recently launched in Washington, DC. SAY employs a speech-language pathologist who provides speech evaluations and diagnostics, individual and group therapy sessions locally and treats an increasing number of children across the US, via an online teletherapy platform. Camp SAY employs the services of three speech language pathologists during the summer. Custom treatment plans are designed to meet each child’s specific goals, along with real-world strategies and solutions. SAY also provides support groups for parents, and education and support groups for speech-language pathologists and educators.

The Position

SAY raises over 93% of its over $2 million budget through contributed revenue. The organization relies heavily on three special events, which generate over 70% of its annual funding: an annual NYC Gala for 500 guests that features performances by SAY participants and their parents and two celebrity-driven bowling events. SAY also enjoys long-standing relationships with hundreds of individual, corporate, foundation and government supporters.

The Director of Development will be involved in all aspects of fundraising, - including cultivating individual, corporate, foundation & government support - enabling SAY to continue to expand its fundraising efforts in several high-needs areas: youth empowerment, anti-bullying, health, children with disabilities/special needs. A proactive Development Director will also help identify and cultivate new donors across key funding areas (including individual, corporate, foundation & government), to diversify SAY’s portfolio (and increase major gifts beyond existing fundraising events).

Working in collaboration with the Executive Director, the successful candidate will be experienced, proactive, accomplished, creative and possess a restless ambition to advance SAY. The ideal candidate will be passionate about the ability of the arts to create real change, and be confident in their own ability to uncover new funding avenues.

The Responsibilities

· Develop in-depth knowledge of SAY’s current programming, events and initiatives

· Work closely with SAY’s Executive Director to create a multi-faceted Annual Development Plan, detailing goals and strategies that increase SAY’s support (with individual, corporate, foundation & government donors), and the tactics and timelines necessary to achieve them. Track Plan progress throughout the year

· Serve as a fundraising thought-partner for the Executive Director, SAY staff, Board of Trustees and Advisory Board

· Proactively help manage SAY’s donor cultivation cycle, including active stewardship of SAY’s existing individual, corporate, foundation & government funders

· Accomplish proactive research to identify new individual, corporate, foundation (grants) & government funding opportunities, and help manage a growing portfolio of donors and prospects

· Conduct donor outreach to confirm alignment with donor’s funding interest areas, and generate LOI’s, funding proposals, and grant proposals (as appropriate)

· Actively participate in fundraising for SAY’s annual Gala benefit, two celebrity-based bowling benefits, and expanded fundraising events & initiatives

· Develop and execute multiple annual appeals via direct mail and digital communications

· Evaluate fundraising to maximize efficiency and effectiveness of all efforts

· Provide granular fundraising goals to SAY’s Trustees to help direct and energize Board outreach and solicit input and support from an active Advisory Board

· Create and manage SAY’s development budget

· Serve as an effective and enthusiastic external representative and advocate for SAY

Qualifications and Skills

· 5+ years of non-profit development experience preferred

· Direct, front-line experience managing existing donor relationships and identifying new funding sources, including researching, writing, reporting and successfully stewarding individual, foundation, and corporate gifts/grants. Experience with government funders a plus.

· A natural, entrepreneurial, energetic project manager who is self-directed, organized and goal-oriented

· Analytical, critical thinking, communication skills and the ability to distill complex information into clear, concise and compelling proposals

· Exceptional communications skills

· Detail and action-oriented

· A bachelor’s degree, advanced degree a plus

Experience with Microsoft Office and CRM fundraising databases (Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge a plus)

The Culture, The Perks

· A collegial, compassionate, joyful environment and a culture that values professional development and growth

· Colleagues who strive for a healthy work/life balance

· Enjoy time at Camp SAY for two days or two weeks, as desired

· Competitive salary

· Health insurance, 2-weeks paid vacation, comp days and holidays. Office closes between Christmas and New Year’s. Pre-tax transit card, 401K

Hybrid in-office and remote options can be considered

Application Instructions: Submissions will be accepted via email with the subject header “Director of Development.” Resume and cover letter with salary requirements should be sent as a single PDF document to developmentdirector at say.org. Applications will be reviewed as they are received.

SAY is an Equal Opportunity employer.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $75,000.00 - $90,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• Flexible schedule
• Health insurance
• Paid time off

Schedule:

• Monday to Friday

Work Location: Hybrid remote in New York, NY 10018