Director of Development

 

Organizational Background

At the Harmony Program, music changes lives every day. Through
collective music-making, children from under-served communities
explore new avenues and realize their full potential. For over 15
years, the Harmony Program has distinguished itself by serving
children in need, reaching them within their own communities,
providing them with instruments and high-quality musical training,
and helping to develop in them the life skills that support their
healthy development – musically, academically, and socially. The
Harmony Program also recruits and trains accomplished musicians as
its teachers and provides them with formal professional development
training, observation and evaluation, access to a network of their
peers, and competitive compensation for their services, with the
goal of instilling in them a long-term commitment to community
outreach and education.

The Harmony Program is inspired by Venezuela’s national youth
orchestra system, “El Sistema.” Committed to improving society
through music, El Sistema has gained international acclaim for the
breadth of its reach, the quality of its musicians, and the power
of its positive influence on the young lives it touches. In the
spirit of El Sistema, the Harmony Program emphasizes the influence
of music-making on social development, encourages learning through
ensemble playing, fosters a supportive community for program
participants and families, and requires of all involved a high
degree of commitment to music study.

 

Jobs, Duties, Responsibilities

The Development Director will report to the Harmony Program’s
Founder and Executive Director, supervise one full-time Development
Associate, and collaborate with other Harmony Program staff as
needed. The Development Director will serve as a senior member of a
close team of administrative staff with seven full-time
colleagues.

The Development Director will be responsible for the planning
and execution of a comprehensive fundraising program to achieve the
Harmony Program’s contributed income goal of approximately $2
million annually in addition to overseeing the organization’s
messaging and social media.

At a moment of significant organizational growth, we seek a
seasoned Development Director to advance our fundraising efforts in
new directions, including expanding corporate sponsorship,
stewarding major gifts from among new and existing donors,
launching formal fundraising campaigns, and increasing our
prospecting among private foundations. The Development Director
will work with the Development Committee of Harmony Program’s
Board, which is fully engaged and receptive to new ideas for
growing our community of supporters, as well as with an event
planner to coordinate our annual gala. Most importantly, our
Development Director will join a spirited and collaborative staff
of talented professionals in a leadership position with the
opportunity to influence and communicate our organization’s
strategic priorities, growth, and impact.

The priorities of the Development Director include, but are not
limited to, the following:

• Work with the Harmony Program’s Executive Director to create an
  annual fundraising plan, including long-term goals and diversified
  strategies;
• Manage and implement the annual fundraising plan to ensure that
  the organization’s annual development goals are met;
• Work closely with the Board of Directors to staff committee
  meetings, set annual and long-term goals for board growth and
  giving priorities, and work on prospect moves management;
• Ensure regular maintenance of the donor database to best
  support all prospecting and fundraising practices and
  reporting;
• Guide the Development Manager in her role researching and
  writing grant applications, maintaining a grants calendar, and
  preparing all interim and final reports for awarded grants,
  including city, state, and federal grants, as well as private
  foundations;
• Ensure that systems and procedures are in place for donor
  cultivation and recognition, recording and acknowledgement of
  gifts, research and prospect management, and compliance with all
  grant requirements;
• Assist in the planning and management of the annual fundraising
  gala, including donor cultivation and solicitation, event logistics
  and communications, and program details;
• Collaborate with the administrative team on all special event
  details, including donations and attendance goals for the annual
  gala, cultivation events, and performances;
• Develop and maintain close working relationships with the Board
  of Directors, the philanthropic community in New York City,
  individual and corporate donors, sponsors, and foundation
  administrators; and,
• Develop and oversee the organizational communications calendar,
  including website content, quarterly newsletter, annual report, and
  social media (in consultation with other program staff).

 

Qualifications

Interested candidates should possess the following
qualifications:

• A commitment to Harmony Program’s mission of expanding access
  to music education, particularly within underserved
  communities;
• A successful track record of securing significant gifts from
  individuals, foundations, and government sources;
• Prospect research experience;
• An ability to prioritize short- and long-term development
  goals;
• Effective time management and organizational skills, including
  the ability to address multiple priorities simultaneously;
• Strong strategic, analytical, and problem-solving skills;
• Excellent communication skills, both written and oral including
  strong editorial skills;
• An ability to lead and direct others;
• An ability to work efficiently, both independently and
  collaboratively;
• A polite, positive, and professional demeanor; and
• Fluency with computer programs, primarily Excel, Word and
  PowerPoint, and familiarity with Salesforce, or a similar donor
  database program.

A bachelor’s degree and at least seven years of development
experience are required for this position.

This is a full-time salaried position based in New York City.
The annual salary range is $135,000 to $150,000 per year, depending
on years of experience and expertise. Harmony Program offers a
competitive benefits package.

Interested candidates should email a cover letter and resume
to hr@harmonyprogram.org. Please include “Director of Development”
in the subject line.