Tristate NCSY Director of Development
Description
Who We Are:
NCSY, a program of the Orthodox Union, connects with Jewish teens through innovative, cutting-edge social and recreational programs to develop a positive Jewish identity. NCSY inspires Jewish teens through informal Jewish education, retreats and summer programs. NCSY empowers teens through leadership development and guidance to become passionately committed leaders of the Jewish community and instruments for positive change and renewal.
The Orthodox Union (OU) is one of the largest Orthodox Jewish organizations in the United States. Founded in 1898, the OU supports a network of synagogues, youth programs, Jewish and Religious Zionist advocacy programs, programs for the disabled, localized religious study programs, and international units. The OU maintains a kosher certification service, whose circled U symbol, Ⓤ, is found on the labels of many kosher commercial and consumer food products.
Position Summary:
NCSY is seeking a seasoned and driven fundraising professional to serve as the Director of Development for the Tristate Area. This leadership role will be responsible for building and executing a comprehensive development strategy to raise $5 million annually to support NCSY’s transformational work with Jewish teens in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and surrounding areas.
This individual will lead a regional development team, work closely with local and national staff, and cultivate strong relationships with major donors, lay leaders, federations, and institutional funders. The Director will play a pivotal role in aligning fundraising goals with NCSY’s mission, values, and programming priorities—including JSU clubs, 4G, summer programs, and day school partnerships.
Key Responsibilities:
Strategic Fundraising Planning
- Design and implement a regional development strategy to raise $5 million annually.
- Create fundraising goals for each major city and community in the Tristate area.
- Lead fundraising planning sessions and provide structure and accountability to development efforts.
Team Leadership
- Manage and mentor development professionals in the region.
- Coordinate with national fundraising staff to align on campaigns, messaging, and major gift strategies.
- Oversee collaboration between program staff and development staff to maximize outcomes.
Donor Engagement & Relationship Building
- Maintain a portfolio of major gift prospects and donors.
- Identify, solicit, and steward high-level donors ($10,000+).
- Build relationships with lay leaders and community stakeholders to deepen investment in NCSY.
Campaign and Event Management
- Oversee regional fundraising campaigns for JSU, 4G, and summer scholarships.
- Lead major donor events, parlor meetings, and community gatherings to raise awareness and funds.
- Coordinate with programming staff to ensure campaign messaging reflects program impact and student success stories.
Reporting and Budget Oversight
- Partner with finance to track fundraising goals and maintain transparent reporting.
- Help develop and monitor budgets for each city and major program.
- Submit regular progress reports and adjust plans as needed.
- Monitor campaign performance through shared dashboards and present results to local lay leadership and national development team.
Qualifications:
- Minimum 5–7 years of experience in fundraising or nonprofit development, with demonstrated success in securing major gifts.
- Proven leadership and team management experience.
- Demonstrated ability to work across departments and build effective partnerships.
- Strong familiarity with the Tristate Jewish community landscape.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Proficiency with CRM systems and donor tracking tools.
- Passion for NCSY’s mission of inspiring the next generation of Jewish leaders.
- Willingness to travel throughout the Tristate area and work occasional evenings/weekends.
Salary and Benefits:
The salary for this position is between $200,000-$250,000, commensurate with experience.
We offer employer-sponsored healthcare, dental and vision plans.
Other benefits include:
- Paid sick days
- Paid vacation days
- Paid Jewish and most Federal holidays
- Short Fridays to accommodate for Sabbath
- Free life and disability insurance
- Discounted continuing education
- 403(b) retirement plan which the OU will contribute 5% of your wage towards retirement savings after you contribute at least 2% (only eligible after 3 years of continuous service)