Director of Major Gifts

Originally founded in 1991 as Harlem RBI, DREAM has grown to annually serve more than 2,500 youth across East Harlem and the South Bronx through a network of seven PreK-12, extended-day, extended-year DREAM Charter Schools and community sports-based youth development programs. Through our commitment to rigorous academics, social-emotional learning, deep family and community engagement, and health and wellness, we create lifelong learners who are equipped to fulfill their vision of success in and out of the classroom. We dream big, as well, with an aggressive five-year plan to expand to serve 3,500 students across seven schools—growing our organization’s impact and leveling the playing field for all children. To learn more, visit wearedream.org.

Reporting to the Managing Director of Advancement, the Director of Major Gifts is responsible for managing philanthropic partnerships with DREAM’s individual and corporate donors. This individual will cultivate, solicit, and steward a portfolio of major donors and work collaboratively across a diverse fundraising team towards a collective goal of $21M in philanthropic annual revenue.

This is a great role for an experienced fundraiser who is looking to build long-term relationships with New York City’s leading individual and corporate donors and maximize their impact. This person will have the opportunity to lead and innovate on securing new partners, while collaborating with a diverse and well-established fundraising team.

Responsibilities

• Strategic Portfolio Management
• Design and execute specific revenue strategies for DREAM’s major gifts program with a focus on building the major gifts portfolio
• Manage a dynamic portfolio of 100-150 individual and corporate major gift prospects
• Develop and implement tailored cultivation and solicitation strategies for each prospect; write concept notes and proposals as needed
• Conduct regular donor meetings and visits to deepen relationships and bring donors closer to DREAM’s mission
• Collaborate with the Special Events & Operations team to solicit special event sponsorships
• Ensure timely and meaningful stewardship, including writing donor reports, coordinating touchpoints from executive and Board leadership, and PR and cause marketing initiatives
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date records in Salesforce
• Pipeline Development
• Collaborate with the Prospect Researcher to identify, qualify, and cultivate new donors to DREAM
• Attend external events and conferences to expand DREAM’s philanthropic network
• With support from the Special Events & Operations team, plan and facilitate cultivation events with key corporate prospects
• Career Partnerships
• Collaborate with the Program team to identify and secure corporate partners who can provide internship and career opportunities for current DREAM students and alumni
• Support special partner initiatives, including but not limited to panels, presentations, media opportunities, and targeted volunteer events
• Leverage volunteer and employee engagement opportunities for increased engagement of corporate and individual prospects

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree, required; Master’s degree in relevant field, preferred;
• 5+ years of direct fundraising experience cultivating and soliciting individual and/or corporate donors;
• Experience with strategic management of a major gifts portfolio, preferred;
• A high level of emotional intelligence and the ability to quickly build relationships with donors, board members, and colleagues;
• Excellent verbal and written communicator, who can inspire others to join DREAM’s mission and illustrate our impact;
• Strong team player, who works alongside other fundraisers and executives to maximize philanthropic partnerships;
• Fluid and dynamic problem-solver;
• A working knowledge of the New York City philanthropic community;
• Experience using Salesforce to manage donor activity and revenue pipeline; strong analytical skills to plan, project, and adjust revenue forecasts;
• A strong belief in the mission and values of DREAM, including the desire to make a difference in the lives of our students, families, and community.

Working Expectations

• The Director of Major Gifts is part of the Advancement Team, which currently works 3 days in the office and up to 2 days remote, per week (subject to change).

Benefits and Paid Time Off

• We offer comprehensive benefits including:
• Flexible Medical Health Plans, subsidizing the majority of costs for the employee, their spouse/domestic partner and children;
• The ability to select between a variety of medical plans according to what best suits the employee’s needs;
• Dental and vision plans;
• Disability benefits;
• Life insurance;
• Up to 12 weeks fully paid of Parental Leave;
• Flexible spending account options;
• Pre-tax commuter benefits (parking and transit);
• Fitness and entertainment discounts;
• A variety of support through our employee assistance program (EAP);
• 403(b) retirement plan with employer match starting at 4% after one year, with increases tied to DREAM tenure;
• Referral, performance, and tenure milestones bonuses;
• Discounted school meals through our in-house Scratch Food Program;
• Tuition reimbursement support (All FT Roles);
• Access to a professional development fund (NEST Roles);
• All full-time Network Support Team employees are eligible for approximately 48 days off throughout the year including holidays, sick days, personal days and summer Fridays.
• Benefits are subject to change.

Compensation

• DREAM offers a competitive salary commensurate with relevant experience. The incoming annual salary range for this position is $125,000 to $140,000 per year. New hires are typically brought into the organization at a salary closer to the start of the range depending on qualifications, internal equity, and the budgeted amount for the role. All regular employees receive annual compensation increases and have the opportunity to earn both performance- and tenure-based bonuses. Because we value tenure in each role, our salary ranges are not capped.

At DREAM, diversity, equity, and inclusion are a matter of mission.

From our schools to our playing fields, DREAM is committed to building a team where each individual can bring their full identity and experience to work because representation matters—it enriches our team culture, enhances our ability to innovate, and strengthens our impact in and out of the classroom. DREAM engages staff that represent and appreciate the diversity of our majority Black and Hispanic student body, while working to ensure that our practices are equitable, welcoming, and productive. We are dedicated to creating a world where youth, especially youth of color, have permission to dream—along with the tools and opportunities to make their dreams reality.

All Kids Can. This Kid Can.

DREAM is Family.

Fun is a Serious Value.

Teamwork Makes the DREAM Work.

Fail. Persist. Exceed.

DREAM Big.

Applying to DREAM

We know applying for a new job can be a daunting process. In addition, studies have shown that historically underrepresented individuals often only apply to roles if they meet 100% of the qualifications. We encourage all applications! You may be just the person we need. If you have any questions about your application or interview process, do not hesitate to ask your recruiter; we are here to help!

DREAM provides reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and applicable state and local laws. If accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, please contact your recruiter.

If you are a current DREAM employee, please click here to review our Internal Selection Process before applying.

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.