Senior Director of Development and Communications

Senior Director of Development and Communications

Hudson Ferris has been retained by Hour Children, a leading provider of services to incarcerated and formerly incarcerated women in New York State, to find a Senior Director of Development and Communications.

Hour Children needs a senior fundraiser who can turn strategy into sustainable, diversified revenue while building durable systems and a high‑performing team. The CDO anchors individual giving growth (our biggest revenue source), leads the multi‑channel development plan—including grant calendar, direct mail program, and stewardship plan— and improves department and organization‑wide SOPs.

• Title:
  
  Senior Director of Development and Communications
• Reports to:
  
  Executive Director
• Direct Reports:
  Institutional Giving Officer, Development Coordinator

• Build and own the annual development plan with channel goals for each fundraising channel (individual, major/legacy, foundations, corporate, events).
• Translate strategy into quarterly, monthly and weekly operating rhythms: prospect moves, grant calendar, stewardship touches, and campaign milestones.
• Re‑evaluate and adjust the development plan quarterly to align with FY 26 budget and progress.

• Lead moves management for the top 50–75 prospects; partner with board and ED on joint visits and solicitations.
• Build a recurring/upgrade ladder and a legacy/estate stewardship track.

• Supervise the grants pipeline (foundation, corporate, government LOIs, proposals, reports) ensuring narrative alignment with program capacity, on‑time submission for applications, reports, and renewals.
• Manage, coach, and set clear OKRs for the Institutional Giving Officer and Development Coordinator; drive SOP adoption (acknowledgements, data hygiene, grant workflow, stewardship).
• Ensure rigorous CRM (Bloomerang) use, prospect tagging, activity logging, and maintain a shared development calendar.

• Plan mini‑campaigns tied to storytelling and program moments; oversee an efficient, ROI‑positive event plan partnered with the Coordinator.

• Work with Program/Impact to surface outcomes and case studies; collaborate with Finance to align revenue forecasts; partner with Communications to implement the brand/message roadmap.

• 10+ years progressive fundraising experience with demonstrated strength in individual and major gifts.
• 3+ years people management; proven success building team SOPs and pipeline discipline.
• Familiarity with foundation, corporate, government funding, annual campaigns, and events.

• Meet or exceed FY26 private revenue targets:
  Individual $600,000;
  Corporate $100,000;
  Foundations $1,438,000;
  Events net positive performance.
• 40+ substantive major‑donor moves/quarter; 12–18 joint ED/Board asks annually.
• SOPs implemented with >90% compliance.

$110,000 – $140,000