Overview

Director of Institutional Giving

Job Description

Last Updated on September 4, 2025

About NYC Kids RISE

NYC Kids RISE is a nonprofit organization working with the City of New York and the NYC Department of Education to manage the Save for College Program (the Program). Through the Program, eligible students enrolled in an NYC public school (including participating charter schools), tarting in kindergarten, automatically receive a free NYC Scholarship Account with an initial allocation of $100 by NYC Kids RISE on their behalf, invested in a NY 529 Direct Plan, and opportunities to receive additional rewards over time. Their families can open and connect their own college savings account on their child’s behalf, and communities can contribute to groups of these YC Scholarship Accounts as both a targeted and universal platform for community-driven asset- building in every neighborhood. This approach draws from a variety of best practices and disciplines across the fields of asset building, child savings accounts, financial empowerment, education, community wealth building, urban poverty, neighborhood effects and social capital research, collective impact, and more. Read more about NYC Kids RISE and the Save for College Program and listen to stories from partners who helped build the platform during its pilot phase from 2017 to 2022. You can also view recent articles in the New York Times, Fast Company, the Wall Street Journal, and the NYCHA Journal; and read more about NYC Kids RISE theory of change in a report by the Urban Institute.

After a successful pilot phase in the communities of School District 30 in Queens, NYC Kids RISE Save for College Program expanded citywide during the 2021-2022 school year. This past 2024-2025 school year, more than 280,000 students participated in the Program, across more than 1,000 elementary schools, and have an NYC Scholarship Account for their educational futures.

Director of Institutional Giving

Following the recent hire of its first Chief of Development, NYC Kids RISE seeks its inaugural Director of Institutional Giving to help expand the organization’s base of support by actively writing grants and pursuing private foundation and corporate funding, and managing those institutional partnerships in support of the organization’s ambitious scaling goals. This position is a key player on a small Development team and will be expected to directly write, package and submit grants and reports along with managing current and new institutional relationships.

This is an extraordinary opportunity for an innovative, detail oriented and effective institutional fundraiser who is a strong grant writer/communicator and who is passionate about New York City communities, committed to measurably building the financial and social capital of all children, and looking for a legacy-building next chapter. The ideal candidate has an interest in developing a deep understanding of the Save for College Program model and theory of change, and is a dynamic storyteller who can blend anecdotes and data to write compelling grant proposals and reports.

Reporting to and partnering with the Chief of Development and working in close collaboration with the NYC Kids RISE Executive Team leadership and program staff, the Director of Institutional Giving will be responsible for expanding the organization’s base of foundation and corporate donors, and the ongoing refinement and implementation of the organization’s institutional fundraising strategy.

The ideal Director of Institutional Giving is not only an excellent grant and report writer, able to weave numbers/data into compelling stories about impact – they are also a relationship builder, project manager, and cross-departmental connector, with a record of prior institutional fundraising success and progressive responsibility. They excel at both the day-to-day details of grant writing as well as high level strategy, seamlessly navigating between hands-on execution and big picture thinking.

The Director of Institutional Giving is a key member of the growing Development team. They are critical to the future and success of NYC Kids RISE and the Save for College Program and will be ready for their next big challenge to make a lasting impact for all New York City kids across generations throughout the five boroughs.

KEY OBJECTIVES

NYC Kids RISE is creating a multi-pronged fundraising strategy to secure both the sustained public funding and sustained private funding required to continue and expand the Save for College Program across the city and ultimately reach all ~900,000 NYC public school students.

The development team, led by the Chief of Development, is expected to help create the strategy and raise private funds against the following anticipated objective:

  • Contribute to a $15M annual goal to support and strengthen program and partnership operations in private funding to supplement public funding.

CURRENT ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT PRIORITIES

To succeed in both meeting the annual revenue goal and building towards every NYC public school student’s educational future, the organization’s current development priorities include:

  1. Building Fundraising Infrastructure and Capacity:
  • Establish strong institutional donor management systems and define clear roles and workflows for effective collaboration and execution on institutional partnership and grant writing efforts.
  • Establish systems for effective prospect research and prospect qualification
  • Advance productive collaboration across internal departments, which is necessary to submit winning grant proposals and comprehensive reports.
  • Create strong pathways with compliance, finance, and other programmatic and administrative teams to support the smooth handling of ongoing relationships and grant management.
  1. Cultivating institutional donors and managing partner relationships: Cultivate and maintain strong, long-term relationships with institutional donors and corporate funders, and other stakeholders while leveraging networks to expand support for the Save for College Program.
  2. Developing new foundation partnerships and stewarding existing ones: Creatively establish new relationships with foundation program officers and board members, and maintain relationships with current funders.
  3. Engaging corporate partners: Recruit corporate partners to make grants and sponsor events/conferences/campaigns as well as volunteer (ex. during corporate team building days).

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES DIRECTOR OF INSTITUTIONAL GIVING

Institutional Fundraising Management

  • Working with the Chief of Development, refine and execute institutional fundraising plans targeting diverse opportunities.
  • Write winning grant proposals and comprehensive reports for institutions, including:
    • Customize grant proposals to respond to funder RFPs
    • Create templates for proposals
    • Maintain approved language menu bank, including program-related pitch materials
    • Maintain approved standard supplemental materials
    • Submit data requests for proposals and reports
    • Draft and submit reports to funders
    • Follow stakeholder review processes and timelines for each proposal and report
  • In collaboration with the Executive Team, follow up on connections and relationships that are relevant to advancing our institutional program.
  • Create and maintain a grants management calendar to ensure timely completion of grant proposals, interim reports and final reports.
  • Conduct prospect research to grow the portfolio and pathways to introductions.
  • Working across the organization as required, act as the main point person for on-time institutional grant development, writing, and reporting.
  • Working with the Communications team and Chief of Development, develop and refine supplemental material to best tell the story of the NYC Kids RISE Save for College Program and impact, including corporate audiences seeking high-profile philanthropic opportunities.
  • In partnership with the Chief of Development, execute institutional stewardship events in collaboration with other internal and third-party teams where appropriate, to engage different institutional stakeholder groups.
  • Manage the finance and gift processing needs for the portfolio in partnership with the Director of Development Operations and Analytics.

Institutional Donor Relations & Infrastructure

  • Refine systems for institutional donor management, tracking, and stewardship.
  • Build relationships with a cross-section of institutional funders/donors with a focus on repeat and ongoing commitments.
  • Make ongoing improvements to grant writing content, processes, and workflow.
  • Represent NYC Kids RISE with institutional leaders and other stakeholders as appropriate.

Team Management & Organizational Leadership

  • Supervise the grant writing work of a PT Freelance Grant Writer during high volume seasons.
  • Develop and maintain strong working relationships with key internal and external stakeholders and partners.
  • Act as a thought partner to the Executive Director, Chief of Development, and other Development team members, proactively identifying institutional funding opportunities to advance the work and mission.
  • Along with all NYC Kids RISE employees, participate and share in the organization’s

work to advance racial equity and anti-oppression in the organization’s and program’s

operations and practices; proactively identify opportunities to advance the development of an anti-racist organization; share and solicit ongoing feedback and conversations to advance this work.

  • Along with all NYC Kids RISE employees, maintain, and support other staff and

volunteers to maintain strict adherence to NYC Kids RISE data security and privacy

policies; remaining vigilant on the ways in which NYC Kids RISE can continue to protect confidential information; identify vulnerabilities, and proactively problem solve to improve controls and practices.

QUALIFICATIONS

  • At least 5 – 8 years of progressive direct institutional fundraising experience with strong track record in nonprofit, political or venture fundraising, public-private partnerships, or comparable experience, including securing major gifts.
  • At least 5 – 8 years of direct experience writing winning grant proposals.
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
  • Deep understanding of the collective power of New York City and what is possible for its children now and for the future, and enthusiasm to use their talents to work with the NYC Kid RISE team, New York institutions, businesses, philanthropy, community and neighbors to continue to build a durable and lasting New York City organization.
  • Skilled in fostering trust with individuals from diverse backgrounds and cultivating an inclusive, collaborative culture.
  • Expertise in industry-standard research tools, databases, and best practices.
  • Relationships in and familiarity/credibility with New York City philanthropic networks preferred.
  • Entrepreneurial, resourceful, and adept at working cross-sector and in a growth context.
  • Adaptable, flexible, and effective problem solver in fast-paced settings.
  • Superb communication and relationship-building skills, including grant writing, business writing and presentation to diverse audiences.
  • Passion for and commitment to increasing economic opportunities and long-term financial security for low-income New York City families and neighborhoods, and combating wealth inequality and the racial wealth gap.
  • Experience working in the metropolitan New York City area is strongly preferred.

SALARY AND BENEFITS

The salary range for this position is $128,000 – $145,000. NYC Kids RISE provides a comprehensive benefits package including 30 days of paid time off (15 vacation days for new employees increasing with tenure; 5 personal days; and two weeks of office closure per year, one in early July and one at the end of December), plus sick time and holidays; medical, dental, vision, life, short- & long-term disability insurance; healthcare FSA with employer contribution; dependent care FSA; and a 401(k) with 4% employer match after one year of service.

LOCATION AND WORK SCHEDULE

NYC Kids RISE currently maintains a hybrid work environment where staff work both from home and in the office, as determined by the staff member’s preferences as well as the needs of the organization and the specific responsibilities of individual roles and teams. The offices are in Long Island City (Queens, NY).

APPLICATION INFORMATION

To apply, please submit a resume and brief cover letter via NYC Kids RISE Careers page.

NYC Kids Rise is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate in employment on the basis of gender, religion, race, creed, color, national origin, citizenship status, age, disability, marital status, caregiver status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, military status, unemployed status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

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