THE ORGANIZATION

The Center for Justice Innovation is a community justice organization that centers safety and racial justice. Since our founding in 1996, the Center has partnered with community members, courts, and the people most impacted to create stronger, healthier, more just communities. Our decades of experience in courts and communities, coupled with our field-leading research and practitioner expertise, help us drive justice nationwide in innovative, powerful, and durable ways. For more information on how and where we work, please visit www.innovatingjustice.org.

The Center is a 900-employee, $130 million nonprofit that accomplishes its vision through three pillars of work: creating and scaling operating programs to test new ideas and solve problems, performing original research to determine what works (and what doesn’t), and providing expert assistance and policy guidance to justice reformers around the world.

Operating Programs

The Center’s operating programs, including the award-winning Red Hook Community Justice Center and Midtown Community Justice Center, test new ideas, solve difficult problems, and attempt to achieve systemic change within the justice system. Our projects include community-based violence prevention programs, alternatives to incarceration, reentry initiatives, and court-based initiatives that reduce the use of unnecessary incarceration and promote positive individual and family change. Through this programming, we have produced tangible results like safer streets, reduced incarceration, and improved neighborhood perceptions of justice.

Research

The Center's research teams are staffed with social scientists, data analysts, and lawyers who are academically-trained or have lived experience and who conduct research in the U.S. and globally on diverse criminal-legal system and justice issues. Their work includes evaluating programs and policies; conducting exploratory, community-based studies; and providing research translation and strategic planning for system actors. The Center has published studies on topics including court and jail reform, intimate partner violence, restorative justice, gun violence, reentry, sixth amendment rights, and progressive prosecution. The research teams strive to make their work meaningful and actionable to the communities they work with, policymakers, and practitioners.

Policy & Expert Assistance

The Center provides hands-on, planning and implementation assistance to a wide range of jurisdictions in areas of reform such as problem-solving courts (e.g., community courts, treatment courts, domestic violence courts), tribal justice, reducing incarceration and the use of fines/fees and reducing crime and violence. Our current expert assistance takes many forms, including help with analyzing data, strategic planning and consultation, policy guidance, and hosting site visits to its operating programs in the New York City area.

Center Support

A dedicated support team within the Center ensures the smooth functioning of operations across various domains, including finance, legal, technology, human resources, fundraising, real estate, and communications. Comprising 15% of the organization's staff, these teams provide essential infrastructure support and innovative solutions aligned with the Center's mission and values.

THE OPPORTUNITY

The Center is seeking a Senior Director of Philanthropic Partnerships. Reporting to the Chief External Affairs Officer, the Senior Director will lead all private fundraising for the Center, particularly focused on foundations, corporations, and individuals with a high capacity to donate. The Center has experienced significant growth over the past several years. With more than 900 employees and an operating budget of $130 million, the organization is ready for a comprehensive private fundraising program, positioning itself for future growth and sustainability. The Senior Director will oversee planning, operations, and successful execution of this private funding strategy, with a primary focus on raising unrestricted and general operating dollars for the organization. In partnership, they will also lead private funder engagement strategy across the Center’s more than 30 programs and departments. Like all Center staff, their work will be rooted in organizational values of integrity, impact, collaboration, and equity.  

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

Development Team Oversight:

Oversee team members charged with fundraising from foundations, corporations, and individuals with a high donation capacity;
In partnership with the Chief External Affairs Officer and Senior Director of Development Strategy, develop goals and strategic plans for the development team on an annual basis, with a central goal of raising revenue for core operating dollars for the Center and its program sites and departments;
Lead regular meetings with development team members engaged in private fundraising; and
In partnership with development team leadership, build a team structure that addresses the fundraising needs of the organization and capitalizes on the unique talents of the team.

Development Strategy:

Coordinate and partner with the Chief External Affairs Officer, Senior Director of Development Strategy, and Deputy Director of Development to establish giving strategies for foundations, individuals, and corporations;
Co-lead quantitative and qualitative evaluation of private fundraising outcomes on an annual basis;
Collaborate across administrative, programmatic, and relevant research and data teams to develop fundraising strategy for Center-wide efforts, including strategic visioning initiatives, and centralized projects;
Support the development team, identify areas of funding risk across the organization on an annual basis and develop fundraising strategies responsive to needs;
In collaboration with Chief External Affairs Officer, Director of Communications, and the development and communications teams, develop communications strategies and collateral that support fundraising across all revenue generation sectors;
Work with the CEO and the Chief External Affairs Officer to identify opportunities to engage the Center’s board of directors in fundraising efforts; and
Work closely with Senior Director of Government Relations to create fundraising plans that align with revenue generated from city and state lobbying.

Philanthropic Engagement:

Develop and maintain relationships with individuals, corporations, and foundations and support the executive leadership in fundraising;
In partnership with the Deputy Director of Development, support the Executive Team and key organizational stakeholders in preparing for meetings with potential funders and donors;
Support the department and program leadership in developing foundation and donor engagement strategy; and
Other relevant duties, as assigned.

Qualifications: Minimum of 12-15 years of demonstrated success in fundraising strategy and operations; development planning; and individual, corporate, and foundation engagement. Familiarity with the core issues of criminal justice reform and community engagement a plus. Must be a skilled and experienced manager of teams who requires minimal day to day supervision. Exceptional writing abilities together with outstanding oral presentation and public speaking skills are required. Knowledge of Salesforce or another CRM is a plus. Experience in Google and Microsoft Products (Docs/Charts) and PowerPoint is required. Candidate must be a proactive, skilled communicator able to establish and maintain strong relationships with multiple funders and stakeholders, have a zest for collaboration, and able to develop broad working knowledge of all Center projects and priorities.

Position Type: Full-time.

Position Location: Manhattan, NY.

Compensation: The compensation range for this position is $155,000 - $185,000 and is commensurate with experience. The Center for Justice Innovation offers an excellent benefits package including comprehensive healthcare with a national network, free basic dental coverage, vision insurance, short-term and long-term disability, life insurance, and flexible spending accounts including commuter FSA. We prioritize mental health care for our staff and offer services like Talkspace and Ginger through our healthcare plans. We offer a 403(b) retirement plan with a two-to-one employer contribution up to 5%.

The Center for Justice Innovation is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse workplace, and as such, we do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, national origin, age, military service eligibility, veteran status, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, or any other category protected by law. We strongly encourage and welcome applications from women, people of color, members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities, as well as individuals with prior contact with the criminal justice system. Our aim is to create a supportive and respectful environment where every individual, irrespective of their background or identity, feels valued and included.

As of February 10, 2023, New York City Executive Order 25 rescinded the requirement of the COVID-19 vaccination for City workers, new hires, and contracted employees. Accordingly, the Center does not require all new hires be vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus; however, the Center recommends all staff, interns, and volunteers stay up-to-date on the vaccination.

In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete an employment eligibility verification document form upon hire. Kindly refer to the job posting for the relevant contact information. If the contact details are not provided, we kindly ask that you refrain from making inquiries via phone or email, as only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

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Senior Director, Philanthropic Partnerships