Reporting to the Chief Advancement Officer (CAO) and serving as a key member of the Development team within the Advancement department, the Project Manager, Principal Giving advances the mission of Success Academy Charter Schools (SA) by managing and coordinating various programmatic, administrative, and operational functions that enable successful engagement of individual and institutional donors and prospects at the principal level (i.e., $1 million and above). Specifically, this includes providing sophisticated coordination and support to the Chief Advancement Officer (CAO), the Founder & CEO, and the Head of Development (HOD) relative to principal giving strategies, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship that enables fundraising success and meeting/exceeding goals. This includes but is not limited to contributing to development of engagement strategies; conducting prospect research and analysis; preparing executive briefings; coordinating and tracking donor meetings, tours, calls, and requisite follow-up; occasionally drafting donor correspondence; liaising with Executive Office support, the School Management Office, and other departments; and maintaining timely and accurate documentation of donor interactions in Raiser’s Edge NXT (RE) database.

The Project Manager, Principal Giving, is a proactive, confident self-starter who thrives in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment that values results. They are persistent and driven to succeed in advancing efforts to grow a robust pipeline of principal donors and in meeting or exceeding goals. Success in this role will require the following qualities:

• Self-motivated, self-sufficient, and driven to lead and collaborate with others to achieve success
• Detail-oriented, analytical, with strong organizational and project management skills
• Strategic, proactive, and forward-thinking
• Outgoing and confident with exceptional communication skills
• Possesses the highest standards of personal and professional integrity
• Adheres to and promotes SA’s mission, culture, and strategic priorities

Role Responsibilities:

Principal Giving Project Management

• Coordinates and assists with Principal Giving prospect strategies through briefings prepared for the CAO, CEO, and Head of Development; actively participates in strategy/planning sessions, gathers and shares data and other information relevant to prospects’ and donors’ philanthropic engagement. 
• Leads and/or assists with scheduling, briefing, and follow-up of all CEO and senior executive-level meetings and tours, and assists CAO in ensuring all activity is tracked and recorded in the RE NXT database. Liaises with the executive office support team.
• Collaborates closely with the CAO (and the Head of Development) in coordinating and managing recurring strategy meetings and planning for Principal donors/prospects (individual and institutional), including the compilation of research, past giving, touchpoints, etc., to inform strategies,  next steps, and follow-up.
• Liaises and works closely with the Head, External Relations, and team to coordinate and manage bespoke CEO communications with Principal donors/prospects, with appropriate context and nuance, ensuring accuracy and timeliness, including serving as a key checkpoint for context/quality assurance. This includes VIP correspondence, VIP scheduling, stewardship, and follow-up activity. 
• Collaborates closely with the Advancement Services team to ensure data integrity with respect to all Principal Giving donors, necessary reports, and updates in the database, as well as high-priority research requests.
• With the CAO and Advancement leadership team, coordinates the Principal donors/prospects’ “VIP experience” at key events, ensuring the quality of the experience and interactions with the CEO, CAO, and/or other key individuals, as well as pre- and post-event communications. 
• Leads management and coordination of meetings, calls, video conferences, school tours, and bespoke events that are directly related to the execution of Principal Giving activities, including liaising with other teams/individuals to ensure success. 

Prospect Development

• Supports the CAO and Head of Development in creating, implementing, and overseeing strategies and programs to increase the size and value of the qualified prospect pool at the (primarily) Principal Giving level ($1MM+) through collection, maintenance, and analysis of critical and relevant information.
• Coordinates closely with the Advancement Services team to implement management reports, analyzing and forecasting fundraising activity, particularly at the Principal Giving level.
• Builds fundraising capacity by utilizing the donor/prospect database and other available prospect research and analytical tools to identify, segment, and qualify a broader and deeper pool of prospective donors with the capacity and affinity to make significant gifts.
• Liaises with Advancement Services and prospect researcher vendor(s) to coordinate and prioritize prospect research and preparation of executive briefing materials in support of engagement and solicitation efforts.

Special Projects & Administration 

• Assists the CAO (and CEO) with special projects, including but not limited to fundraising events, gift planning, gift agreements, and other administrative tasks in service to Principal Giving goals/objectives.
• Remains abreast of SA programs, activities, accolades, and new initiatives to most effectively engage and/or steward donors to greater levels of support. 
• Participates in and helps staff SA and Advancement events, as needed.

Additional role responsibilities:

• Other duties may be assigned from time to time. Occasional evening and weekend work required to meet critical deadlines and/or participate in Advancement events.

Qualifications:

• Minimum Required: Bachelor’s Degree
• Preferred: Advanced degree. CFRE or other specialized certification/designation is beneficial
• 3+ years of experience in nonprofit fundraising, business development, and/or sales lead generation; experience in K-12 education and/or charter schools is beneficial

Specialized Knowledge Needed for Performance of Job: 

• Experience in fundraising campaign management, prospect management & analytics, and prospect research is desirable
• Experience assessing and closing major gift/business opportunities; engaging, cultivating, and stewarding new stakeholders and converting them into strategic partnerships 
• An understanding of how to manage confidential information with discretion and tact, and an ability to act with integrity, professionalism, and confidentiality
• Effectiveness working independently and across teams, with assiduous attention to sharing information with others.

Skills: 

• Proficiency in communicating complex issues with diverse audiences and inspiring their engagement and support.
• Exceptional writing and presentation skills.
• Highly self-motivated, accountable, and able to make decisions independently.
• Ability to think strategically and contextually and to anticipate the needs and expectations of manager and executives.
• Ability to manage competing priorities and multiple, concurrent tasks, exhibit flexibility, and meet deadlines.
• Ability to analyze and present data effectively, make decisions, and align efforts with priorities and opportunities.
• Acts with tact and discretion, respecting confidentiality and proprietary information.
• Proficiency with RE NXT or similar CRM system is highly desirable, proficiency with MS Office (and/or Google suite)
• Knowledge of relevant prospect research and philanthropic analytical tools is beneficial.

Other:

• Superb verbal, written, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Possesses a passion for the mission of SA and engages prospects with the same passion.
• Ability to travel locally and nationally as needed, and occasionally work after hours.

Since 2006, Success Academy (SA) has created a national model of K-12 access to excellence for children across all demographics. The majority of its 22,000 students are children of color from low-income households in disadvantaged neighborhoods, admitted to our schools through a random public lottery. To date, 100% of its graduates have been accepted to college, many to highly selective institutions.

Its distinctive K-12 approach, designed as a holistic 13-year educational trajectory, produces student outcomes that outpace even those in affluent suburban schools. In 2025, Success Academy ranked #1 in Math and #2 in Reading/ELA out of more than 700+ K-12 school districts and charter networks in New York State. SA continues to operate as a national model for education reform, focusing on closing achievement gaps and preparing students for college success. 

Position Overview 

Reporting to the Head of Development and serving as a key member of the Development team within the Advancement department, the Senior Development Officer, Major Gifts (SDO) advances the mission of SA through the engagement and solicitation of high net worth donors and prospects (individuals, family foundations, and others) with the capacity to make a significant philanthropic gifts 6-figure or higher. 

Specifically, this includes managing and coordinating the identification, qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of an assigned portfolio with the goal of significantly increasing philanthropic revenues in support of SA’s ambitious goals for operational, programmatic, and capital purposes. The successful candidate will be a seasoned fundraising professional with a demonstrated track record of managing a portfolio and soliciting/closing significant philanthropic gifts.  The SDO will work in close partnership with the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Chief Advancement Officer (CAO), and other executive leaders and volunteers.

About the Candidate
The Senior Development Officer, Major Gifts is a high-impact, proactive, confident self-starter who thrives in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment that values results. They are persistent and driven to succeed in advancing efforts to grow a robust pipeline of high-net-worth individual donors and in meeting or exceeding stretch goals. Success in this role will require the following qualities:

• Self-motivated, self-sufficient, and driven to lead and collaborate with others to achieve success. 
• Detail-oriented and analytical. 
• Strategic, proactive, and forward thinking. 
• Persuasive, outgoing, and confident with exceptional communication skills. 
• Possesses the highest standards of personal and professional integrity; and 

Adheres to and promotes SA’s mission, culture, and strategic priorities.

Responsibilities

Major Gifts Fundraising 

• As a leader and senior member of the Development team, strategically manages and grows a portfolio of 100+ Major Gifts donors/prospects to meet or exceed agreed upon monthly, quarterly, and annual goals and related performance metrics with respect to portfolio management, moves management, solicitations, closures, and dollars raised. 
• Develops cultivation and solicitation strategies for the assigned portfolio; builds and manages a network of relationships with prospective donors, strategically involving executives and others as appropriate. 
• Identifies, cultivates, solicits, closes, and stewards major donors through highly personalized engagement strategies, including in-person meetings, tailored proposals and written solicitations, email and other customized touchpoints
• Prepares and advises executive leaders and volunteers involved in donor relationships and solicitations to ensure coordinated, high-impact engagement.
• Collaborates with the Head of Development, Head of External Relations, and the CAO to create opportunities for meaningful donor engagement, solicitation, and stewardship. 
• In collaboration with the Head of Development, mentors and develops team members to elevate fundraising capabilities and performance, leading by example and reinforcing best-in-class major gift practices.
• Actively participates in the solicitation of gifts in support of marquee special events (e.g., Spring Benefit) to meet/exceed Advancement team goals. 
• Works closely with the Head of Development, the Project Manager for Principal Gifts, and the CAO in improving forecasting and tracking of progress against goals. 
• Records all significant donor interactions in Raiser’s Edge NXT database and tracks proposals, gifts, and pledge fulfillment within the assigned portfolio. Works closely with Advancement Services to monitor pledge reminders, receipts, and acknowledgement processes for portfolio donors for timeliness and accuracy. 

Donor Prospecting & Qualification

• Partners closely with Advancement Services to leverage the constituent database, prospect research, and analytical tools to proactively identify, source, and qualify a broader and deeper pool of prospective donors through informed queries and data-driven analysis.
• Works closely with the External Relations team to identify event attendees and other prospective donors for deeper engagement opportunities.
• Tracks philanthropic and financial media related to high-net-worth individuals to strategically inform cultivation and solicitation approaches.

Donor Stewardship & Communications

• Works closely with other team members to design and implement creative and impactful stewardship strategies to deepen engagement and sustain/increase giving. 
• Authors, reviews, and/or edits strategic communications with donors and prospects, sometimes on behalf of others, including proposals, reports, and emails or other correspondence. Often provides advice and guidance about strategic relationships within the officer’s portfolio in support of CEO and other leadership communications. 
• Along with other Development team members, assists with annual donor recognition and stewardship efforts, events, and communications, including the SA Leadership Council. 
• Assists the Head of Development and CAO with special projects, especially those related to major and principal giving, including but not limited to fundraising events, gift planning, board relations, and other projects. 
• Actively participates in strategic planning, revenue forecasting, and budgeting, as requested, and manages direct expenses within budget. 
• Remains abreast of SA programs, activities, accolades, and new initiatives to most effectively engage and/or steward donors to greater levels of support. 

Participates in and assists with SA/Advancement events, as needed.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of progressively responsible experience in nonprofit fundraising, investor relations, or consultative sales working with high-net-worth individuals; experience in K-12 education and/or charter schools a plus. 
• Demonstrated track record of successfully soliciting/closing major gifts of $100,000 and above. Experience with solicitations at higher levels strongly preferred. 

• Demonstrated comfort working with high-net-worth individuals, family foundations, and/or family offices, as well as successful track record of identifying, cultivating, soliciting, closing, and stewarding significant gifts, as well as building/managing donor/customer relationships. 
• Capacity for strategic leadership and vision to work with executive leadership and key volunteers on fundraising priorities and to use moves management and metrics to ensure a high level of personal performance and accountability. 
• Deep experience in effectively managing a donor/customer portfolio and consistently moving relationships towards desired outcomes and goals. 
• Effectiveness working independently and across teams, with assiduous attention to sharing information with others. 
• Bachelor’s Degree Required and advanced degree preferred. CFRE or other specialized certification/designation is beneficial. 

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Proficiency in communicating complex issues with diverse audiences and inspiring their engagement and support. 
• Exceptional interpersonal communication skills and high level of emotional intelligence. 
• Exceptional writing and presentation skills. 
• Highly self-motivated, accountable, and able to make decisions independently. 
• Ability to think strategically and contextually and to anticipate the needs and expectations of manager and other executives. 
• Ability to manage competing priorities and multiple, concurrent tasks, exhibit flexibility, and meet deadlines. 
• Ability to analyze and present data effectively, make decisions, and align efforts with priorities and opportunities. 

Acts with tact and discretion, respecting confidentiality and proprietary information.

• Proficiency with RE NXT or similar CRM system is highly desirable, proficiency with MSOffice and/or Google suite required. 
• Knowledge of relevant prospect research and philanthropic analytical tools is beneficial. 

• Possesses a passion for the mission of SA and engages prospects with the same passion. 

Ability to travel locally and nationally as needed, occasionally work after hours and on weekends.

Compensation Range - $150,000—$167,000 USD
SA offers a full benefits program and opportunities for professional growth.

SA is an equal opportunity employer and values diversity at its organization. They do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. They actively seek applications from people of all backgrounds to strengthen our community and the perspectives needed to flourish in a multicultural world. SA offers a full benefits program and opportunities for professional growth.