Director of Development

Mar 18

Riverside Park Conservancy
New York, NY

Anticipated Start Date: 4/15/2026

Description

Riverside Park Conservancy seeks a highly strategic, entrepreneurial Director of Development to help lead the organization’s next chapter of growth. Reporting to the President & CEO, this senior leader will drive fundraising strategy, personally advance donor relationships, and oversee communications as part of an integrated external-facing role. The Director will help raise approximately $6 million annually, including approximately $3.5 million in unrestricted support, with particular emphasis on individual giving and major gifts.

This is a leadership role for someone who can pair strategy with execution: setting clear revenue priorities, building a strong donor pipeline, partnering closely with the President & CEO and Board, and working across departments to translate horticulture, capital improvements, climate resilience, volunteerism, and public programming into compelling cases for support. The Director will manage a small but growing team and help shape the systems, structure and culture of an expanding development operation.

Why This Role Matters

Now Riverside Park Conservancy is in growth mode, and the organization has built strong fundraising momentum over the last decade. Unrestricted revenue has doubled over the last seven years, and recent annual growth has been especially strong. At the same time, operating costs and ambitions are increasing, making sustainable philanthropic growth central to the Conservancy’s future.

The next Director of Development will not simply maintain an existing program; they will help build the next-generation fundraising infrastructure of the organization. This includes deepening major donor and annual giving strategy, strengthening unrestricted support, partnering on board engagement, and ensuring that Riverside tells a clear, compelling story about why philanthropic support for public parkland matters.

Responsibilities

Strategic Fundraising Leadership

Develop and execute annual and multi-year fundraising strategies aligned with organizational priorities and revenue goals.
In partnership with the President & CEO and the CFO, establish clear goals and accountability across major gifts, annual giving, special events, institutional giving, board giving, donor stewardship, and related communications.
Help raise approximately $6 million annually in philanthropic support, including roughly $3.5 million in unrestricted giving.
Create revenue forecasts, pipeline reports, and performance dashboards that support strategic decision-making and board reporting.
Identify new growth opportunities, especially those that expand unrestricted and renewable support.

Major Gifts and Individual Giving

Personally manage a portfolio of major donors and high-capacity prospects, with responsibility for qualification, cultivation, solicitation, stewardship, and upgrade strategy.
Partner closely with the President & CEO on top relationships, donor strategy, meeting preparation, solicitation planning, and follow-up.
Strengthen the full individual giving pipeline, from annual and mid-level donors to leadership and major gifts, with particular attention to retention, upgrades, and long-term loyalty.
Build on emerging donor programs and segmentation efforts, including giving-society and recurring/annual giving strategies, to create more predictable and scalable individual revenue.

Board Partnership and External Leadership

Serve as a key fundraising partner to the President & CEO and a staff liaison to development-related board committees.
Support board members in effective fundraising and stewardship roles, including peer-to-peer outreach, cultivation, and give/get strategy.
Work with executive and board leadership to identify prospective board members and strengthen the connection between board development and philanthropic growth.

Communications and Storytelling

Oversee communications as part of an integrated development function, ensuring that fundraising and external messaging are aligned, strategic, and consistently strong.
Work closely with program, operations, and finance staff to identify fundable priorities and translate complex work into persuasive donor-facing language.
Guide the creation of donor communications, appeals, proposals, reports, presentations, website content, email messaging, social media, printed collateral, speeches, and in-park signage.
Develop and refresh clear cases for support for unrestricted operations as well as priority initiatives across park care, climate resilience, capital improvements, public programming, and community engagement.

Team Leadership and Development Operations

Manage, mentor, and develop a small but growing development and communications team, helping define roles, workflows, and future staffing needs as the function expands.
Oversee donor systems and operations, including CRM/data integrity, prospect research, gift processing, acknowledgments, recordkeeping, and coordination with finance.
Maintain a high standard of responsiveness, follow-through, and donor experience across all development activities.
Prepare and manage the department budget, development calendar, and regular written reports for senior leadership and the Board.

Events and Donor Engagement

Provide strategic oversight of fundraising, cultivation, and stewardship events, including the Riverside Revue and smaller donor-engagement opportunities.
Ensure that events are designed not only to generate revenue, but also to move prospects deeper into the pipeline and strengthen long-term relationships with donors and community supporters.
Oversee donor recognition and benefit structures tied to annual and campaign giving, named opportunities, and stewardship programs as appropriate.

Requirements

A significant track record of progressive nonprofit fundraising experience, including demonstrated success securing and growing major gifts and unrestricted individual support.
Experience serving as a frontline fundraiser and thought partner to a CEO, executive director, or similar senior leader.
Excellent writing, editing, and verbal communication skills, with the ability to translate programmatic and financial information into compelling donor messaging.
Experience managing staff and leading cross-functional collaboration in a fast-moving environment.
A collaborative, emotionally intelligent leadership style and a genuine enthusiasm for working across departments and with volunteers, board members, and community stakeholders.
Familiarity with New York City public space, environmental, cultural, or civic institutions is strongly preferred.
Commitment to Riverside Park Conservancy’s mission and to the role of public parks as welcoming, equitable and vital resources.

Salary Range and Employee Benefits

Salary: $130,000 – $150,000 commensurate with experience.

We offer a competitive compensation package, which includes medical, dental, vision, and disability insurance, 401(k)+match, commuter benefits, flexible spending, and generous paid leave.

Riverside Park Conservancy is committed to fostering an inclusive and respectful environment for all applicants and employees. We recognize the importance of diversity and offer equal employment opportunities without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, height, weight, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws.

How to Apply for this Job

Submit your resume and cover letter via email to jobs@riversideparknyc.org with “Director of Development” in the subject line.

About the Organization

Riverside Park Conservancy cares for six miles of parkland on the west side of Manhattan from 59th to 181st Street. Working alongside the New York City Parks Department, we make improvements as diverse as the park itself and the city it serves. Founded by a small group of volunteers in 1986, the Conservancy now employs more than 70 professional staff who work alongside hundreds of volunteers and dozens of NYC Parks employees to care for 400 acres of green space along the Hudson River.

As a neighborhood-based environmental nonprofit, our work is grounded in local partnerships. We leverage public and private funding to make meaningful capital improvements in the park, such as replacing staircases and pathways, restoring gardens and renovating playgrounds. We employ 25 Zone Gardeners who provide specialized horticultural care for the Park’s varied landscapes.

We produce over 400 free public events every year and run a sports summer camp attended by more than 1,600 children. With a current annual operating budget of $12 million, the Conservancy serves approximately 3 million visitors to our parkland annually. Central to our mission is a commitment to fairness and inclusivity. We recognize that park needs are not uniform across all areas; rather, they reflect the diverse communities we serve. Our goal is to ensure that resources are distributed equitably and that the standard of care across all six miles is of the highest caliber.

Our Vision & Values: We are committed to ensuring that our park is a dynamic and vibrant space for all to enjoy. Our vision is grounded in comfort, community, environmental stewardship, and opportunities for active engagement. As we look to the future, we see a park where users feel safe and welcomed, where nature is nurtured and protected, and where recreation and programming flourish.

Our Strategic Direction: Under the leadership of a seasoned CEO and with the strong support of an engaged Board, Riverside Park Conservancy is on a solid trajectory of growth and increased visibility. A new team member will play a pivotal role in shaping the organization’s future and impact at a time when the value of quality public open spaces has never been more important or widely recognized.

The Conservancy is embracing dynamic funding priorities that include:

A proactive response to climate change and an increased focus on sustainable park operations, green infrastructure, and closed loop organic waste cycles that can serve as a model for other public spaces
A comprehensive approach to neighborhood engagement through volunteering and community collaboration
Making meaningful changes in the distribution of resources along the park's six-mile footprint to address historical underinvestment and inequities in the role of public space serving communities of color
Establishing and furthering partnerships with local, like-minded educational, research, cultural, and social justice organizations

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