Current Openings

DIRECTOR of development & communications

Do you enjoy telling stories of triumph and resilience? Can you use narrative to attract resources for causes about which you care? Do you believe that children should never – NEVER – be charged and incarcerated as if they were adults? The Youth Sentencing & Reentry Project (YSRP) is seeking a Director of Development & Communications to lead our work creating impactful campaigns – both fundraising and communications. If you are an experienced fundraiser or an exceptional storyteller, please read the full job description below. YSRP looks forward to receiving your application!

The Youth Sentencing & Reentry Project (YSRP) seeks a dynamic and values-led Director of Development & Communications. Reporting to the Executive Director and working collaboratively across the organization, the ideal candidate will strengthen existing fundraising activities and develop new strategies to cultivate additional individual and institutional partners. A successful candidate will lead YSRP’s fundraising efforts, including, but not limited to, setting annual fundraising goals, and function as the chief architect for external communications. The Director of Development & Communications will be responsible for crafting dynamic stories about YSRP’s success and challenges, while centering the experiences of our client-partners in ways that value and uplift their humanity.

About YSRP

The Youth Sentencing & Reentry Project (YSRP) seeks to end the practice of prosecuting youth in the adult criminal justice system. In the meantime, YSRP works to lessen the duration and impact of adult criminal sentences on children and their families, who are primarily low-income and Black and Brown. Through individual cases and policy advocacy, we work to transform the experiences of children prosecuted in the adult criminal legal system and to ensure that children who have contact with that system can return home and live full lives with dignity. We partner with court-involved youth, their families, and lawyers to develop holistic, humanizing narratives that mitigate the facts of each case in an effort to avoid adult incarceration and provide decision-makers with actionable alternatives. We make crucial connections to community resources, providing our youth and Juvenile Lifer client-partners with connections to supportive services in the areas of education, healthcare, housing, and employment. Finally, we work to raise awareness of the issues that young people face in the adult criminal justice system. For more information about YSRP’s mission, values and work, please visit our website.

Position Description

The Director of Development & Communications will work closely with the staff and Board of Directors to develop and implement strategies to achieve YSRP’s mission and growth goals while generating the financial resources to sustain existing projects and stand up new initiatives. They will also collaborate with YSRP staff and client-partners to develop compelling, client-partner-centered narratives about YSRP’s contributions to ending the practice of prosecuting children as if they are adults. In addition, the Director of Development & Communications will deepen YSRP’s funding and communications infrastructure as the organization enters into an exciting phase of growth. The Director of Development & Communications will receive ongoing support from administrative staff and may supervise one or more people.

As a values-led organization, YSRP seeks a leader who is aligned with our values and can demonstrate our commitment to those values through their writing, relationship-building strategies, and challenging of traditional philanthropic norms.

Core Responsibilities

• Author and distribute compelling stories and digital content that engage stakeholders, attract resources, and contribute to the achievement of the organization’s mission. Interface with designers and artists as needed.
• Manage external communications to promote YSRP’s work and core issues. Field press requests, draft public statements, and coordinate interviews among YSRP staff and client-partners where appropriate.
• Create and execute a comprehensive fundraising strategy that includes setting annual fundraising goals, forecasting, conducting prospect research, and developing content.
• Develop and drive our individual donor program that includes an end-of-year fundraising campaign and cultivation of individual donors.
• Cultivate relationships with key individual, philanthropic, corporate, and government partners.
• Lead and drive key aspects of YSRP events in collaboration with staff and relevant stakeholders.
• Manage the website, social media accounts and assets. Maintain fidelity to brand identity across platforms and content.
• Maintain accurate and complete donor records and issue timely acknowledgments of all gifts.
• Compile reports on revenue generation for YSRP’s Board of Directors.
• Explore opportunities for earned revenue generation that align with the organization’s mission and values.
• Manage proposal development and communications to ensure an engaged donor community, trust-based institutional relationships, and timely submission of proposals and reports to funders.
• Work with other department leaders to develop strategies to support existing programs, explore opportunities for growth, and achieve the goals outlined in the YSRP’s strategic plan.
• Lead other special projects, as determined by the Executive Director.

Required Experience & Skills

• Exceptional written and interpersonal communication skills.
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in a nonprofit or grassroots fundraising or communications role with experience designing and leading individual giving campaigns.
• Demonstrated track record with fundraising and/or communications campaigns.
• Experience leading individuals and teams–with or without a formal supervisory role–fostering collaboration and engaging with staff at all levels of the organization.
• Outstanding, demonstrated organizational and critical-thinking skills, and meticulous attention to detail.
• Excellent project management skills.

Desired Experience & Skills

• Experience with Donor Perfect.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, Google Workspace, WordPress, MailChimp, and Adobe Creative Suite.
• Familiarity with Philadelphia, the justice reform landscape, and/or the local and national philanthropic sector.
• Experience with strategic fundraising and proficiency in defining achievable short- and long-term objectives across several projects.
• Ability to effectively balance collaborative and consensus-driven processes with the need for timely decision-making.
• 2+ years of supervision experience and ability to delegate.

YSRP welcomes applicants who have significant development and/or communications experience and are ready for increased responsibility.

Values

• Demonstrated alignment with YSRP’s mission and values as a racial justice organization.
• Comfort working in a hybrid environment.
• Commitment to handling sensitive information with confidentiality.

YSRP is working on a hybrid schedule (remote and in-person) for the foreseeable future. The person filling this role must reside in the Greater Philadelphia area, as significant in-person work is required to effectively perform this role.

Compensation

Salary for this position is $90,000 annually. YSRP offers a competitive benefits package, including:

• Employer-covered medical benefits401(k) with employer match after one year
• Employer-funded health reimbursement account
• Generous paid time off
• Professional development assistance
• Hybrid work model
• Home office equipment/supplies assistance

How to Apply

To apply, submit your resume along with answers to the following three questions (in place of a cover letter):

1. Why do you want to work at YSRP?
2. How do your skills and experience align with this position?
3. In what ways do you prioritize racial justice and/or ending mass incarceration in your life and professional experience?

Submit via email to hiring@ysrp.org with “Director of Development & Communications Applicant” and your last name in the subject line. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until the position is filled. Applicants will only be contacted if selected for further consideration. No phone calls, please.

Our desired start date for this position is May 15, 2023, with a willingness for flexibility, as needed.

We aim to recruit a diverse pool of candidates. Black, indigenous and other people of color, and people who are directly impacted by incarceration — or who have a family member who has been directly impacted — are strongly encouraged to apply.

The Youth Sentencing & Reentry Project provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, amnesty, or status as a covered veteran in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws.