D C R

Bronx, New York
www.tbcsc.org
DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT AND COMMUNITY RELATIONS
THE SEARCH
The Bronx Charter School for Children (BCSC) is a stand-alone, elementary charter school serving
over 400 students in the Mott Haven section of the South Bronx in New York City. Guided by its
five core values – to foster academic excellence, nurture the whole child, ensure a safe
environment, develop critical thinkers, and build partnerships – BCSC stands as a lighthouse in
the South Bronx, currently the poorest urban congressional district in the United States. By
focusing on giving individualized attention to each student, retaining top instructional talent, and
creating a compassionate school community, BCSC has adopted proven solutions to problems
facing educators in impoverished areas. The renewal of the school’s charter through 2015 has
reinvigorated BCSC community members, who have shown the utmost dedication to creating an
environment of excellence.
As BCSC implements changes to achieve its vision of becoming a long-standing fixture in the
community, it seeks candidates for the important position of Director of Development and
Community Relations. This position is for the candidate who is highly motivated and exceedingly
prepared to build the foundation of a well-rounded and successful fundraising plan, as well as
serve as the ambassador to the surrounding community. Key responsibilities will include
successfully differentiating and branding BCSC, building a diverse constituency, reaching out to
other community leaders and organizations in an effort to form symbiotic relationships, cultivating
and soliciting major gifts, and event planning.
As a leader at BCSC, the Director of Development should be comfortable creating long- and shortterm strategies, circulating the successes of the school and its scholars, and representing the
school at community events. This is a rare opportunity to sculpt both a development plan and a
community relations strategy. The ideal candidate will be a proven leader, an impassioned
advocate, a successful fundraiser, and a skilled communicator. This is the right opportunity for
someone who wishes to make a truly remarkable difference in the lives of hundreds of children and
their families.
BCSC has retained Freeman Philanthropic Services, LLC to assist on this recruitment.
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ABOUT BRONX CHARTER SCHOOL FOR CHILDREN
The mission of BCSC is to empower children to achieve their greatest potential both as
students and as members of their communities. BCSC aspires to help its scholars make
connections between facts, foster new understanding, and think critically. In 2004, BCSC opened
its doors to 132 students in Kindergarten and 1st grade. By September of 2013, BCSC had a total
enrollment of 432 students. By offering small class sizes, an extended school day and extended
academic year, ESL classes, and constant student evaluation, BCSC serves as an alternative to
traditional public schools and caters to the specific needs of the community it serves.
At BCSC, teachers tailor developmentally appropriate strategies to student responses and
encourage critical thinking through analysis, interpretation and prediction - all in the context of
the child's socio-emotional development, interpersonal relationships and support systems. This
learning environment facilitates a deep understanding of individual needs and targeted
instruction. This strong foundation to learning and skill development propels BCSC scholars to
change their future trajectories.
BCSC offers a comprehensive education to its students. In addition to science, social studies,
mathematics, writing and reading, art, physical education, and music classes, students are further
engaged through hands-on experiences and field trips.
In 2011, BCSC was the recipient of the
“Whole Child Award,” an honor bestowed by
the ASCD (formerly The Association for
Supervision and Curriculum Development)
to schools that value the emotional, mental,
physical, and intellectual development of its
students. Faculty and staff at BCSC are
highly encouraged to continue exploring and implementing best practices through professional
development.
LEADERSHIP
Head of School
Denise Alexander joined BCSC as the school’s first Director of Curriculum and Instruction in 2013
and Head of School in 2014. Since beginning her educational tenure, 16 years ago, she has been
committed to promoting equity and excellence in education and overcoming the gap in educational
access and achievement between the most and least advantaged groups in this country. This
commitment combined with her expertise prepared her to serve as a transformative leader where
she fosters the continued success of BCSC, its staff, and its scholars. In 2010, BCSC undertook a
strategic planning process initiative. With the results, Ms. Alexander will continue to lead the
process of articulating, planning and directing the implementation of identified programs and
services.
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Prior to joining BCSC, Ms. Alexander’s experience in the field of education included significant
roles in teacher and leadership development, curriculum design and instructional research. Her
career is additionally marked by: developing the new principal preparation curriculum for
Teacher’s College-Columbia University; designing and co-founding K-8, Delta Promise Community
Charter School of Sunflower County, Mississippi; serving as The District of Columbia Public
Schools’ Lead Instructional Coach and Manager; leading a team of program improvement
specialists throughout Southern California, that provided direct support and evaluated site-based
administrations in all areas of instruction and operations; serving as Assistant Principal; being a
Teacher of grades Kindergarten through Sixth in Washington, D.C., and Atlanta, GA.
Ms. Alexander is currently completing work on her Ed.D.
from Columbia University. She received her Ed.M. in
Educational Leadership and Supervision from Teacher’s
College-Columbia University, her Masters of Art in
Teaching from Trinity University and her Bachelor of Arts
in Journalism from Howard University.
Board of Trustees
BCSC benefits from the work of the Board of Trustees, whose members have expertise in
administration, education, finance, law, and marketing. In addition, as an adjunct to the Board,
there is a Leadership Council, which is inactive now and needs to be revitalized and expanded.
IMPORTANT REPORTING RELATIONSHIPS
The Director of Development will report to the Development Committee of the Board of Trustees
and will be accountable to the Head of School. He or she will oversee one administrative assistant
and work closely with all other senior staff and members of the Leadership Council.
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KEY OPPORTUNITIES & CHALLENGES
Fundraising
 Embrace BCSC’s mission and core values and obtain a thorough understanding of the
history, culture, and vision of BCSC and translate these priorities into fundraising
initiatives;
 Develop, articulate and implement long- and short-term strategies to expand philanthropic
support;
 Broaden and diversify the organization’s base of support through face-to-face solicitation,
grant writing, social networking, and special events;

Maintain and grow a personal portfolio of major gift donors and prospects;
 Assist with the identification, engagement, recruitment, and orientation of new Board
members, as well as encourage and inspire current Trustees;
 Guide, motivate and mentor staff members, while maintaining best practices, camaraderie,
shared accountability, and clearly defined goals;
 Plan and execute all aspects of cultivation and fundraising events, including logistical
coordination, volunteer management, budgeting and projections, etc;
 Manage in-kind donations of books, computers, equipment and other goods useful to BCSC;
 Maintain best fundraising and operational practices, utilizing clearly defined goals,
objectives, and transparent methods with which to measure success;
 Ensure accuracy, precision, and timeliness in gift processing, database management, and
donor relations.
 Positively contribute to an organizational environment where teamwork, collaboration, and
dedication are expected and required.
Community Relations
 Create and articulate a distinct and compelling case that differentiates BCSC from other
charter schools, then tailor and deliver that message to a wide range of audiences;
 Boost community engagement and public awareness; ensure that members of the South
Bronx community know about the quality work done at BCSC;
 Create a clear and consistent branding message for all external communications;
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 Act as the eyes and ears of BCSC in the community: research and discuss ways in which
BCSC can further serve its constituents;
 Engage community leaders, including those in business, politics, education, and at other
nonprofit organizations, to further shared goals and bring attention to the most urgent
needs of the community.
IDEAL EXPERIENCE AND QUALITIES
Fundraising
 Passionate advocate who brings the
proven ability to engage others in a
manner that generates excitement,
shared purpose, trust, and meaningful
action;
 Expertise in all areas of a comprehensive fundraising strategy: leadership and major gifts,
corporate and foundation relations, annual giving, events, campaigns, e-philanthropy,
operations, research, development, and communications;
 Credibility and professional acumen to garner the confidence of BCSC leadership, Trustees,
volunteers, donors, prospects, and colleagues;
 Proven ability to close major gifts: a demonstrated record of solicitations from individuals,
including the design and execution of the identification, qualification, cultivation,
solicitation, and stewardship strategies;
 Excellent communication skills (both written and oral), combined with the ability to elicit
and translate various priorities – from education to community needs – into compelling
cases for support;
 Successful experience working within an educational or community organization preferred.
Community Relations
 Creative manner of approaching issues and devising sound solutions based on good
judgment and collaboration;
 Constantly on the lookout for new opportunities, partnerships, and ideas, and the tenacity
and intelligence to pursue the most rewarding of these on behalf of BCSC;
 Energy, enthusiasm and drive to tackle obstacles of any size and offer creative and strategic
solutions;
 A natural connector and networker, preferably with existing strong relationships in the
education or nonprofit arenas;
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 Genuine interest in education and the ongoing betterment of the New York City public
school system.
Interpersonal Traits
 Excellent interpersonal and networking skills, comfortable acting as both a team player
and as a leader;
 Self-starter, goal-oriented and dedicated to becoming a part of the BCSC community;
 A strategic thinker, always tactical in prioritizing and delegating tasks, and committed to
producing work of the highest caliber;
 A diplomatic, open-minded and amicable colleague, who demonstrates the highest levels of
respect and accountability at all times;
 Flexibility, patience, and a sense of humor;
 Interest and ability to grow and expand professionally.
Education
 Fluency in Spanish highly preferred;
 Bachelor’s degree required, advanced degree preferred.
COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS
The compensation and benefits packages will be competitive and commensurate with the
successful candidate’s background and experience. BCSC is an equal opportunity employer and
actively encourages applications from individuals of all backgrounds.
HOW TO APPLY
The Bronx Charter School for Children has retained Freeman Philanthropic Services, LLC (FPS)
to assist on this executive recruitment. FPS is a national leader in recruitment for the not-forprofit sector and related concerns and brings a proven track record of recruiting top talent to
diverse institutions.
Please send all confidential inquiries, applications, and nominations directly to FPS via e-mail at
[email protected].
All applications must include (1) an up-to-date resume, and (2) a letter of interest (addressed to
FPS) that specifically cites the experiences that best prepare the applicant for this role and why
this particular opportunity is the logical and desired next step in his/her career. Additional
materials and information will be requested during the search and interview process.
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