Development Officer in Newark, New Jersey at ALL STARS PROJECT INC.

Title: Development Officer
Location: All Stars Project of New Jersey
Job Status: Full-Time, Non-Exempt, Hybrid
Reports to: Director of Development, All Stars Project (ASP) of New Jersey
Salary range: $56,000–$65,000/annualized ($26.93–$31.25/hour)

Job Summary

The Development Officer is a key member of the All Stars Project (ASP) of New Jersey (NJ) development team, which raises $1.75 million annually to support our NJ operations. This position combines frontline fundraising, donor engagement, grant writing, event management and development operations to strengthen and grow the organization’s philanthropic partnerships while developing as a fundraiser and leader.

Working closely with the Director of Development, the Development Officer will help cultivate and steward individual, corporate and foundation relationships through strategic communications, donor meetings, fundraising campaigns, grant proposals and reports, and special events. The role manages a portfolio to develop meaningful relationships that inspire increased engagement and charitable investment. It also requires active collaboration across ASP’s national Development team and broader organization, contributing to shared fundraising goals, continuous learning, and a culture of growth, feedback, and partnership.

The position is a hybrid role and typically requires three days of in-person attendance in the ASP New Jersey regional office.

Responsibilities

Donor Relationship Management

• Manage and grow a portfolio of approximately 80–100 individual donors and prospects, primarily giving between $50 and $2,500, through personalized cultivation, frontline solicitation, stewardship, and ongoing engagement.
• Develop and implement individualized engagement strategies to increase donor retention, giving levels, and long-term philanthropic partnership that reflect ASP's relationship-centered approach to fundraising.
• Conduct donor outreach through phone calls, email, virtual meetings, and in-person visits, documenting all interactions in Raiser's Edge NXT.

Fundraising & Annual Giving

• Support the implementation of ASP New Jersey's annual strategy in partnership with the Director of Development and National Annual Campaign team to achieve $1.75 million in fundraising.
• Coordinate donor, foundation, corporate partner, trustee, and prospect meetings, including briefing materials, scheduling, follow-up, and next-step strategies.
• Produce donor-centered communications, including email newsletters, stewardship messages, fundraising appeals, impact stories, campaign materials, and special announcements.
• Research prospective corporate and foundation supporters to identify new funding opportunities.

Foundation & Corporate Giving

• Research, write, and coordinate Letters of Inquiry (LOIs), grant proposals, reports, and supporting materials to submit, secure, and steward foundation and corporate funding.
• Maintain grant calendars, reporting deadlines, and proposal tracking to ensure timely submissions and compliance with funder requirements.
• Partner with program and finance staff to gather data, outcomes, and financial information for grant applications and reports.

Events & Donor Engagement

• Support the planning and execution of the annual New Jersey Fall Benefit by managing donor outreach, invitation tracking, sponsorship fulfillment, registration, reporting, acknowledgments, and post-event follow-up.
• Coordinate and produce donor cultivation and stewardship events, including Board and Trustee meetings, receptions, volunteer experiences, and other fundraising activities.
• Assist with logistics and fundraising activities that maximize donor engagement before, during, and after events.

Development Operations

• Maintain accurate donor records and gift data in Raiser's Edge NXT and other development systems.
• Coordinate acknowledgment letters, donor recognition, meeting notes, portfolio management, Airtable views, and electronic filing systems.
• Manage pledge tracking and collections, ensuring timely follow-up and accurate reporting.
• Prepare fundraising reports, donor lists, and other materials to support development strategy and decision-making.

Qualifications

• Two or more years of professional experience in fundraising, sales, business development, client relations, or other relationship-centered role. Nonprofit direct solicitation experience is preferred.
• Excellent verbal communication skills with the ability to build authentic relationships and inspire confidence and trust with a wide range of audiences, including donors, volunteers, corporate partners, board members, and colleagues.
• Strong writing and editing skills. Experience researching, writing, and developing foundation and corporate grant proposals and reports, marketing content, and other professional communications skills preferred.
• Proficient in organizational and project management, planning and prioritizing multiple tasks with competing deadlines while maintaining attention to detail.
• Belief in the All Stars Project's mission and human development philosophy, with a collaborative, growth-oriented approach to building relationships across diverse communities and a willingness to learn, take initiative, and grow as a fundraising professional.
• Experience in Raiser’s Edge NXT, AirTable, and Constant Contact (or comparable CRMs and project management systems) preferred.
• Proven administrative skills in Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.
• Discretion and sensitivity in handling and safeguarding confidential information.
• Flexibility in schedule. Evenings are sometimes required for high-level meetings and fundraising events.
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of education and work experience.
• Ability to carry or move objects up to 15 pounds to set up for meetings, events, workshops, etc.

About All Stars Project

The All Stars Project (ASP) is a growing national nonprofit organization whose mission is to transform the lives of youth from poor and underserved communities using the developmental power of performance, in partnership with caring adults, giving everyone the opportunity to grow. While the ASP’s afterschool programs include hip-hop talent shows, training in theatre and the arts, and programs where we partner with the business community to help young people create a professional performance, we are doing so much more – we are building community and imagining possibility. Founded in 1981 in NYC, the ASP currently operates in five locations across the United States (New York, New Jersey, San Francisco Bay Area, Chicago and Dallas). The ASP is primarily privately funded, with two-thirds of our support coming from individuals.

To learn more about All Stars Project, please visit our website at https://allstars.org/