Additional Information
Thanks for your interest in Success Academy! Running a large, fast-growing, and high-performing network of public charter schools takes a village - families, children, teachers, staff and faculty, advocates, and supporters alike. We are growing fast in New York and expanding to Florida, and we would love to welcome you to our community! We work tirelessly every day to ensure children have access to a fun, rigorous, whole-child education regardless of zip code or economic status. When you join SA, you play a part in giving every student who walks through our doors a fair shot at reaching his or her potential.
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.
