Application Guide
How to Apply for Development Director
at Bnai Keshet Synagogue
🏢 About Bnai Keshet Synagogue
Bnai Keshet Synagogue is a vibrant Reconstructionist community of 300 households in Montclair, NJ, with a 50-year legacy of social action, kindness, and deep community ties. Working here means joining a mission-driven team that values innovation in Jewish life and progressive values, offering a warm, collaborative environment where your work directly strengthens a cherished institution.
About This Role
As Development Director, you will design and execute a 5-year fundraising strategy for a 300-household synagogue, managing individual giving, grants, events, and donor stewardship. This role is impactful because you’ll empower lay leaders and staff to build a sustainable financial future, ensuring the synagogue’s programs and social justice initiatives thrive for decades to come.
💡 A Day in the Life
A typical day might start with a check-in with the Executive Director to review donor outreach priorities, followed by drafting a grant proposal for a social action program. Midday, you’d meet with a volunteer committee to plan a stewardship event, then spend the afternoon in your CRM updating donor records and segmenting lists for an upcoming appeal. You’d also carve out time to write personalized thank-you notes to recent donors, ensuring every touchpoint reflects Bnai Keshet’s warmth.
🚀 Application Tools
🎯 Who Bnai Keshet Synagogue Is Looking For
- A seasoned fundraiser with 10+ years in nonprofit development, including experience with annual giving campaigns, major gifts, and grant writing.
- A relationship-builder who thrives in a community-focused environment, adept at training and motivating volunteers and board members in fundraising.
- Proficient with donor databases/CRMs (e.g., Salesforce, DonorPerfect) and able to analyze data to drive strategy, with strong written and verbal communication skills.
- Ideally familiar with synagogue life and Jewish communal culture, understanding the rhythms of a membership-driven organization and the importance of tzedakah and community engagement.
📝 Tips for Applying to Bnai Keshet Synagogue
Highlight any experience with strategic fundraising planning (e.g., leading a capital campaign or multi-year development plan) in your resume and cover letter.
Demonstrate your ability to work with volunteers and lay leaders by describing a specific example where you coached board members to successfully solicit major gifts.
Research Bnai Keshet’s current programs (e.g., social action, adult education) and mention how you’d leverage them in donor stewardship or grant proposals.
Since the role is part-time, emphasize your efficiency and ability to prioritize—show how you’ve managed a full development operation with limited hours.
Address your familiarity (or willingness to learn) with Jewish communal values; even if not Jewish, express enthusiasm for the Reconstructionist movement’s inclusive, progressive approach.
✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter
['Your passion for Bnai Keshet’s mission of community, social action, and kindness, and how your fundraising philosophy aligns with these values.', 'Concrete examples of creating and implementing a multi-year development strategy that increased overall giving or donor retention by a measurable percentage.', 'Your experience building individual giving programs from the ground up, including how you’ve successfully stewarded mid-level and major donors.', 'How you’ve collaborated with lay leaders and staff to build a culture of philanthropy, turning volunteers into effective fundraisers.']
Generate Cover Letter →🔍 Research Before Applying
To stand out, make sure you've researched:
- → Explore Bnai Keshet’s website thoroughly—read their mission statement, recent newsletters, and program descriptions to understand their current priorities and culture.
- → Look up the Reconstructionist movement’s values (e.g., egalitarianism, social justice) and how they might influence fundraising approaches.
- → Review the synagogue’s recent events or campaigns (e.g., annual gala, social action projects) to identify potential fundraising angles or gaps.
- → Check local news or Bnai Keshet’s social media for any recent initiatives or challenges (e.g., building renovation, membership trends) to show informed curiosity.
💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics
Based on this role, you may be asked about:
⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Applying without tailoring your resume to highlight synagogue or small-community fundraising experience—generic nonprofit development may not emphasize volunteer-driven campaigns.
- Focusing only on large-scale fundraising (e.g., capital campaigns for major institutions) without demonstrating comfort with hands-on, relationship-based giving among a small membership base.
- Neglecting to mention how you’ll work with part-time constraints—showing you can manage a full development program within limited hours is critical.
📅 Application Timeline
This position is open until filled. However, we recommend applying as soon as possible as roles at mission-driven organizations tend to fill quickly.
Typical hiring timeline:
Application Review
1-2 weeks
Initial Screening
Phone call or written assessment
Interviews
1-2 rounds, usually virtual
Offer
Congratulations!
Ready to Apply?
Good luck with your application to Bnai Keshet Synagogue!