Development Manager

CYT Dallas; Lewisville (TX); On-site; USD 55,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

CYT Dallas is seeking a Development Manager to lead day-to-day fundraising and donor-engagement efforts, supporting the organization’s mission, programs, and long-term sustainability.

The role involves developing and implementing a comprehensive fundraising plan, including individual giving, annual campaigns, grants, sponsorships, events, and donor communications. Collaboration with executives, staff, and volunteers is essential for success.

Qualifications

• Three to five years of experience in nonprofit fundraising, development, advancement, sales, business development, community engagement, or a related field.
• Demonstrated ability to cultivate relationships and support revenue growth through donations, sponsorships, grants, campaigns, or partnerships.
• Experience supporting or managing fundraising plans, campaigns, donor relationships, sponsorships, grants, or prospect pipelines.
• Strong written, verbal, presentation, and storytelling skills.
• Strong organizational and project-management abilities.
• Experience using donor-management, CRM, or database systems.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities while maintaining strong follow-through.
• Ability to work effectively with executive leadership, staff, board members, volunteers, donors, and community partners.
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent professional experience.
• Commitment to the mission, values, and Christian identity of CYT Dallas.

Responsibilities

• Develop and manage an annual fundraising plan with clear goals, priorities, timelines, and performance measures.
• Coordinate fundraising activities across donor development, sponsorships, grants, campaigns, and events.
• Build and maintain a pipeline of prospective donors and funding opportunities.
• Support personalized cultivation and stewardship plans for key donors.
• Partner with leadership and board members on significant donor meetings, asks, and follow-up.
• Help strengthen donor retention, recurring giving, donor upgrades, and annual giving.

Skills

Fundraising

Donor relations

Storytelling

Project management

Communication

Strategic planning

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent

Tools

CRM software

Donor management systems

Job description

Benefits:

This position does not currently include employer-sponsored health, dental, vision, or retirement benefits.

Reports To:

Executive Artistic Director

Supervises:

Development Coordinator

Function

The Development Manager manages CYT Dallas’s day-to-day fundraising and donor-engagement efforts in support of the organization’s mission, programs, and long-term sustainability.

This position helps develop and implement a comprehensive fundraising plan that includes individual giving, annual campaigns, corporate sponsorships, grants, donor stewardship, fundraising events, and donor communications.

The Development Manager serves as a key relationship-builder for the organization and works closely with the Executive Artistic Director, Development Coordinator, Director of Operations, Marketing Manager, Board of Directors, and volunteers. Fundraising at CYT Dallas is a shared organizational responsibility, with the Development Manager helping coordinate strategy, execution, follow-up, and accountability.

Key Responsibilities

Fundraising Planning and Coordination

• Help develop and manage an annual fundraising plan with clear goals, priorities, timelines, and performance measures.
• Work with the Executive Artistic Director and Board of Directors to establish realistic contributed-revenue goals.
• Coordinate fundraising activities across donor development, sponsorships, grants, campaigns, and events.
• Track fundraising progress and help identify adjustments based on results and organizational priorities.
• Provide direction, priorities, and support for the Development Coordinator.
• Help create systems that support consistent donor engagement, follow-up, reporting, and stewardship.

Donor Development and Stewardship

• Identify, cultivate, and steward individual donors and prospective major-gift supporters.
• Build and maintain a pipeline of prospective donors and funding opportunities.
• Support personalized cultivation and stewardship plans for key donors.
• Partner with the Executive Artistic Director and board members on significant donor meetings, asks, and follow-up.
• Help strengthen donor retention, recurring giving, donor upgrades, and annual giving.
• Create meaningful opportunities for donors to experience and understand CYT’s mission and impact.
• Ensure donors receive timely, accurate, and meaningful acknowledgment and follow-up.

Corporate Partnerships and Sponsorships

• Identify and cultivate relationships with businesses, sponsors, and community partners.
• Develop sponsorship opportunities and customized partnership proposals.
• Manage sponsor solicitation, renewal, and stewardship efforts in partnership with the Executive Artistic Director and board members.
• Work with the Development Coordinator, Marketing Manager, and Director of Operations to ensure sponsorship benefits are fulfilled accurately and on time.
• Track sponsorship commitments, recognition, payments, benefits, and renewal opportunities.
• Represent CYT Dallas at appropriate community, business, and networking events.

Grants and Foundation Relations

• Help develop and manage a focused grant strategy aligned with CYT’s priorities.
• Research and qualify foundation, corporate, and community grant opportunities.
• Manage the preparation and submission of grant proposals, letters of inquiry, and reports.
• Coordinate with program, operations, and finance staff to gather accurate information, budgets, outcomes, and supporting documentation.
• Maintain a calendar of grant deadlines, reporting requirements, and funding restrictions.
• Support positive relationships with foundation and funding partners.
• Work with leadership and finance support to help monitor restricted funding and grant compliance.

Campaigns, Events, and Communications

• Manage the planning and execution of annual campaigns, special appeals, donor initiatives, and fundraising events.
• Help establish campaign goals, audiences, messaging, sponsorship strategies, and follow-up plans.
• Partner with the Director of Operations, Marketing Manager, Development Coordinator, volunteers, and event committees on execution.
• Develop donor-centered messaging, appeals, proposals, newsletters, and impact stories in collaboration with marketing.
• Support peer-to-peer fundraising, online giving campaigns, and other donor-engagement efforts.
• Evaluate campaigns and events based on revenue, donor engagement, and return on investment.

Data and Reporting

• Oversee the effective use of the organization’s donor-management and CRM systems.
• Ensure accurate tracking of donor relationships, gifts, sponsorships, grants, pledges, and stewardship activity.
• Prepare regular fundraising reports and dashboards for leadership and the Board of Directors.
• Monitor donor retention, recurring giving, major-gift activity, sponsorship renewals, grant activity, and campaign performance.
• Partner with leadership and finance support on revenue forecasting, gift reconciliation, and restricted funding.
• Maintain organized development records, calendars, reports, and follow-up systems.
• Follow established gift-acceptance, donor-privacy, acknowledgment, reporting, and ethical fundraising practices.

Shared Organizational Responsibilities

The Development Manager leads CYT Dallas’s development program but works in partnership with:

• The Executive Artistic Director on organizational vision, major-donor relationships, significant solicitations, and high-level community partnerships.
• The Development Coordinator on donor records, communications, research, scheduling, campaign execution, grant support, sponsorship tracking, and follow-up.
• The Director of Operations on event logistics, financial coordination, contracts, internal systems, and operational support.
• The Marketing Manager on campaign design, digital communications, social media, photography, video, donor stories, and fundraising materials.
• The Board of Directors on giving, introductions, donor engagement, sponsorship recruitment, advocacy, and stewardship.
• Staff members, volunteers, and committees who support specific campaigns, events, and donor-engagement efforts.

Qualifications

Required

• Three to five years of experience in nonprofit fundraising, development, advancement, sales, business development, community engagement, or a related field.
• Demonstrated ability to cultivate relationships and support revenue growth through donations, sponsorships, grants, campaigns, or partnerships.
• Experience supporting or managing fundraising plans, campaigns, donor relationships, sponsorships, grants, or prospect pipelines.
• Strong written, verbal, presentation, and storytelling skills.
• Strong organizational and project-management abilities.
• Experience using donor-management, CRM, or database systems.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities while maintaining strong follow-through.
• Ability to work effectively with executive leadership, staff, board members, volunteers, donors, and community partners.
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent professional experience.
• Commitment to the mission, values, and Christian identity of CYT Dallas.

Preferred

• Five or more years of development or fundraising experience.
• Knowledge of the Dallas–Fort Worth philanthropic, nonprofit, and business community.
• Experience working with nonprofit boards and volunteer committees.
• Experience supervising staff or coordinating the work of volunteers, committees, or cross-functional teams.
• Experience with youth, theater, education, ministry, arts, or family-serving organizations.
• Relevant fundraising training, continuing education, or professional development.