Director of Development

Nonprofit Connect; Kansas City (MO); Hybrid; USD 79,000 - 83,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

401K

Paid vacation

Holidays

Parental leave

Flexible Spending Account

Job summary

City Year Kansas City is seeking a Director of Development to lead fundraising strategy, donor engagement, and local external relations, reporting to the Executive Director. The role drives revenue, stewarding major gifts and corporate partnerships to support program delivery.

The position oversees events such as the annual gala, manages the Development Events & Communications Manager, and builds partnerships with foundations, corporations, and high‑net‑worth individuals to meet ambitious

Qualifications

• 5–8 years of progressive fundraising/development experience with multi-year giving.
• Experience leading a large-scale annual fundraising event.
• Proven relationship manager who values outreach and partnerships.
• Self-starter with collaborative, team-based mindset and strong writing skills.

Responsibilities

• Develop City Year Kansas City's fundraising strategy with the Executive Director.
• Oversee donor cultivation and engagement across private, government, and education sectors.
• Manage development events and communications; lead a team to meet revenue goals.
• Represent City Year KC in the community and with media relations.

Skills

Fundraising

Relationship management

Donor cultivation

Team leadership

Written communication

Strategic thinking

Event planning

Tools

Salesforce

MS Office

Job description

About City Year

City Year is a trailblazing, youth-powered organization working to create conditions that enable young people to reach their full potential, build leadership skills, and contribute to vibrant communities. Research shows the more time a student spends with a City Year AmeriCorps member serving as a student success coach, the better the student outcomes—academically, interpersonally and in terms of attendance. A public-private partnership, City Year is a proud member of AmeriCorps, operating in 29 U.S. cities with international affiliates in the U.K. and South Africa. Today, 40,000 alums continue to lead and serve where they live and work. Learn more about City Year’s impact: www.cityyear.org, Facebook, X and LinkedIn.

Position Overview

Since its founding, City Year has relied on its corporate, foundation and individual partners to create meaningful social change,?leveraging?both private and public investors. With a wide range of support from some of Kansas City’s philanthropic leaders, City Year Kansas City has a strong fundraising track record.? Reporting to the Executive Director, the Director of Development?manages the implementation of the fundraising and local external relations strategy for City?Year?Kansas City, including the management of the annual gala.?A specific emphasis is placed on managing and building relationships with philanthropic corporations and foundations, high-net-worth individuals, other local businesses, and media outlets?to?maximize financial resources and brand awareness opportunities, helping City Year Kansas City achieve its revenue and marketing?objectives.?Support for these efforts comes from?leveraging?the leadership of City Year Headquarters, the local advisory board, and other champions of the organization.?The?Development Director?will?manage the Development Events & Communications Manager and?be?responsible for?ensuring the site meets its?private revenue goal of $1.6 million, helping the organization meet its annual?budget of?approximately?$3.2 million.

This position is primarily in-person, with potential for some remote work

Job Description

Minimum Qualifications

• 5-8 years of progressive fundraising/development experience with proven fundraising?track record?that includes multi-year giving. Comparable?experience?will be considered.?
• Experience leading a large-scale annual fundraising event.
• Proven relationship?manager?who can recognize the importance of outreach?and partnerships for advancing the organizational mission.
• Self-starter with strong initiative, while?maintaining?a willingness to work in a collaborative and?team-based organization.
• Solid, persuasive writing?& communication?skills.
• Passion for education?and youth development?
• Ability to work with diverse groups of young adults in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial team environment.?

Responsibilities

The?Director of Development?will perform the following roles and responsibilities as described below:

Strategy Development & Leadership?

• Develop City Year Kansas City’s?short and long term?fundraising strategy, alongside Executive Director and in partnership with the Development Team.
• Work closely with the Executive Director to develop a plan to implement the strategy of donor cultivation & engagement across sectors: private,?government?and education (state policy and local government).?
• Add development capacities to execute against City Year’s?multi-year site plan.

Manage & Develop Team of Development Professionals:??

• Supervise one?additional?team member (Events & Communications Manager)?and collaborate with other supporting staff members?assisting?with Development duties.

Support and develop the professional growth of the Events & Communications Manager.

External Relations?

• In collaboration with national marketing efforts and with the support of Development Team, oversee the implementation of localized marketing strategies and tactics to increase City Year Kansas City’s overall brand awareness and ability to recruit 18 to-25-year-olds to serve as City Year AmeriCorps members.
• Serve as representative of City Year within the Kansas City community, attending events on a frequent basis.
• Serve as staff point for media relations, helping to?acquire?publicity for City Year Kansas City.

Corporate and Foundation Strategy?:

• Oversee the implementation of City Year Kansas City’s corporate sponsorship program, as well as the grant proposal and reporting process for corporate, foundation, and government donors.
• Strategizes with the Executive Director and Development team to?identify?and cultivate new corporate and foundation partnerships.

Individual Major Gift Strategy?:

• Refine City Year’s high-net-worth individual giving circle with innovative strategies to increase individual major gifts of $10,000+ and promote overall donor participation.
• In collaboration with Executive Director and Development?team?identify, cultivate,?solicit?and steward a portfolio of current and future major donors.

Fundraising Events?

• Work with the Development team and the Executive Director in managing?special events?to raise the awareness of City Year; fundraise?and engage individuals, foundations, and corporations as champions and donors. Events include but are not limited to: City Year Kansas City’s Annual Idealist Gala, Specialty Market Events, Opening Day, Graduation, and Private Receptions.

Donor Management?

• Develop successful identification, cultivation,?solicitation?and stewardship strategies to direct and?monitor?the progress of donor relationships.
• Oversee the alignment of City Year’s mission/values with actions and community impact of?donors.
• Ensure diversity and sustainability of site donor base.??
• Identify?major donors' philanthropic interests and provide them with opportunities to deepen their connection to City Year’s values/mission.

Advisory Board Management and Engagement?:

• Lead quarterly fundraising discussions and updates for City Year’s Advisory Board Meetings.
• Support Executive Director’s stewardship of Advisory Board Members, helping to ensure Board retention, satisfaction, and 100% Board giving.

Organizational Leadership:??

• As a member of the Senior Leadership Team, help shape organizational strategy and serve in leadership role in developing and implementing City Year Kansas City’s local operating plan and Site Advancement Plan.
• Through the representation and modeling of City Year values,?help?to promote a?human-centric culture where everyone feels seen, heard, and valued.
• Work collaboratively with other site departments and City Year Headquarters on a frequent basis.
• Manage the Development Department budget, detailing department?revenue?and expenses.
• Ensure accurate maintenance of records and donor information in the salesforce database.

Preferred Qualifications

• Knowledge of the Kansas City donor community preferred.
• Grant writing experience preferred.
• City Year/AmeriCorps experience is a plus

Competencies

• Collaboration: Connects with stakeholders to identify shared interests; partners with others to incorporate different perspectives toward a common goal.
• Accountability: Holds self responsible for actions and their impact on team, goals, and organizational mission.
• Flexibility: Changes course quickly and thoughtfully when faced with new or unanticipated circumstances.
• Project Management: Organizes, prioritizes, tracks, and manages workflow and resources.
• Strategic Thinking: Identifies multiple pathways to address complex and nebulous problems; anticipates barriers and opportunities; develops plans to address them.
• Managing Performance: Assigns, tracks, and prioritizes work to ensure high-quality outputs; inspires committed and positive action toward organizational goals.

Physical Requirements

• Ability to sit for extended periods and occasionally stand or walk.
• Manual dexterity for typing, writing, and handling office equipment.
• Visual acuity to read screens and printed materials.
• Hearing ability to participate in conversations and respond to phone calls.
• Occasional lifting or carrying of items up to 10–20 lbs. (e.g., office / event supplies).
• Ability to communicate clearly in person, by phone, and in writing.

Working Conditions

• Operates in a professional office setting using standard office equipment.
• Will require some travel to partner schools, donor meetings, event walk‑throughs, etc.
• Typical schedule: 9:00-5:00, with occasional extended days for events.
• Requires a valid driver’s license for travel as part of job duties.
• Must have reliable internet access for remote or flexible work arrangements, if they arise.

Compensation

Full-time?employees are entitled to compensation?commensurate?with experience?with the starting salary range between $79,000 and $83,000 annually. Benefits for?full-time?employees include health insurance with?Flexible?Spending Account, paid vacation, holidays, parental leave, 401K, and more.

Benefits

City Year offers a comprehensive benefits package that helps our employees live their best lives and grow personally and professionally.

Employment at City Year is at-will.

City Year does not sponsor work authorization visas.

As an equal opportunity employer, City Year is committed to providing employment opportunities to all qualified individuals and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, age, marital status, veteran status, pregnancy, parental status, genetic information or characteristics, or any other basis prohibited by applicable law.