Director of Development & Membership

YMCA of the USA; Champaign (IL); On-site; USD 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

The University YMCA seeks a mission-driven Director of Development & Membership to elevate its development program in Champaign, IL. You will partner with the Executive Director and Board to design and execute a comprehensive fundraising and membership strategy, including annual campaigns, major gifts, and donor stewardship.

You will oversee grants, events like the Annual Dinner & Auction and Dump & Run, and ensure strong communications, reporting, and budget management to grow support for the

Qualifications

• We require a bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience.
• 3–5 years of professional development experience.
• Proven success in fundraising and donor engagement.
• Strong written and verbal communication, including public speaking.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute Annual Fund campaigns.
• Write fundraising appeals, stewardship, and grant proposals.
• Identify major donor prospects and create action plans.
• Design print/email/social media communications and development materials.
• Identify planned giving prospects and steward Heritage Circle donors.
• Coordinate events like Annual Dinner & Auction, Dump and Run.
• Manage donor database, generate reports, and maintain records.
• Plan and manage the Development budget.

Skills

Fundraising

Donor relations

Public speaking

Communication

Project management

Collaboration

Social media

Education

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent

Tools

Raiser’s Edge

Job description

Lead fundraising, membership, and donor stewardship for a historic campus-and-community institution, the University YMCA.

Job Description

The University Y is seeking a mission-driven professional to take an established development program to the next level. Building upon a strong and successful foundation, the Director of Development & Membership will work closely with the Executive Director and Board in designing and executing a comprehensive development and membership strategy. Specifically, the Director will be responsible for managing all aspects of the Development program, including the Annual Fund Campaign, developing strategies to cultivate current or new membership, overseeing stewardship practices in the organization, planning fundraising events including the Dump & Run program, developing planned gifts, and managing and directing major gifts campaigns. Additionally the Director will work with staff leadership to support grant application processes and specific programmatic fundraising initiatives.

Qualifications

• A bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience is required
• Requires a minimum of 3-5 years of professional experience in development or a closely related field.
• Demonstrated success in fundraising, working with volunteers and project management is required.
• Strong communication skills (written and verbal) are needed, including the ability to speak in public, interact with and motivate donors, community leaders and staff, as well as to write compelling letters/proposals for support.
• An ability to work collaboratively in a fast-paced team environment.
• Possess essential computer skills and familiarity with donor databases such as Raiser’s Edge.
• Familiar, knowledgeable and comfortable with social media.
• Experience with grant writing is preferred but not required.
• Some evening, weekend and travel time will be required as necessary

Essential Functions

• Works with key constituencies (volunteer leaders, staff, students, alumni and community partners) in developing and executing Annual Fund campaigns.
• Writes fundraising appeal letters, stewardship and recognition communication, and grant proposals.
• Helps identify major donor prospects and strategies with staff and volunteers to create action plans that will lead to new or increased philanthropic commitments.
• Works with staff leadership to design and produce print, email and social media communication, recognition and training materials; and to develop analog and digital strategies for reaching and engaging supporters.
• Identifies prospects for planned giving and stewards current membership of the Y’s planned giving society, the Heritage Circle
• Investigates and develops new ways to integrate development and program initiatives that make the impact of our work more accessible and connected to our supporters.
• Oversees and coordinates the Annual Dinner & Auction, Dump and Run® and additional fundraising events as needed.
• Evaluate and assess development activities making adjustments and modifications as needed.
• Maintain and update donor database and constituent records to facilitate good communication and segmentation practices
• Works with the staff and volunteer leadership to appropriately record, reconcile and audit all gifts to the organization; to produce and analyze reports as well as ensure accuracy, quality and process continuity of all development activities; to plan and execute an effective Development budget.

Cause-Driven Leadership Competencies

• Philanthropy – Values and supports the many facets of philanthropy as an essential component in achieving our mission.
• Relationships – Builds authentic relationships in the service of enhancing individual and team performance to support our work.
• Communication – Listens and expresses self effectively and in a manner that reflects a true understanding of the needs of the audience.
• Influence – Employs influence strategies that engage, inspire, and build commitment to the cause and overall goals.
• Developing Others – Recognizes and acts on the need to continually develop others’ capabilities to attain the highest level of performance possible.
• Project Management – Supports goal attainment by prioritizing activities, assigning responsibilities in accordance with capabilities, monitoring progress, and evaluating impact.
• Quality Results – Demonstrates and fosters a strong commitment to achieving goals in a manner that provides quality experiences.
• Change Capacity – Leads self and others through change by navigating ambiguity appropriately and adapting well to new situations, obstacles, and opportunities.