Executive Director - Development

Sevymca; Westlake Village (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 185,000; Full time

Job summary

Sevymca in California seeks a strategic Development Leader to drive fundraising across annual giving, major gifts, corporate giving, foundations, and endowment programs.

You will build donor engagement, steward relationships, and ensure long-term financial sustainability while partnering with the CEO, board, and communications team to align programs with fundraising goals.

Qualifications

• Develop and implement a comprehensive fundraising strategy across annual giving, major gifts, foundations, corporate giving, capital and endowment.
• Create and manage the annual fundraising plan and calendar with clear priorities and revenue goals.
• Set measurable fundraising goals and report progress with consistent analysis.
• Cultivate, solicit, and steward major donors; maintain a robust donor pipeline.
• Implement a donor stewardship plan for engagement, recognition, and retention.
• Use a CRM to track donor activity and inform strategy.
• Lead endowment development and secure planned and legacy gifts.
• Educate donors, board members, and community stakeholders on endowment impact.
• Integrate endowment opportunities into donor conversations and campaigns.
• Partner with the CEO to lead board development and fundraising accountability.
• Support board members as ambassadors and fundraisers.
• Collaborate with Communications to align fundraising with goals.
• Champion philanthropy across the organization and storytelling.
• Serve on the executive leadership team contributing to alignment.
• Identify impact stories with program and branch leaders.
• Align programs, marketing, and development for community impact.
• Coordinate messaging and branding with Communications.
• Provide leadership to development staff and volunteers.
• Represent the YMCA in community, donor, and fundraising settings.
• Ensure accurate gift processing, acknowledgments, and reporting.
• Maintain confidentiality of donor and organizational information.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute a comprehensive development strategy, including annual giving, major and planned gifts, corporate giving, foundation partnerships, capital and endowment development programs.
• Create and manage the YMCA’s annual fundraising plan and calendar, ensuring clear priorities, timelines, and revenue goals.
• Establish measurable fundraising goals and track progress through consistent reporting and analysis.
• Identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward major donors, building and actively managing a robust donor pipeline.
• Establish and implement a structured donor stewardship plan to ensure consistent engagement, recognition, and retention.
• Utilize CRM systems to track donor activity, monitor pipeline progress, and inform strategy.
• Lead the development and growth of the YMCA’s endowment fund, including creating strategy, identifying prospects, and securing planned and legacy gifts.
• Educate and engage donors, board members, and community stakeholders on the long-term impact of endowment giving.
• Integrate endowment opportunities into donor conversations, campaigns, and stewardship strategies.
• Partner with the CEO to lead board and advisory board development, including recruitment, onboarding, engagement, and fundraising accountability.
• Support board members in fulfilling their role as ambassadors and fundraisers for the YMCA.
• Collaborate with the Director of Communications to ensure successful execution aligned with fundraising goals.
• Champion a culture of philanthropy across the organization, ensuring staff at all levels understand their role in donor engagement and storytelling.
• Serve as a member of the executive leadership team contributing to organizational alignment and strategic execution.
• Partner with program and branch leaders to identify impact stories, program outcomes, and donor engagement opportunities.
• Promote alignment between programs, marketing, and development to strengthen community impact and fundraising success.
• Collaborate with the Director of Communications to align messaging, campaigns, donor communications and YMCA branding protocols.
• Provide leadership and direction to development staff, consultants, and volunteers as applicable.
• Represent the YMCA in community, donor, and fundraising settings.
• Ensure accurate gift processing, donor acknowledgment, and reporting in compliance with YMCA policies and standards.
• Maintain integrity and confidentiality in all donor and organizational information.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Job description

Description

POSITION SUMMARY

Lead all fundraising and philanthropic strategy for the YMCA, driving sustainable revenue growth through annual giving, major and planned gifts, corporate giving, foundation partnerships, capital development and endowment development. This role is responsible for transitioning the YMCA from an event-driven fundraising model to a relationship-based culture of philanthropy, building strong donor engagement, and ensuring long-term financial sustainability. This position will supervise an associate position, providing administrative support for the development department.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Develop and execute a comprehensive development strategy, including annual giving, major and planned gifts, corporate giving, foundation partnerships, capital and endowment development programs.
• Create and manage the YMCA’s annual fundraising plan and calendar, ensuring clear priorities, timelines, and revenue goals.
• Establish measurable fundraising goals and track progress through consistent reporting and analysis.
• Identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward major donors, building and actively managing a robust donor pipeline.
• Establish and implement a structured donor stewardship plan to ensure consistent engagement, recognition, and retention.
• Utilize CRM systems to track donor activity, monitor pipeline progress, and inform strategy.
• Lead the development and growth of the YMCA’s endowment fund, including creating strategy, identifying prospects, and securing planned and legacy gifts.
• Educate and engage donors, board members, and community stakeholders on the long-term impact of endowment giving.
• Integrate endowment opportunities into donor conversations, campaigns, and stewardship strategies.
• Partner with the CEO to lead board and advisory board development, including recruitment, onboarding, engagement, and fundraising accountability.
• Support board members in fulfilling their role as ambassadors and fundraisers for the YMCA.
• Collaborate with the Director of Communications to ensure successful execution aligned with fundraising goals.
• Champion a culture of philanthropy across the organization, ensuring staff at all levels understand their role in donor engagement and storytelling.
• Serve as a member of the executive leadership team contributing to organizational alignment and strategic execution.
• Partner with program and branch leaders to identify impact stories, program outcomes, and donor engagement opportunities.
• Promote alignment between programs, marketing, and development to strengthen community impact and fundraising success.
• Collaborate with the Director of Communications to align messaging, campaigns, donor communications and YMCA branding protocols.
• Provide leadership and direction to development staff, consultants, and volunteers as applicable.
• Represent the YMCA in community, donor, and fundraising settings.
• Ensure accurate gift processing, donor acknowledgment, and reporting in compliance with YMCA policies and standards.
• Maintain integrity and confidentiality in all donor and organizational information.
• Performs other duties as assigned.