Director of Development

Position Summary

Director of Development: Serves as a member of the Philanthropy Team with primary responsibility for leading community focused fundraising efforts and supporting the organization's philanthropic growth. Secure financial support, network and build community awareness, as well as cultivate and steward donor relationships. The process of identifying, qualifying and educating new and existing prospects to sustain and expand the philanthropic support for YMCA of Greater Houston's programs and impact will be a primary focus for this position.

Essential Functions:

1. Functions as a key member of the philanthropy team to elevate a donor-driven philanthropy model.

2. Conducts donor and prospect identification, education, cultivation, and solicitation to grow a portfolio of donors and increase awareness of the programs and impact of the YMCA of Greater Houston in the community.

3. Works a portfolio of 80-120 donor/prospect relationships for funding annual programs, special initiatives, capital and special events. Goal will be to raise $1-2 MM annually.

4. Updates prospect records, including accurate reports of all donor/prospect meetings, donor/prospect information, and moves within the donor management system (Blackbaud NXT).

5. Clearly communicates the YMCA value, programs and impact to all current and prospective donors.

6. Networks and develops relationships within the communities supported to broaden the reach of the Y in each area they are located.

7. Cultivates and maintains relationships with partner organizations to create joint funding requests where and when applicable.

8. Represents the association within community collaborations as required.

9. Works with the staff leadership and volunteer leadership (advisory board members) on fundraising efforts.

YMCA Culture & Cause Expectations

Our mission and core values are brought to life by our culture. It's who are, who we aspire to be and how we show up every day. We are cause-driven. We don't just show up, we show up with purpose. As a cause driven leader you are expected to be:

• Welcoming-Accept neighbors eagerly, warmly, hospitably, and as equal participants.
• Nurturing-To care for, support, and help develop through encouragement.
• Hopeful-Take an optimistic or positive view of future outcomes.
• Determined-To devote full strength and concentrated attention to the cause.
• Genuine-To be honest and open in relationships with others.

YMCA Competencies (Team Leader):

Mission Advancement: Models and teaches the Y's values. Ensures a high level of service with a commitment to changing lives. Provides volunteers with orientation, training, development, and recognition. Cultivates relationships to support fund-raising.

Collaboration: Champions inclusion activities, strategies, and initiatives. Builds relationships to create small communities. Empathetically listens and communicates for understanding when negotiating and dealing with conflict. Effectively tailors communications to the appropriate audience. Provides staff with feedback, coaching, guidance and support.

Operational Effectiveness: Provides others with frameworks for making decisions. Conducts prototypes to support the launching of programs and activities. Develops plans and manages best practices through engagement of team. Effectively creates and manages budgets. Holds staff accountable for high-quality results using a formal process to measure progress.

Personal Growth: Shares new insights. Facilitates change; models adaptability and an awareness of the impact of change. Utilizes non-threatening methods to address sensitive issues and inappropriate behavior or performance. Has the functional and technical knowledge and skills required to perform well; uses best practices and demonstrates up-to-date knowledge and skills in technology.

Qualifications

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duties satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

1. A Bachelor's degree in a related field or equivalent;

2. Five or more years of professional experience with fund raising including annual campaigns and major gifts.

3. Excellent interpersonal and communication skills both written and verbal.

4. Ability to establish and maintain collaborations within a community as well as relate well to community leaders.

5. Ability to multi-task and problem-solve.

6. Demonstrated fund raising strategy development.

7. Working knowledge of giving and charitable vehicles.

8. Ability to maintain confidential information.

9. Strong organizational, planning, project management, time management and problem resolution skills.

LANGUAGE SKILLS

Ability to read and interpret documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, and procedure manuals. Ability to write routine reports and correspondence. Ability to speak effectively before groups of customers or employees of organization.

COMPUTER LITERACY

Skills are essential in all of the Microsoft Office applications including Word, Excel, and Access. Ability to use these programs to lighten work load, develop reports and to automate procedures is very necessary. Ability to diagnose basic PC problems and to communicate those problems is very important. Ability to use Blackbaud NXT donor database management system, training is available.

MATHEMATICAL SKILLS

Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals. Ability to compute rate, ratio, and percent and to draw and interpret bar graphs.

REASONING ABILITY

Ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out instructions furnished in written, oral, or diagram form. Ability to deal with problems involving several concrete variables in standardized situations.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand, walk, sit and talk or hear. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

TRAVEL

Travel is primarily local between assigned centers during the business day, although some out-of-area and overnight travel may be expected.

The YMCA of Greater Houston provides Equal Employment Opportunities for employment to all employees and applicants, including disability and protected veteran status.