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 Seattle’s most active philanthropic leaders, City Year Seattle/King County has had a strong fundraising track record and has an ambitious strategic plan for growth over the next few years. Reporting to the Executive Director, the Director of Development creates, manages and executes against a development strategy for the Seattle/King County office of City Year, with a specific emphasis on managing and building relationships with corporations and foundations as well as with high net worth individuals and prospects in an effort to maximize financial resources to help City Year achieve its revenue and mission-based goals.
Strategy: In partnership with the Executive Director and Board Development Committee, create and implement an assertive strategy to identify and secure corporate, foundation, individual and government funding partnerships, specifically focusing on a major gifts campaign strategy.
Manage a Team of Development Professionals: Hire, manage and retain a team of development professionals to manage different aspects of the development pipeline.
Corporate and Foundation Management: In partnership with the Executive Director and the Corporate and Foundation Development Officer, manage and build relationships with current corporate and foundation funders. Manage the identification and cultivation of new corporate and foundation partnerships, as well as the grant proposal and reporting processes for corporate, foundation, and government funders. Build City Year’s Team Sponsorship process, which includes marketing to, identifying and securing Team Sponsors at the $100,000 level and engaging them via a long-term stewardship strategy.
Major Gift Donor Management: In partnership with the Leadership Gifts Officer and Executive Director, identify, cultivate, solicit and steward a portfolio of current and future major donors. Identify major donors' philanthropic interests and provide them with a meaningful opportunity to realize an outstanding philanthropic experience through their charitable investment of time, advocacy and financial support to City Year. Craft and implement a powerful major gifts campaign to leverage recent matching gift.
In addition, the Director of Development will:
- Develop and maintain strategic moves management plan to direct and monitor the progress of donor relationships.
- Establish innovative strategies to promote giving to City Year, in particular focusing on attracting and increasing individual and leadership support.
- In partnership with Executive Director, Leadership Gifts Officer and select volunteers, ensure personal solicitation of each Board member to attract leadership contributions and 100% participation.
- Manage and ensure the accurate maintenance of records and donor information in the donor database.
- Visit current and prospective donors, at times with the Executive Director and/or Board Members.
- In partnership with the Development staff, cultivate and nurture relationships with current and potential corporate and foundation contributors.
Fundraising Events: Lead the development team to leverage existing and future City Year CY Seattle/King County events, such as our Ripples of Hope Gala Dinner, Opening Day, Corporate Partnership Breakfast and other select gatherings, to raise awareness of City Year, fundraise and engage high net worth individuals, foundations and corporations. The Director of Development will also manage the lead development professional for these primary events.
Donor Management: Develop and grow our individual donor base, manage annual giving campaign, and cultivation for all donors. Ensure diversity and sustainability of site donor base. Oversee the entire development business process from donor identification through collections to stewardship.
Organizational Management: Help shape organizational strategy and for playing a leadership role in implementing the agency’s operating plan, as a member of the Senior Leadership Team. In addition, the Development Director will develop and manage the Fund Development budget, including detailing department revenue and expenses.
Organizational Initiatives: Staff members assist with events throughout the year, including MLK Day of Service, National Youth Service Day, Opening Day, Graduation, and more. In addition, each staff member may be required to attend overnight conferences throughout the year.
Promoting National Service: City Year staff members are expected to think outside of their own job description at all times to help further the National Service Movement. This includes thinking of ways to engage new supporters through events and roundtable, communicating clearly to other staff members and departments about what activities are happening, and directing corps members to think beyond their daily service in their school.
- Minimum 5 years of progressively responsible fundraising/development leadership experience with proven track record in corporate, foundation and major gift solicitation and cultivation, with a strong preference for major gift campaign experience. Comparable experience will be considered.
- Strong interpersonal and presentation skills. As well as an ability to project a strong presence among site and community leadership a must.
- Strategic thinker with ability to manage short term and long term plans and goals, with a record of achieving results.
· Solid, persuasive writing skills required. Ability to deliver inspiring and succinct presentations and conduct productive meetings.
· Demonstrated management of personnel required.
· Strong and efficient use of word, excel and PowerPoint required, knowledge of Raiser’s Edge system a plus
· Ability to work with diverse groups of young adults in a fast-paced entrepreneurial team environment.
· BA/BS required. Preference given to MBAs and/or other relevant advanced degrees.
Competitive salary and benefits
Great benefits including health insurance, vacation days, holidays, parental leave, matching 401K, Flex Spending Account, mobile phone/service and more. Compensation offered commensurate with experience.
