Philanthropy Director

Are you a passionate leader ready to make a difference in the lives of children, teens, and families?

Under the direction and supervision of the Chief Development Officer, the Philanthropy Director is a key member of the Association’s Development team and is responsible for leading strategic philanthropic efforts at assigned YMCA Family Center(s). This leader manages a robust portfolio of high‑net‑worth individual donors and prospects with a special focus on five‑figure and above multi‑year gifts, leading donor cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship and designs strategies to advance the Family Center(s) and Association’s strategic philanthropic priorities, including capital campaigns.

• Build, manage and steward an expanding portfolio of at least 100+ qualified donors and high‑level prospects, with proactive and tailored cultivation and solicitation strategies to move donors to higher levels of engagement and giving.
• Communicate with portfolio relationships through in‑person interaction, solicitation, and stewardship meetings, and written strategies; ensure that each major donor and prospect has a clear strategy and timeline for cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.
• Develop individual donor strategies focused on new gifts, capital opportunities and upgrade of donor gifts.
• Use data analytics and research to identify prospects, refine cultivation strategies, and prioritize high‑impact donor relationships.
• Contribute to and support implementation of all stages of the capital campaign strategy, volunteer engagement, and lead Family Center capital campaign events.
• Drive the planning and execution of key fundraising initiatives, prioritizing work effectively to deliver high‑quality campaigns and strong donor engagement outcomes.
• Identify opportunities for exclusive donor events and personalized touchpoints, ensuring every donor interaction reinforces campaign and organizational priorities.
• Engage and support the participation of senior leaders, staff, boards, and volunteers in fundraising, including cultivation and stewardship of donors to their programs.
• Serve as a member of the Association Philanthropy team and work closely with the Chief Development Officer to provide expertise and input for the strategies, best practices, systems and implementation for Family Center fundraising efforts.
• Ensure proper stewardship of gifts and adherence to the highest ethical standards, following the Donor Bill of Rights and YMCA standards.
• Model integrity, accountability, and confidentiality when handling donor information, gift agreements, and stewardship practices.
• Must be able to travel and attend special events.
• All other duties as assigned by management.

• Bachelor’s degree in financial development, communications, public relations, nonprofit management, or a related field required.
• Minimum of 5 years of progressive experience in nonprofit fundraising with demonstrated success in managing individual and significant gift portfolios, closing five‑, six‑, and seven‑figure gifts and developing fundraising strategy.
• Proven expertise in cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding high‑net‑worth donors and prospects.
• Strong relationship‑building skills and the ability to work effectively with diverse internal and external stakeholders.
• Strong strategic, analytical, and data‑driven decision‑making skills.
• Exceptional verbal, written, and interpersonal communication skills.
• High energy and a proven ability to influence decision‑makers and build dynamic relationships.
• Maintains a confidentiality high level of discretion and ethical approach to fundraising.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), donor database software, CRM systems, and project management tools.
• Excellent problem‑solving, project management, and decision‑making skills.