Senior Director, Development

Overview

The Senior Director, Development provides strategic leadership for the YMCA of San Diego County’s Association-wide annual giving efforts and programmatic fundraising priorities. This position is responsible for growing philanthropic support, strengthening donor relationships, and creating a consistent, donor-centered culture across the Association. The role oversees and advances Annual Giving across 16+ campaigns while developing strategies to secure philanthropic resources for strategic YMCA programs, including aquatics, adaptive programs, military and veteran services, youth development, and other Association priorities.

The Senior Director serves as a key fundraising partner to the Chief Mission Advancement Officer (CMAO) and VP of Development and represents YMCA of San Diego County in the Cali-Baja YMCA Binational Board and supporting international and binational fundraising initiatives.

• Partners with the CMAO and VP of Development to drive executive-level donor engagement, high-level solicitations, special initiatives, and strategic fundraising priorities and representing YMCA of San Diego County at the Cali-Baja YMCA Binational Board and international initiatives.
• Develops and implements long-term philanthropic strategies that strengthen the Association’s fundraising pipeline and support future capital, endowment, planned giving, and other strategic fundraising opportunities.
• Leads the Association’s Annual Giving strategy, overseeing 16+ branch campaigns and developing comprehensive plans to achieve and exceed Association-wide fundraising goals through effective volunteer engagement, donor cultivation, solicitation, stewardship, and staff leadership.
• Develops and implements Association-wide programmatic fundraising strategies to secure philanthropic support for key high-impact programs (e.g., aquatics, adaptive programs, military and veteran services, youth development).
• Cultivates and deepens philanthropic relationships with individuals, corporations, foundations, and other funding partners through prospect identification, moves management, cultivation, solicitation, stewardship, and personalized engagement strategies.
• Translates the Association’s successes, impact, and strategic priorities into compelling narratives for support and funding proposals, ensuring consistent messaging and strong philanthropic philosophy across the Association.
• Provides guidance, coaching, and training to Executive Directors, Development Directors, campaign staff, and volunteers, equipping teams with the tools, strategies, and best practices needed to increase donor participation and contributed revenue.
• Partners with Association and branch leadership to establish and monitor fundraising goals, key performance indicators, and reporting systems, using data and results to identify opportunities, address challenges, and continuously improve Annual Giving and programmatic fundraising.
• Directs cross-functional fundraising efforts with Philanthropic Services, Communications, Programs, Finance, and branch leadership to maximize opportunities for major gifts, foundation and corporate support, matching and third-party gifts, and other contributed resources.
• Demonstrated success in annual giving and major gift fundraising, including developing and executing individualized cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies resulting in gifts of $25,000 or more.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and maintain long-term relationships with donors, prospects, volunteers, community leaders, and other key philanthropic constituents.
• Ability to plan and executive fundraising strategies for programs, initiatives, or strategic priorities and to translate programmatic impact into compelling opportunities…