Chief Development Officer

Working collaboratively with the Philanthropic Development Committee of the Board, the Board of Directors, and the Leadership Team, the Chief Development Officer (CDO) is responsible for developing and implementing the Metropolitan YMCA of the Oranges' fundraising strategies and initiatives. These include the Annual Campaign, Capital Campaign, Major Gifts, Grants, Planned Giving, Special Events, donor stewardship, gift processing, and development operations. The CDO provides strategic leadership and oversight to the Development Team, ensuring that the entire organization receives fundraising direction, support, and training. The CDO works in close partnership with the Board and CEO, providing ongoing support to the President/CEO’s fund development efforts.

The YMCA has received four stars on Charity Navigator for 13 Consecutive years and the NJ Top Workplace award for 2 consecutive years!

Requirements

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

• Responsible for the achievement of the organization’s annual contributed (philanthropic) revenue goals.
• Oversees the organization’s philanthropic development activities, including annual support campaign, corporate and foundation relations, government relations, grants, and special events.
• Works collaboratively with the Board and Leadership Team in charting the Association’s philanthropic course through the creation of annual goals, fundraising strategy, policies, plans, and procedures across the Association.
• Works closely with the President/CEO, senior leaders, and Board members to create and execute strategies, identify new initiatives and opportunities designed to increase the donor base and drive increases in philanthropic support.
• Designs, leads, and manages the Association’s portfolio of fund development programs to include the annual campaign, capital campaigns, planned giving, major gifts, grants, special events, and development operations.
• Collaborates with the President/CEO, senior leadership, and development team members on the identification and cultivation of stewardship opportunities for major gift donors and prospects. Works with the President/CEO and senior leadership to set activity and revenue goals for major gifts.
• Works closely with development staff and senior leadership to continually monitor and analyze plan results and proactively intervene to address gaps in performance and goal results.
• Works closely with the President/CEO, senior leaders, and volunteers to identify and prioritize capital campaign needs and objectives; provides leadership in all Association capital campaign initiatives.
• Cultivates and stewards major donor prospects, including conducting prospect research and developing associated strategies.
• Designs and works collaboratively with branch leadership in implementing a plan to secure and follow through on collection of pledges and financial commitments.
• Works collaboratively with senior leaders and branch staff members in efforts to develop major gift prospects.
• Hires, trains, evaluates, develops, and manages members of the development staff.
• Stays abreast of overall developments in the organization to include current events, program launches, and program and member milestones in order to articulate and explain Metro’s cause for support.
• Serves as an internal and external ambassador for the Y, communicating to members, volunteers, and the general public that the Y is the nation’s leading nonprofit committed to strengthening the community through youth development, healthy living and social responsibility.
• Develops and manages the development department budget.
• Composes proposals, solicitations and communications to donors and key partners; takes a lead role and/or participates in major gift solicitations. Develops briefings, communications, proposals, and related materials to support key volunteers, the President/CEO, and senior leaders in the identification, acquisition, and solicitation of prospects and donors.
• Builds working relationships with Board members and develops a network of potential donors, including organizations/businesses and individuals; attends local networking events and opportunities in furtherance of philanthropic goals.
• Oversees the creation and delivery of fundraising training to the organization Works collaboratively with the President/CEO’s office to identify, plan, and implement donor recognition events and Association-wide development events.
• Works collaboratively with senior leaders and branch leadership to develop a plan for special events across the Association.
• Ensures that there is a grant calendar in place and a system established for researching and appropriately responding to grant opportunities.
• Works collaboratively with communications and marketing staff to promote brand awareness.
• Ensures the development team provides support for key branch fundraising events and development-related committees and task forces.
• Serves as a member of the Association’s Leadership Team.
• Supports the President and CEO with the Association Board Governance Committee.

OTHER DUTIES:

• Demonstrates and models the YMCA’s four core values of Caring, Honesty, Respect, and Responsibility
• Exhibits personal and professional behavior in a manner consistent with the best interests of the Association.
• Performs other job-related duties as may be periodically assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) Master’s degree or CFRE preferred. YMCA of the USA Organization Leader certification preferred.
• Must have a minimum of 7+ years of experience in development and community relations, with a proven track record of raising both capital and annual support in excess of $3 million annually
• Must have demonstrated success in asking people to contribute both time and money to a nonprofit cause.
• Must have demonstrated success in working effectively with business leaders, community and government officials, volunteers, Board members, and colleagues on the senior management team.
• Must have at least 7 years of demonstrated success in managing a fund development team.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills required.
• Demonstrated success in establishing collaborative working relationships, building consensus, and establishing mutual goals.
• Demonstrated commitment to the mission and purpose of the YMCA.
• Demonstrated working knowledge of fundraising software and tools.
• Demonstrated sales mentality and entrepreneurial leadership, with a proven ability to drive revenue, cultivate new partnerships, and innovate within a fast-paced, goal-driven environment.

Workplace Competencies:

• This individual must be a self-starter.
• Must be driven to not only meet fundraising goals, but exceed them.
• Must be skilled at motivating and mentoring development staff, fostering a collaborative, high-performance culture.
• Must be a natural connector and relationship builder; able to cultivate trust with donors, funders, and partners over time.
• Must have a talent for crafting compelling narratives about the organization’s mission and impact, making the case for support in an authentic and inspiring way.
• Must be driven by results, with a commitment to meeting (and exceeding) fundraising targets while maintaining mission alignment.
• Must be able to handle sensitive donor information with confidentiality.