Chief Development Officer

Chief Development Officer

Wilmington, DE

Description

YWCA Delaware is on a Mission to eliminate racism, empower women, help families and strengthen communities. Annually, over 8,000 people participate in our comprehensive programs. YWCA Delaware is a leading advocate for women by providing housing, violence prevention and sexual assault crisis services, financial empowerment, youth programming and community engagement. We empower individuals and families financially and socially, while fostering the confidence and can-do attitude needed to eliminate barriers and overcome life’s obstacles. We are a statewide organization with headquarters in Wilmington, Delaware. We offer a hybrid work environment, 35-hour work week, generous paid time off and competitive benefits.

Join an amazing team that advances opportunities for individuals and families to achieve their dreams in a supportive, nurturing environment. YWCA Delaware is recruiting a Chief Development Officer to provide strategic leadership for all contributed revenue with a strong focus on the grants management function while also managing individual giving, donor relations and cultivation processes and communications/media. This person will work closely with the executive team on the grants management process, with the CEO on public relations efforts and with Board committees to “friend raise” and fundraise for the sustainability of our programs and services.

Key Responsibilities:

Strategic & Development Team Leadership

• Lead the creation and implementation of a multi-channel fundraising strategy aligned with YWCA Delaware’s mission and strategic plan, which includes government, corporate, and foundation grants and individual giving.
• Set performance targets, develop budgets, and create/maintain data and metrics for all development activities.
• Build, manage, and mentor the Development team, including the Grants Director, the Director of Philanthropy, the Senior Communications and Marketing Manager, and any special event staff, volunteers, or consultants.
• Promote a culture of collaboration, innovation, and high performance.

Grants Management and Government Relations

• Lead and support the development of a high-volume grants management system, ensuring the appropriate structure and communications are in place to manage the overall grant cycle, including prospecting, applications, reporting, and compliance.
• Work closely with the program heads and Finance to understand budgetary needs and gaps and to determine which grants align with those priorities.
• Hands-on grant support, including preparing and coordinating applications for foundation, corporate, and government grants.
• Build and maintain effective systems for reporting and compliance, ensuring timely and accurate submissions for 50+ grant proposals and reports annually.

Board, Donor & Volunteer Engagement & Infrastructure

• Manage a portfolio of major donors and collaborate with the CEO and Board to cultivate lead gifts and strategic relationships.
• Collaborate closely with the Board of Directors and the Fund Development and Major Gifts committees, energizing board members to participate in fundraising efforts and decision-making.
• Design and oversee donor recognition and stewardship initiatives, ensuring impactful and personalized donor experiences.
• Lead or oversee capital campaign(s), setting strategy, targets, and execution milestones.
• Oversee development systems, including donor database and pipeline tracking.
• Manage the communications and process to recruit and assign volunteers based on agency needs.

Communications, Media and Organizational Partnership & Outreach

• Oversee communications and media efforts including external and internal newsletters, social media engagement, and public relations.
• Serve as an external ambassador to strengthen YWCA Delaware’s visibility and philanthropic reach—engaging civic groups, corporate partners, foundation networks, and the broader Delaware community.

Other Duties (include, but also as assigned):

Attend agency and/or department staff meetings as needed. Positively represent agency and program participants’ needs to funders, employers, and the community-at-large. Ensure maximum economy in the use of agency resources. Other related duties, as assigned.

Requirements

Qualifications & Experience

• Education: Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree (e.g. Nonprofit Management, Public Administration) and CFRE certification preferred.
• Experience: 7–10+ years of progressively responsible leadership in nonprofit fundraising—government, corporate and foundation grants; major gifts, annual giving, capital campaigns.
• Demonstrated success in managing a multi-million-dollar grant portfolio, including federal or state funding with complex compliance and reporting requirements.
• Demonstrated ability to secure significant contributions ($25K+ gifts) from individuals, corporations, and foundations.
• Track record of managing development budgets and meeting or exceeding revenue goals.
• Experience with donor systems (e.g. Salesforce) and CRM tools.
• Ability to communicate and engage with diverse stakeholders: donors, board members, community partners, and colleagues.
• Mission alignment and passion for YWCA Delaware’s commitment to equity and women’s empowerment.
• Strong communication, collaboration and team building skills.
• Excellent written and verbal storytelling skills to articulate impact across multiple platforms.

Preferred & Additional Skills

• Previous experience within YWCA or analogous mission-driven organizations.
• Deep understanding of fundraising trends, planned giving, and data-driven decision-making.

Core Competencies

• Mission-Driven Leadership: Demonstrated commitment to social justice, inclusion, and non-discrimination.
• Strategic and Operational Excellence: Ability to plan, implement, evaluate, and pivot fundraising strategies.
• Collaboration & Influence: High emotional intelligence and ability to engage board, staff, colleagues and volunteers.
• Adaptability & Innovation: Comfortable navigating change and designing creative fundraising tactics.

Impact Metrics

• Success in this role will be measured by:
• Grant pipeline growth, application and reporting timeliness, and audit-ready compliance.
• Achievement of annual government and corporate grant and individual fundraising goals.
• Growth in donor base, including new major gifts and foundation partnerships.
• Strength and engagement of board and volunteer participation in fundraising.
• Effective stewardship and donor retention rates.
• Enhanced profile and visibility of YWCA Delaware across Delaware communities.

Benefits:

• We offer a comprehensive benefits package, including
• Medical, Dental, Vision, Retirement, plus others
• 17 PTO days (with carryover)
• 10 sick days (with carryover)
• 11-12 Holidays off per year
• Wellness Day off
• 35-hour work week