Development Director

Full job description

Job Title: Development DirectorReports To: Chief Executive Officer

Salary: $90,000-$105,000 DOE and correlated with FTE negotiations

Hours: .75 time (30 hours a week) to start, room for growth over time or Full Time, negotiable

Benefits package: Accrued paid annual leave, 12 paid holidays plus 1 floating holiday. Health/Dental/Vision Insurance and retirement benefits.

About the YWCA Bellingham

The YWCA Bellingham is a 119-year-old nonprofit organization with four physical locations in Bellingham, WA. We have a 10-member Board of Directors, 22 staff, and a 1.9-million-dollar budget, and are part of a national network of YWCA organizations with the shared mission of ending racism, empowering women, and promoting peace, justice, and freedom for all. We provide affordable housing, emergency shelter and case management for female identifying women and their children, and economic, social justice and personal empowerment programming in the communities we serve.

YWCA Bellingham is committed to providing a safe, inclusive workplace for people of all identities, backgrounds and walks of life, and to fostering a compassionate yet accountable culture that models our mission to empower women and eliminate racism. We are proud to be a learning organization that seeks to understand root causes and systemic solutions in all our work, and understand that sometimes learning requires “unlearning” old ways first.

We don’t believe in a “perfect” candidate. If you desire to be a part of a high-performance team, furthering the YWCA’s mission in our community and world, and are excited by the chance to grow in an organization like ours, please apply!

Development Director Position Summary

The Development Director is a new role intended to provide strategic leadership for fundraising and donor engagement activities for the organization. We are committed to long term sustainability of this position, and are looking for someone interested in working closely with the CEO and Board of Directors to build a robust development program that advances the organization’s mission and ensures long-term financial sustainability of our work over time. Ideally, this role will grow, and we encourage those interested in building a program they are proud of to apply.

The Development Director will be responsible for individual giving and foundation grants and be the lead for three community events per year. They will be expected to manage the full donor lifecycle, deploy the CEO strategically to secure major donor gifts, and cultivate strong, values-aligned relationships with donors, partners, and the broader community. Their initial primary focus will be on understanding the organization and who we serve, assessing the organization’s current fundraising program, making recommendations for the fundraising plan moving forward, building a strong working relationship with the CEO and Board – particularly the Board’s fundraising committee(s), and supporting the executive of two fundraising events – a May gala and September community luncheon.

Working closely with the CEO, the Development Director develops fundraising plans and executes fundraising strategies, ensures a clear plan is in place to reach fundraising targets, serves as a visible community ambassador and advocate, and collaborates closely with leadership and the Board to strengthen organizational impact through community-centered philanthropy.

Key Responsibilities and Duties

Fundraising, Resource Development, & Donor Cultivation:

• Develop, implement, and evaluate annual and long-term fundraising plans aligned with organizational goals
• Manage fundraising portfolio, including individual donors, major gifts, and foundation grants
• Oversee the full donor lifecycle, including cultivation, solicitation, stewardship, and retention

o Develop and implement donor engagement strategies, including stewardship and recognition programs; track and analyze donor data to identify opportunities for increased giving and engagement

o Deploy the CEO strategically for major donor gifts, grounded in long term and genuine relationship building

• Manage donor databases, including development and oversight of processes and best practices to ensure donor data is accurate and readily available
• Identify and pursue new funding opportunities while maintaining and growing existing funding relationships
• Maintain excellent donor and sponsor records to ensure a careful, thoughtful, and balanced identification, cultivation, solicitation, and retention effort; including but not limited to phone calls, thank you notes, and emails
• Collaborate with staff and Board members to cultivate major gifts, business partnerships, and legacy giving

Fundraising Events

• Lead the planning, execution, and evaluation of YWCA Bellingham’s three annual fundraising events and annual campaigns
• Collaborate with staff and Board committees to develop and implement work plans for each event
• Develop event revenue goals, budgets, timelines, and sponsorship strategies, in partnership with the CEO
• Leverage partnerships to improve ROI and reduce expenses to meet financial goals
• Coordinate staff, volunteers, and Board of Directors to support event planning and day-of event execution
• Seek and create special events with community partners throughout the year for one-time and ongoing engagement opportunities
• Ensure events reflect YWCA values and advance donor relationships beyond the event itself

Grants & Institutional Giving:

• Work closely with CEO to secure foundation grants, including prospecting, proposal development, reporting, and compliance
• Assist in the writing of grant applications and the development of internal and external reports; take the lead on grant writing as able
• Collaborate with program and finance staff to ensure accurate budgets, outcomes, and reporting for funders

Donor & Community Engagement:

• Build and sustain strong, positive relationships with donors, foundations, sponsors, and community partners, including other non-profit organizations, and government agencies
• Serve as a spokesperson and ambassador of YWCA Bellingham at community meetings and presentations as requested.
• Create and maintain opportunities for public awareness and outreach by serving on committees and community boards, attending government council meetings, commissions and work groups, and other networking opportunities, as able.

Strategic Leadership, Collaboration, & Program Development

• Partner with the CEO and Board of Directors to advance fundraising goals and support board engagement in philanthropy
• Serve as a collaborative thought partner with the Communications Manager to ensure fundraising and donor-related communications are aligned in message, tone, and strategy

o Work with direct service managers and the Communications Manager to capture client voice and stories, with permission for use, to raise awareness of faces and complexities of homelessness, and demonstrate the impact of YWCA programming.

o Contribute at a strategic level to messaging and donor strategy, while execution of organizational communications (including social media, annual appeals, and digital content) is managed by the Communications Manager

• Participate in Board of Director meetings and activities as requested by the CEO, including being staff representative on Committees of our Board
• Maintain resident confidentiality in all circumstances except when disclosure is required by law.
• Serve as a leading staff member of the organization with the CEO and Housing Director, participate in the Management Team to provide high level insight for organizational needs.
• Perform other duties as needed or as assigned.

Qualifications

Education/Work Experience:

• Demonstrated experience equivalent to a bachelor’s degree in Fundraising, Communications, Social Sciences, Business, Public Administration, or related field AND

o Two years of leadership and supervisory experience

o Minimum of four years of cultivation of major donors and financial gifts or sales experience

o Minimum of four years of event planning and coordination or related experience

o Proven track record of community-based partnership building and participation

o Proven track record of successful fundraising

• Demonstrated effectiveness in public speaking
• Experience in managing dynamic program budgets
• Experience with grant writing and reporting
• Skilled in use of relevant computer, software, and web programs
• Experience working with and leading diverse groups of people
• Individuals with lived experience or from historically underserved communities are especially encouraged to apply.

Skills and Knowledge:

• Ability to work independently, organize, prioritize, and follow through to the completion of tasks.
• Ability to communication effectively verbally and in writing.
• Ability to work with people who may have substance use disorders, physical and mental health behavioral needs, and professionally use de-escalation and conflict resolution skills.
• Understand issues of gender and race discrimination, homelessness, and poverty.
• Able to read and interpret documents and draft routine reports with clarity and professionalism.
• Support the mission and values of the YWCA Bellingham.
• Self-motivated with a high level of positive energy.
• Ability to adapt easily to change and handle stressful situations effectively

Other:

• Valid WA state driver’s license; valid insurance and 3-year driver’s abstract.
• Ability to pass background check prior to employment.

This job description is not meant to imply that these are the only activities to be performed by the employee holding this position. As the needs of the organization change employees may be required to follow other and sometimes new job-related responsibilities.

In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, it is possible that requirements be modified to accommodate disabled individuals. An individual seeking such accommodation should contact their supervisor.

Job descriptions are not intended and do not create employment contracts. The organization maintains its status as an at-will employer. Employees can be terminated for any reason not prohibited by law.

Job Types: Full-time, Part-time

Pay: $90,000.00 - $105,000.00 per year

Expected hours: 30 – 40 per week

Benefits:

• Dental insurance
• Flexible schedule
• Health insurance
• Paid time off
• Retirement plan
• Vision insurance

Ability to Relocate:

• Bellingham, WA 98225: Relocate before starting work (Preferred)

Work Location: In person

• Health insurance
• Retirement plan
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance
• Dental insurance
• Paid holidays
• Flexible schedule