The Director of Philanthropy is responsible for overseeing and executing a comprehensive fundraising strategy that supports the YMCA of Silicon Valley's mission and financial sustainability. This role provides leadership for the Annual Campaign, Major Gifts, and Individual Giving, ensuring a diversified and thriving development program.

The Director of Philanthropy will work closely with the Chief Development Officer (CDO), senior leadership, board members, volunteers, and community partners to drive philanthropic support. The position requires a strategic thinker who can lead high-impact fundraising efforts, engage donors at all levels, and develop a strong culture of philanthropy across the organization. This role will identify, cultivate, and solicit individuals, families with philanthropic capacity to make gifts of $10,000 to $3M.

SALARY RANGE: $103,000.00 - $135,000.00/year

Annual Campaign Leadership

• Provide strategic leadership and serve as the primary representative for the Annual Campaign, leading its development, execution, and promotion to advance philanthropic engagement and strengthen support for the YMCA's mission.
• Work with branch leadership and development staff to establish campaign goals, recruit volunteers, and implement best practices for donor engagement.
• Create and oversee campaign messaging, donor segmentation, and communication strategies to maximize participation and revenue.

Major Gifts & Individual Giving

• Develop and implement strategies to identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward major donors, ensuring growth in leadership-level giving.
• Lead a robust moves management process to increase individual philanthropic support, in partnership with the CDO and CEO.
• Prepare tailored donor proposals, briefing memos, and personalized stewardship plans.
• Provide support and training for board members and key volunteers in donor engagement and solicitation.

Donor Stewardship & Engagement

• Develop and oversee comprehensive donor recognition and stewardship programs to enhance donor retention and satisfaction.
• Plan and execute donor appreciation events, impact reports, and individualized stewardship experiences.
• Utilize storytelling, impact data, and testimonials to demonstrate donor impact.

Fundraising Leadership & Strategy

• Collaborate with the CDO to establish and execute long-term fundraising strategies that align with the YMCA's strategic priorities.
• Oversee the fundraising pipeline, tracking donor progress and campaign effectiveness using donor management software.
• Provide leadership for fundraising committees, ensuring meaningful and effective engagement by board members and volunteers in support of fundraising priorities.
• Serve as the primary organizational representative for the Annual Campaign, providing leadership and cultivating engagement among staff, volunteers, board members, donors, and community partners.
• Analyze fundraising trends and create data-driven strategies to optimize fundraising performance.

General

• Participate in staff meetings and other training opportunities.
• Other duties as assigned.

• Bachelor's degree in a related field or equivalent experience.
• Minimum seven years of professional fundraising experience, with a track record of success in major gifts, annual campaigns, and individual giving.
• Strong experience in donor cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship, with knowledge of capital and planned giving.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with board members, volunteers, and high-net-worth donors.
• Ability to lead and inspire others.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, including public speaking and proposal writing.
• Proficiency in donor management software, Microsoft Office Suite, and data analysis tools.
• Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously while meeting deadlines.
• Commitment to the mission and values of the YMCA.
• Some evening and weekend work is required.

YMCA Competencies:

Change Leadership: Facilitates, co-creates, and implements equitable change for the good of the organization and/or community.

Engaging Community: Builds bridges with others in the community to ensure the Y's work is community-focused and welcoming of all, providing community benefit.

Philanthropy: Secures resources and support to advance the Y's work.

Volunteerism: Engages volunteers and promotes social responsibility at all levels of the organization.

Collaboration: Creates sustainable relationships within the Y and with other organizations in service to the community.

Communication & Influence: Listens and expresses self effectively and in a way that engages, inspires, and builds commitment to the Y's cause.

Inclusion: Values all people for their unique talents and takes an active role in promoting practices that support diversity, inclusion, and global work, as well as cultural competence.

Critical Thinking & Decision Making: Makes informed decisions based on logic, data, and sound judgement.

Fiscal Management: Manages the Y's resources responsibly and sustains the Y's nonprofit business model.

Functional Expertise: Executes superior technical skills for the role.

Innovation: Creates and implements new and relevant approaches and activities that improve and expand the Y's work and impact in the community.

Program/Project Management: Ensures program or project goals are met and intended impact occurs.

Developing Self & Others: Develops self and supports others (e.g.: staff, volunteers, members, program participants), both formally and informally, to achieve their highest potential.

Emotional Maturity: Demonstrates ability to understand and manage emotions effectively in all situations.