AVP of Development

Position Summary

The incumbent is a key strategic leader responsible for cultivating, securing, and stewarding significant philanthropic investments to advance the mission of the YMCA. The Associate Vice President of Development is a key strategic and philanthropic leader responsible for overseeing the YMCA’s development operations, including donor relations and stewardship, fundraising campaigns, grant identification and acquisition, corporate and foundation partnerships, association-wide special events, and coordination of the virtuous donor relationship management system. Working closely with the Chief Development Officer, operational leaders, staff, and volunteers, this position develops and executes strategies to strengthen donor engagement, expand the philanthropic pipeline, improve development systems and processes, and increase sustainable charitable support. The Associate Vice President supervises the Annual Giving Manager and serves as a visible ambassador for the YMCA, helping build strong relationships and foster a culture of philanthropy throughout the organization.

Our Culture

Our mission and core values are brought to life by our culture. In the Y, we strive to live our cause of strengthening communities with purpose and intentionality every day. We are welcoming: we are open to all. We are a place where you can belong and become. We are genuine: we value you and embrace your individuality. We are hopeful: we believe in you and your potential to become a catalyst in the world. We are nurturing: we support you in your journey to develop your full potential. We are determined: above all else, we are on a relentless quest to make our community stronger beginning with you. We are the Y.

Job Responsibilities

• Develops, implements and executes comprehensive philanthropic and development strategies including annual giving, corporate and foundation partnerships, major giving, grants, and special events.
• Identify, cultivate, secure and steward, major gift, foundation, corporate, and grant funding opportunities.
• Build upon successful fundraising campaigns, special events, and donor engagement initiatives while identifying new opportunities for philanthropic support and community impact.
• Leads fundraising strategy and revenue generation efforts for Association signature events and other mission-focused initiatives.
• Develops and maintains development operations procedures and systems to ensure effective and ethical fundraising practices.
• Develops and leads donor recognition and stewardship programs.
• Author and prepare donor materials, including campaign messaging, proposals, collateral, and impact reports.
• Oversee fundraising-related messaging to ensure alignment with YMCA brand standards and organizational priorities.
• Collaborate with the Annual Giving Manager to ensure seamless donor management within the CRM system.
• Track fundraising performance and provide regular reports, dashboards, and analysis on campaign progress, donor activity, sponsorship revenue and fundraising outcomes.
• Provide leadership and training to staff and volunteers, fostering a culture of philanthropy across the organization.
• Partner with board members and key volunteers to identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward leadership-level donors.
• Oversee project management across multiple sites, supporting team leaders with varying levels of experience.
• Report all accidents/incidents to your supervisor and follow the Association’s current employee and member injury reporting procedures.
• All other duties as assigned by management