Executive Director of Philanthropy

Heart of the Valley YMCA•Huntsville, AL

1d•$85,000 - $100,000•Onsite

About The Position

The Director of Philanthropy provides strategic and operational leadership for the Heart of the Valley YMCA’s Annual Campaign, individual annual giving, corporate philanthropic support, event sponsorships, donor stewardship, volunteer fundraising, and related revenue-generating initiatives. Reporting to the Chief Mission Advancement Officer, the Director develops and executes the organization’s Annual Giving Campaign and additional year-round fundraising strategies designed to increase donor acquisition, retention, engagement, and giving. The position manages a portfolio of individual and corporate donors and prospects, cultivates new philanthropic relationships, and stewards existing supporters by meaningfully connecting them to the YMCA’s mission and community impact. The Director leads the Association-wide Annual Campaign and works closely with branch leaders, staff, board members, and campaign volunteers to strengthen a culture of philanthropy throughout the organization. Corporate partnership responsibilities are specifically centered on generating charitable revenue through Annual Campaign gifts, event sponsorships, and other approved mission-aligned giving opportunities. This includes identifying and soliciting new corporate partners, renewing and growing existing partnerships, coordinating sponsorship fulfillment, and stewarding corporate donor relationships. The Director serves as a visible ambassador for the Heart of the Valley YMCA and helps connect individuals, businesses, volunteers, and community leaders with opportunities to advance youth development, healthy living, and social responsibility throughout the community.

Requirements

Strong relationship-building, donor-engagement, and stewardship skills.
Ability to identify prospective supporters and move relationships from introduction through cultivation, solicitation, commitment, and renewal.
Demonstrated ability to make direct charitable and sponsorship solicitations.
Excellent written, verbal, presentation, and interpersonal communication skills.
Strong planning, organization, project-management, and follow-through skills.
Ability to manage multiple priorities, deadlines, campaigns, portfolios, and relationships simultaneously.
Comfort using data, dashboards, donor records, and financial information to evaluate performance and guide strategy.
Ability to prepare professional proposals, presentations, reports, appeals, and donor communications.
Sound judgment, integrity, discretion, and respect for donor confidentiality.
Ability to work independently while contributing effectively to a collaborative leadership team.
Ability to influence and motivate staff, volunteers, board members, donors, and community partners.
Strong customer-service orientation and commitment to donor-centered relationship management.
Proficiency with standard office technology, databases, spreadsheets, presentation software, and digital communication platforms.
Ability to relate effectively to people from diverse social, economic, professional, and cultural backgrounds.
Bachelor’s degree in nonprofit management, business, communications, marketing, public relations, public administration, fundraising, or a related field preferred. An equivalent combination of education and directly relevant experience may be considered.
Minimum of three to five years of progressively responsible experience in fundraising, development, donor relations, annual giving, corporate relations, sponsorship sales, nonprofit revenue development, or a closely related field.
Demonstrated success cultivating, soliciting, securing, and stewarding charitable gifts or sponsorships.
Experience managing a donor, prospect, client, or corporate relationship portfolio.
Experience supporting or leading an annual campaign fundraising initiative, or comparable revenue-generation program.
Experience working with volunteers, boards, senior leaders, or community stakeholders.
Experience using a donor-management or constituent-relationship-management system.

Nice To Haves

YMCA or other mission-driven nonprofit experience preferred.

Responsibilities

Lead the planning, implementation, management, and evaluation of the Association-wide Annual Campaign.
Develop annual campaign strategies, goals, budgets, timelines, work plans, and performance benchmarks in partnership with the Chief Mission Advancement Officer.
Manage the Annual Campaign as a year-round program of donor identification, cultivation, solicitation, stewardship, renewal, and upgrading.
Develop strategies to increase charitable revenue, donor acquisition and retention, leadership (ESLT) annual giving, average gift size, and staff, board, and volunteer engagement.
Coordinate multi-channel fundraising appeals and maintain an annual campaign calendar integrating communications, sponsorship solicitation, stewardship, and volunteer activities.
Monitor campaign performance and recommend strategic adjustments aligned with organizational priorities and community impact goals.
Manage a portfolio of Annual Campaign, leadership annual giving, and prospective donors through qualification, cultivation, solicitation, stewardship, renewal, and upgrading.
Maintain meaningful year-round donor relationships through personal visits, calls, written communications, YMCA experiences, and impact reporting.
Identify prospective major-gift donors and coordinate continued cultivation with the Chief Mission Advancement Officer.
Conduct individual and collaborative gift solicitations with organizational leadership, volunteers, and board members.
Maintain accurate donor records and activity within the YMCA's donor management system while ensuring confidentiality and professional stewardship.
Develop, cultivate, solicit, and steward corporate donors, sponsors, and business partners in support of Annual Campaign giving, event sponsorships, employee-giving initiatives, matching gifts, and other approved charitable investments.
Build and manage a pipeline of corporate prospects while preparing sponsorship proposals, presentations, benefit packages, renewal strategies, and impact reports.
Coordinate sponsorship fulfillment with marketing, branch leadership, program staff, and event owners to ensure outstanding donor experiences and fulfillment of sponsorship commitments.
Monitor corporate giving, sponsorship revenue, renewals, and relationship activity to support long-term partnership growth.
Develop and implement comprehensive donor stewardship and recognition strategies that strengthen donor engagement, retention, and long-term philanthropic support.
Ensure timely acknowledgment, impact reporting, recognition, and meaningful opportunities for donors to experience the YMCA's mission.
Develop renewal and upgrade strategies based on donor interests, giving history, and engagement.
Recruit, train, support, and recognize Annual Campaign volunteers while overseeing the Association's volunteer campaign structure in collaboration with branch leadership and advisory councils.
Equip board members, volunteers, and staff with the tools, training, and resources necessary to identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward donors.
Develop framework and lead training of all branch and department leaders in campaign planning/execution, storytelling, volunteer engagement, and building a culture of philanthropy.
Coordinate staff-giving initiatives and encourage broad organizational participation in fundraising efforts.
Maintain a visible and collaborative presence across YMCA branches and programs.
Partner with the marketing department to develop: Annual Campaign messaging, Cases for support, Donor appeals, Sponsorship packages, Proposals and presentations, Impact reports, Donor updates, Digital fundraising content, Event-related fundraising materials, Volunteer resources.
Ensure fundraising communications are donor-centered, accurate, compelling, mission-aligned, and consistent with YMCA brand standards.
Collaborate with program staff to identify stories, outcomes, and impact data that strengthen donor engagement and philanthropic support.
Lead fundraising and sponsorship strategy for designated YMCA signature fundraising events and mission-focused initiatives.
Develop sponsorship inventories, revenue goals, solicitation strategies, recognition plans, and stewardship activities.
Cultivate event sponsors while enhancing donor engagement and sponsor experiences associated with fundraising events.
Maintain accurate and complete donor, prospect, solicitation, pledge, sponsorship, and stewardship records in the YMCA’s donor management system.
Establish procedures for recording donor interactions, assignments, next steps, proposals, commitments, and stewardship activity.
Monitor donor data integrity and work with appropriate staff to correct incomplete or inaccurate records.
Develop dashboards and regular reports that measure: Annual Campaign progress, Revenue by source, Donor acquisition, Donor retention, Donor upgrades, Average gift, Solicitation results, Corporate sponsorship revenue, Volunteer and board participation, Stewardship.
Analyze fundraising trends and recommend strategic changes to the Chief Mission Advancement Officer.
Coordinate with the accounting team to reconcile fundraising records, pledges, payments, restrictions, and financial reports.
Represent the YMCA at community meetings, donor events, networking functions, and speaking engagements.
Build and strengthen relationships with businesses, civic organizations, community leaders, and prospective supporters whose interests align with the YMCA's mission.
Serve as an ambassador for the YMCA by promoting its mission, strategic priorities, case for support, and community impact while identifying new philanthropic opportunities.
Collaborate closely with the Chief Mission Advancement Officer to execute the Association's comprehensive advancement strategy.
Partner with marketing, accounting, executive directors, and program leaders to support fundraising initiatives, donor engagement, communications, sponsorship fulfillment, and organizational storytelling.
Participate in Mission Advancement planning, cross-functional initiatives, and other responsibilities that advance the YMCA's strategic priorities.