Vice President - Community Impact

Kansas City Royals•Kansas City, MO

About The Position

The Vice President of Community Impact will lead the development and execution of a comprehensive strategy for community engagement, charitable giving, and fundraising for the Kansas City Royals. This role oversees the Kansas City Royals Foundation, including operational responsibility for the Kansas City Urban Youth Academy, and provides leadership for Royals Alumni initiatives and the Kansas City Royals Hall of Fame. As a key member of the organization’s leadership team, the Vice President will shape and advance the club’s community engagement strategy, brand positioning, and philanthropic impact. This individual will be responsible for building innovative programs and partnerships that align with the organization’s mission and deepen its connection with the community. Reporting to the Chief Human Resources Officer, this role works closely with the Team President and cross-functional leadership to ensure all community outreach, programs, events, youth camps and clinics, and corporate partnership initiatives reflect the values and vision of the Kansas City Royals, both internally and externally. The ideal candidate is a strategic, hands-on leader and community builder with a passion for driving meaningful impact and creating lasting change.

Requirements

A bachelor’s degree in related field, master’s degree preferred.
10-15 years of previous experience within a similar role(s) including community, social or non-profit experience.
Demonstrated experience managing or working within a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, including familiarity with nonprofit governance, regulatory compliance, and best practices in charitable operations.
Strong expertise in managing relationships, networks and teams that include a diverse group of people representative of the public and private sectors, community-based organizations, nonprofit and civic leadership as well as program beneficiaries.
Proven effectiveness in driving complex multi-stakeholder planning processes and cross-team projects to desired results.
Excellent communicator– both written and verbal with the ability to distill complex information into simple messages and concise communication materials, tailored for the audience.
Hands-on approach as well as strong prioritization skills, ensuring that the team is working on the right things at the right time. They will be able to effectively balance a wide range of challenges, from short-term impact to long-term growth expectations.
Ability to maintain high levels of confidentiality for initiatives throughout community and organization.

Nice To Haves

master’s degree preferred.

Responsibilities

Orchestrates Long-Range Strategic Vision: Partners directly with ownership and senior leadership to architect multi-year strategic plans, encompassing civic affairs and annual operating budgets that align with the Club’s overarching mission and values.
Landscape Expertise & Opportunity Identification: Maintains a sophisticated understanding of the evolving social impact landscape; proactively identifies emerging trends and strategic opportunities to maximize organizational influence and community ROI.
End-to-End Programmatic Execution: Spearheads the implementation of all social impact initiatives, ensuring operational excellence from concept through execution.
Impact Assessment & Data-Driven Review: Conducts rigorous periodic program evaluations to measure qualitative and quantitative outcomes, ensuring initiatives remain effective, scalable, and mission-aligned.
Fiscal Stewardship: Directs the social impact, programming, and Foundation budgets; rigorously monitors expenditures to ensure high-impact results in line with planned financial objectives.
Stakeholder & Partnership Cultivation: Leads the strategy for developing high-value social impact initiatives while fostering deep, sustainable relationships with key community partners and civic stakeholders.
Organizational Ambassadorship: Serves as a primary community ambassador for the Kansas City Royals, representing the organization’s interests and commitment at high-stakes public and civic engagements.
Cross-Functional Integration: Facilitates the seamless integration of ownership, senior leadership, baseball operations, and players into the Club’s community impact strategy, ensuring a unified organizational voice.
Internal Advocacy & Buy-In: Drives engagement across all levels of the organization—from associates to professional athletes—to foster a culture of service and shared social responsibility.
Strategic Communication Collaboration: Partners with Marketing, Communications, and Digital teams to craft and distribute compelling, multi-channel storytelling that reinforces the Club’s values and elevates its social impact narrative.
Brand Value Reinforcement: Ensures all community-facing content is strategically aligned with the organization’s mission, strengthening the bond between the Club and its fan base.
Foundation Revenue Strategy: Develops and executes a comprehensive fundraising strategy for the Kansas City Royals Foundation, including corporate partnerships, major gifts, grants, and donor campaigns to support community initiatives and youth programming.
Corporate Partner Program Development: Designs and manages corporate partner giving programs that align philanthropic impact with brand visibility and engagement opportunities for corporate sponsors.
Major Events & Campaign Leadership: Oversees the planning and execution of large-scale fundraising events, campaigns, and signature initiatives that generate revenue and elevate the Foundation’s visibility within the community.
Donor Stewardship & Growth: Cultivates and maintains relationships with donors, corporate partners, and philanthropic stakeholders to ensure long-term engagement, retention, and growth of the Foundation’s donor base.