Director of Development

At Youth Guidance, we believe that no matter what challenges a young person faces, they are more likely to succeed when they have caring adults in their lives. Our highly-trained staff guides kids to overcome the life and academic challenges facing the youth. We meet kids where they are — physically and emotionally — to help them focus on their education, make positive choices, and remain on the right path toward life success.

Founded in 1924 today Youth Guidance is a leading provider of outcomes-driven programs serving more than 8,500 youth while touching the lives of more than 14,000 youth, parents, teachers, and community members.

The Director of Development will serve as a compelling ambassador for Youth Guidance Kansas City. In close partnership with the Executive Director, the Director will lead a comprehensive fundraising strategy to sustain and scale the organization’s programs. This role will leverage Youth Guidance’s national reputation and local impact to build donor relationships and expand government contracts and philanthropic support from individuals, corporations, and foundations.

The Director will also work collaboratively with the Executive Director to strengthen the local Advisory Council’s engagement, generating increased resources, visibility, and partnerships that advance the organization’s work in Kansas City. The position is hybrid; working in the office and in the community. The position reports to the Director of New Site Development, with a dotted-line relationship to the Executive Director of Kansas City.

• Develop, oversee and direct the implementation of the Youth Guidance Kansas City annual development plan and annual fundraising goals and targets that achieve funding sustainability and growth;
  Monitor fundraising results and report progress to the Director of New Site Development and Executive Director on a monthly basis.
• Partners with the Executive Director to engage with key champions, including Youth Guidance Kansas City Advisory Council members, to leverage networks for connections that grow resources, visibility, and strategic partnerships.
• Manages the Kansas City Advisory Council by supporting the Executive Director and Advisory Council Chair in organizing quarterly meetings, developing meeting agendas, organizing member engagement opportunities and optimizing member fundraising activities.
• Manage a portfolio of foundation, corporate and individual prospects and donors, strategically moving each relationship to and through solicitation;
  Maintain and strengthen relationships with current and past donors.
• Oversee government relations efforts to mobilize public sector leaders as champions of Youth Guidance Kansas City and unlock public resources to support services.
• Oversee and manage the Kansas City grants calendar by enhancing processes and procedures to ensure a collaborative and timely approach for proposal and budget creation, prospecting, grant submission, ongoing engagement, and reporting.
• Completes ongoing prospect research to identify viable local funding opportunities.
• Lead Kansas City donor engagement and cultivation activities and support the Executive Director in strategic engagement with funders.
• Maintain current knowledge of the local operating and philanthropic context, including education and political landscapes, as well as trends in the field of youth development.
• Develop effective partnerships with the Senior Leadership Team and staff across programmatic and administrative departments to design and fulfill annual fundraising strategy and goals.
• Partner with the Marketing & Communications team on strategy and execution of an annual communications plan that tells our organizational story and elevates the impact of the organization’s Kansas City programming in a compelling way.
• Maximize use of Salesforce (Client Relationship Management) database with a focus on moves management and annual giving processes.
• Participate in team meetings, agency training, and staff development.
• Other duties as assigned.

• Minimum of 3 years of professional fundraising experience with a superior record of…