Mission Advancement Director

POSITION SUMMARY: 

These general functions will be carried out in keeping with the Goals, Mission, and Policies of the YMCA of the East Bay. Under the direction of the Chief Development & Marketing Officer, the Mission Advancement Director leads and executes a comprehensive fundraising and institutional giving program that advances the YMCA's mission to support Early Childhood Impact, Youth Development, and Healthy Communities.

This position oversees the annual giving campaign, foundation and corporate grant programs, external outreach and volunteer engagement, and donor stewardship. The Mission Advancement Director is an externally facing role, actively building and maintaining relationships with foundation program officers, corporate giving representatives, and community partners to grow the YMCA’s institutional funding base. This role leads all outreach to prospective and current funders, ensuring strategic alignment with organizational goals across capital projects, operational support, and programmatic funding.

The ideal candidate is a dynamic fundraising professional with a proven track record in annual fund management, grant writing, and donor relations. They will bring strong writing, research, and organizational skills, along with the ability to lead cross-functional initiatives within the Development & Marketing team.

Annual Giving Campaign

1. Lead the planning, execution, and evaluation of the annual giving campaign from strategy through close 
2. Develop and manage a multi-channel campaign approach, including direct mail, digital appeals, and personal solicitation 
3. Set annual campaign goals in partnership with the Chief Development & Marketing Officer and track progress against benchmarks
4. Cultivate and steward annual fund donors, upgrading and retaining existing supporters while acquiring new donors 
5. Collaborate with the marketing team to develop compelling campaign materials, messaging, and donor communications 
6. Coordinate volunteer and board engagement strategies to support campaign outreach and peer-to-peer fundraising 
7. Analyze annual fund performance and produce detailed campaign reports, including donor retention, average gift, and revenue trends 
8. Develop and lead the digital fundraising strategy, including peer-to-peer fundraising platforms, text-to-give programs, crowdfunding campaigns, and online giving page optimization, with a focus on growing digital revenue and engaging younger donors

External Outreach & Relationship Development

1. Serve as the YMCA’s external point of contact for federal, state, and county, including CDBG as well as foundation and corporate institutional partners, representing the organization with professionalism, credibility, and a deep knowledge of program impact 
2. Serve as the YMCA's representative to city, county, and state agencies, advocating for funding and community programs at the highest levels 
3. Cultivate and steward relationships with elected officials and senior agency staff as a trusted organizational liaison 
4. Serve as an ambassador at high-profile events and stakeholder gatherings, elevating the organization's visibility and reputation 
5. Attend and actively participate in funder convenings, philanthropic network events, community forums, and corporate giving conferences to represent the YMCA, surface new funding opportunities, and stay current on regional funding trends

Reporting

1. Provide regular reports to the Chief Development & Marketing Officer on the annual campaign, grant pipeline, and overall advancement progress 
2. Produce impact reports and stewardship materials that demonstrate outcomes and deepen donor engagement 
3. Contribute to board-level development reports and organizational fundraising dashboards 
4. Partner with the Development team to write donor communications, including acknowledgment letters, e-newsletters, donor updates, and website copy

Donor Stewardship & Relationship Management

1. Cultivate and maintain relationships with new and existing individual, foundation, and corporate donors
2. Manage a portfolio of individuals with high gift capacity, providing personalized engagement, cultivation, and solicitation strategies to maximize major gift revenue
3. Ensure donors are regularly engaged, informed, and recognized for the impact of their support
4. Develop and implement a stewardship plan that supports donor retention and upgrade across all giving levels 
5. Design and oversee a structured new donor onboarding journey — an intentional series of touchpoints in the first 90 days of a donor relationship, including a personal welcome call, impact update, and invitation to engage further — to maximize first-year retention and lay the foundation for long-term giving 
6. Represent the YMCA a funder convenings and cultivation gatherings
7. Implement and maintain the organization’s moves management system, documenting all donor cultivation steps, contact reports, and relationship activities in Blackbaud to ensure consistent tracking across the full donor portfolio 
8. Participate in regular portfolio review meetings with the CDMO to assess donor movement, report on cultivation progress, and align solicitation strategies across both portfolios

Donor Recognition Program

1. Partner with the Chief Development & Marketing Officer to design and manage a tiered donor recognition program that recognizes gifts at every level, including named giving opportunities, donor societies, recognition walls, and milestone gift celebrations 
2. Partner with the Donor Engagement & Operations Manager to ensure all donor recognition touchpoints are executed accurately and on time, including acknowledgment letters, public listings, and recognition events 
3. Develop and maintain a donor recognition calendar that ensures consistent, meaningful touchpoints throughout the year that deepen loyalty and inspire continued and increased giving 
4. Partner with program staff to gather outcomes data and success stories that support grant reporting and future proposals

Mid-Level Giving Program

1. Develop and manage a mid-level giving program targeting donors in the $1,000–$9,999 range, providing more personalized engagement than the annual fund while building a pipeline of future major gift prospects 
2. Identify and implement personalized upgrade strategies for high-potential annual fund donors, moving them intentionally through the giving pyramid toward mid-level and major gift commitments 
3. Design distinct mid-level giving benefits, communications cadence, and engagement touchpoints that reflect the enhanced relationship these donors have with the YMCA while differentiating from both the annual fund and major gifts programs

Volunteer Engagement as a Donor Pipeline

1. Develop and implement a strategic volunteer engagement program that intentionally identifies, cultivates, and converts high-engagement volunteers into donors, leveraging the YMCA’s deep volunteer community as a key pipeline for annual, mid-level, and major gift prospects
2. Partner with program and branch staff to identify volunteers with philanthropic capacity and design personalized engagement strategies that deepen their connection to the YMCA’s mission before making a cultivation ask
3. Ensure volunteer interactions and giving history are tracked together in the CRM, enabling a complete view of each supporter’s relationship with the YMCA and informing upgrade and solicitation decisions
4. Collaborate with the Donor Engagement & Operations Manager to develop volunteer recognition and stewardship touchpoints that celebrate service, communicate impact, and create natural pathways toward philanthropic investment

Corporate Sponsorship Program

1. Develop and manage a formal corporate sponsorship program with structured benefit packages, defined sponsorship tiers, and clear activation rights for events, facilities, and programs, creating a scalable and renewable revenue stream distinct from grants
2. Identify, cultivate, and solicit corporate sponsors through direct outreach, relationship management, and compelling sponsorship proposals that clearly articulate the business and community value of partnering with the YMCA
3. Manage sponsor fulfillment, recognition, and renewal timelines, ensuring all sponsor commitments are honored and that sponsors receive regular updates on the impact of their investment to drive year-over-year renewal

Branch & Staff Fundraising Culture and Development 

1. Develop and deliver training for branch and program staff to build comfort and confidence in discussing the YMCA’s funding needs, sharing impact stories, and making warm referrals to the development team — multiplying the organization’s fundraising reach across all locations 
2. Partner with Executive Directors and branch leaders to embed a culture of philanthropy at each location, ensuring staff understand how charitable gifts support programs and operations and are equipped to articulate that value to members, families, and community partners 
3. Create and maintain branch-level fundraising resources including talking points, impact fact sheets, and campaign toolkits that make it easy for non-development staff to champion the YMCA’s mission and support fundraising goals 
4. Recruit, hire, train, develop, and motivate volunteers as needed.
5. Perform special projects and other duties as assigned

WORK ENVIRONMENT & PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to use a computer for extended periods of time and be able to communicate using a computer and phone/smart device. The employee frequently is required to sit and reach and must be able to move around the work environment
• The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 10 pounds
• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, and the ability to adjust
• The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate
• Travel may be required
• Work in a collaborative office setting with flexibility for hybrid work arrangements

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree or CFRE preferred
• Minimum 3–5 years of progressive experience in nonprofit fundraising, including annual fund management and institutional giving
• Demonstrated success in grant writing, with a track record of securing foundation and corporate grants
• Experience managing an annual giving campaign across multiple channels
• Proficiency with donor database systems; Blackbaud experience strongly preferred
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with ability to craft compelling donor-facing content
• Excellent organizational, project management, and multitasking abilities
• Ability to relate effectively to diverse groups of people across all social and economic segments of the community