Director of Development, Positive Youth Development

Organizational Summary

Youth Empowerment Project (YEP) is a community-based, 501(c) 3 non-profit organization that engages young people through community-based education, mentoring, employment readiness, and enrichment programs to help them develop skills and strengthen ties to family and community. Our core purpose is to empower young people to improve their lives and the lives of others.

The YEP Enriches / YEP Mentors Education Coordinator must share YEP’s Core Values of:

RESPECT YEP believes all people have value and should be treated with dignity. 

INTEGRITY YEP is honest and sincere. 

PROGRESS YEP believes in ongoing learning and innovation. 

KINDNESS YEP is caring and generous. 

ACCOUNTABILITY YEP is responsible to its participants, families, community, donors and other stakeholders.

Position Description

The Director of Development (DOD) is responsible for all aspects of fund development at YEP. With support from the leadership team and the Board of Directors, the DOD creates and executes an annual fundraising plan, including grants management, individual donor cultivation and stewardship, and corporate sponsorship. The DOD is both an excellent administrator and fundraiser who is able to shift between managing multiple high-level fundraising strategies, meeting with prospective donors, and writing annual appeal letters. The Director of Development reports to the Chief of Staff and supervises the Development Manager, who is responsible for writing grant proposals and reports. The DOD is also supported by YEP’s Communications Manager and YEP’s Director of Special Projects, who manages our donor database and donation acknowledgement process.

Responsibilities

• Develop an annual fundraising plan in line with YEP’s annual operating budget
• Provide staff leadership to the Board’s Development Committee and regularly report on fundraising activities to the full Board of Directors
• Engage board members in appropriate fundraising activities by providing the guidance and resources necessary for effective board member participation
• Supervise the grants management function by reviewing and editing grant applications and reports, ensuring deadlines are met, building and maintaining relationships with foundation contacts, and identifying new foundation prospects
• Lead each stage of a robust donor cultivation and stewardship process, including creating meaningful opportunities for donor engagement, making effective and targeted solicitations, providing timely and personalized acknowledgement, and routinely increasing contributions from existing donors
• Plan and execute multiple fundraising campaigns, including an annual campaign and a GiveNOLA Day campaign
• Develop a strategy for corporate sponsorship and engagement
• Establish a planned giving program
• Ensure donor information is properly maintained and utilized within YEP’s donor database
• Work in partnership with YEP’s Communication Manager to produce donor-centric communications across multiple channels throughout the year
• Support the CEO with relevant information and strategy for donor and foundation meetings

Key Outcomes

• Ensure YEP is on track to meet our annual fundraising goals
• Grow YEP’s donor base each year by securing new donors and increasing donor retention
• Secure multi-year foundation grants and expand YEP’s ongoing foundation partnerships
• Recruit new corporate partners by developing an annual corporate sponsorship program

Training

YEP staff members will receive comprehensive on the job training. Additional training occurs throughout the first six weeks as well as ongoing professional development opportunities.

Qualifications

• A depth of experience working within the New Orleans philanthropic community, including existing relationships with and knowledge of local family and corporate foundations and major individual donors
• Proven experience developing and managing annual fundraising plans with multiple revenue streams
• Record of successful major donor solicitation and stewardship
• Desire to directly cultivate, steward, and solicit donors
• Clear and persuasive writer who understands grants management and can provide effective supervision and coaching to YEP’s grant writer
• Experience working with board members to support an organization’s fundraising goals
• Commitment to YEP’s organizational values and mission

Salary and Compensation

$70,000 to $85,000 annual salary depending upon experience plus an excellent benefits package. YEP provides an option to all employees for 100% coverage of health insurance premiums. This position is full time. 

OUR COMMITMENT TO EQUITY AND INCLUSION

Youth Empowerment Project is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion in our work and on our teams. We know that the rich diversity of perspectives and wisdom that is imperative to our purpose can only come from a wide variety of origins and life experiences. We strongly believe that creating a workplace where all team members thrive is critical to fulfilling our mission in the communities we serve and we intentionally recruit, develop, and retain the most talented people from a diverse candidate pool.

Qualified candidates are urged to apply and will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, ethnicity, sex, age, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, status as a veteran, and basis of disability or any other federal, state, or local protected class.