Donor Organizing Officer

Location: Remote with preferred base location in NY, DC, or CA. 

Who We Are: Led by young women of color movement organizers, the Youth Engagement Fund (YEF) is the only donor collaborative focused on deepening and expanding youth civic engagement led by and for young people of color. To this end, YEF aims to 1) increase funding support to strengthen and expand the ecosystem of youth of color led organizations advancing civic engagement efforts via state and national youth collaborations, focusing on organizations in the South and Southwest, 2) support state-based issue-based advocacy that fosters conditions for governing power led by and for young people of color, and their communities, and 3) direct its grants to organizations committed to amplifying the civic participation and voting agency of young people of color. 

YEF centers youth and young adults of color 35 years old and under, and their communities, creating intentional pathways to dismantling structural racism and white supremacy, and engaging a new wave of politicized young people of color that expands the electorate and transforms American democracy. YEF’s grantmaking principles lead through a philanthropic leadership model that: 1) demonstrates commitment to racial equity; 2) supports the advancement and power building of youth of color; 3) adds value to building local infrastructure in key geographic areas with the largest and growing numbers of communities of color including Arizona, Florida, Georgia, New Mexico, and Texas; and 4) inspires young people to become life-long civic participants and voters by expanding resources to the issues and efforts that are most important to them. 

Since 2007, YEF has been investing in building a culture of full civic participation among voting-age young people to ensure that their perspectives, issues, and solutions are part of democratic governance. Bringing together diverse donors both institutional and individual, working across issues, and in varied regions, YEF enables collaborative grantmaking towards the common goals of a more reflective and inclusive democracy. Between 2007 and 2021, YEF provided nearly $30 million to youth engagement organizations. By 2024, YEF aims to  grant $10 million annually to its movement partners. 

Position Summary:  The Donor Organizing Officer (DOO) serves under the supervision and guidance of the Director of People and Organizational Growth, focused on managing institutional and donor engagement. This position plays a critical role in the success of the Youth Engagement Fund’s fundraising program to enable greater growth and impact of YEF’s movement partners (grantees) and the youth civic engagement sector. The Donor Organizing Officer will be responsible for building and sustaining YEF’s institutional and individual funder relationships through prospecting, cultivating,  and organizing. The DOO will additionally work with the Executive Director to lead the development of the YEF’s annual and multi-year giving strategy.

Core Responsibilities 

• Fundraising and External Engagement 

Work with the Executive Director on fundraising strategy creation and execution. Execute donor and funder communications including fundraising campaign letters, new donor letters, major donor letters, and gift acknowledgements. Maintain consistent communication with donors to ensure timely acknowledgements and updates through email, newsletters, annual reports, and other materials as identified. Gather knowledge and identify tools to create, execute, and oversee a comprehensive donor stewardship plan, including advising other YEF staff on cultivation events and programs. Meet regularly with the Program Officer and Impact & Learning Analyst to help inform donor cultivation and prospecting strategies. Develop strong relationships with other colleagues in philanthropy and advance YEF’s vision across all sectors of philanthropy, maintain and grow existing relationships with donors, sponsors, and partners, while also working to expand our community engagement, and identify prospective philanthropic partners. Represent YEF at key meetings and events as identified. Support with expansion to medium and small donor engagement via online fundraising.

• Grant Management
• Lead communications on grant timelines, documents, or other grant processes
• Oversee development and submission of Letters of Intent (LOIs), proposals, and reports to current and prospective funding partners, including but not limited to foundations, individual donors, labor unions, and organizational partners.
• Work with Grantwriter  to guide the development of funder inquiries and proposals under the direction of the YEF Executive Director and Director of People and Organizational Growth, including issue-based stock proposals.
• Design, manage, and implement systems for submission of YEF proposals, grant reports, and  other grant related documentation as required by fiscal sponsor and YEF funding partners.
• Track funder deadlines, deliverables, and communications.

• Organizational Management

• Work with the Executive & Operations Manager to ensure key organizational and supplemental documents are maintained up to date. 
• Contribute and participate in strategic planning for the long term future of YEF with other YEF staff and consultants.
• Work with the Executive & Operations Manager in management of the donor database.

• Executive Director Support 

Serve as a strategic thought partner to the Executive Director on fundraising.  Regularly engage and support the Executive Director and YEF’s Guiding Circle (advisory donor committee) in ongoing development efforts (i.e. facilitate use of our fundraising toolkit); involve staff members on occasion. Co-create and co-facilitate agenda for YEF’s Guiding Circle meetings with Executive Director and Director of People and Organizational Growth.   Co-lead communications with philanthropic partners related to field analysis and updates, under the supervision of ED and in collaboration with Impact & Learning Analyst Manage donor cultivation and fundraising events , and giving programs. Serve as a strategic thought partner to the Executive Director on fundraising. 

Skills and Qualifications 

Commitment to the Youth Engagement Fund’s vision, including the practice of  strong  philanthropic advocacy and donor organizing to advance our mission.

Experience in social justice movements (youth and civic engagement preferred).

Knowledge of race, class, gender lens and experience using it in verbal and written communications.   

Strong written and oral communications skills, including a passion for storytelling.

Demonstrated knowledge of current and relevant fundraising approaches, field best practices and standard operating procedures for fund development and donor relations.

High comfort level in interactions with philanthropic leaders, donors, and organizational partners.

An entrepreneurial approach to fundraising, finding, and creating new opportunities.

4+ years of experience fundraising $5M+

Excellent team building and facilitation skills.

Self-motivated and a team player.

A core strength in advanced listening, translation, and problem-solving skills.

High degree of personal organization that allows success in an outcomes-oriented environment.

Strategic thinking capability combined with effective management and attention to details.

Ability to effectively and concisely communicate issues, program strategies, and results to a wide range of audiences in written and verbal communications.

Supervisory experience with junior staff and consultants.

Ability to travel, including overnight. Travel is contingent upon following COVID-19 health protocols and advisories.

Compensation This is a full-time exempt position. Salary range is $75,000 – $85,000 commensurate with experience. A competitive benefits package includes health, dental, vision, and life insurance, a 401(k) retirement plan, paid holidays, and generous vacation and sick time. Opportunities for additional training and advancement are available.

To Apply Please send a cover letter (max. 2 pages) and resume to admin@youthengagementfund.org with the subject line “DONOR ORGANIZING OFFICER 2022 - YOUR FULL NAME.” Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled. 

Equal Employment Opportunity: The Youth Engagement Fund is a fiscally sponsored project of NEO Philanthropy. NEO Philanthropy is an equal opportunity employer. We consider applicants for all positions without regard to race, color, religion, creed, gender, national origin, age, disability, marital or veteran status, sexual orientation, or any other legally protected status.