Association Director of Advancement and Impact - #1412237

Be a part of a growing community. Lead fundraising & community impact as Association Director of Advancement at the YMCA in Bellingham, WA.

Job Description

The Director of Advancement and Impact is a key member of the YMCA’s Association Leadership Team, responsible for driving the organization’s philanthropic growth, brand presence, and community engagement. This dynamic leader oversees all aspects of fundraising (annual, capital, planned giving and major gifts), marketing, storytelling, and grants, ensuring that the YMCA’s mission and impact are powerfully communicated and sustainably funded. As a senior ambassador of the YMCA’s mission, the Director of Advancement and Impact plays a pivotal role in strengthening community partnerships, inspiring philanthropy, and positioning the Y as a vital force for equity, youth development, healthy living, and social responsibility.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required with a preference in financial development, marketing, communications, public relations, nonprofit management, or a related field.
• Minimum 5 years of demonstrated experience successfully raising funds in a nonprofit or community fundraising capacity is required.
• Proven record of successfully leading volunteers with fundraising leadership preferred.
• Experience in researching, writing, editing grants, with grant management or equivalent experience. Successful track record in applying proven practices related to developing successful grant proposals, working with institutional donors, and the management of all related grant compliance and reporting practices.
• Ability to relate effectively to diverse groups of people from all social and economic segments of the community.
• Excellent relationship building skills. Direct experience working effectively and collaboratively with diverse internal and external stakeholders to foster positive outcomes.
• Excellent verbal and written communications skills, particularly the ability to read, analyze, write, edit reports according to prescribed style/format and correspond with external businesses and community members.
• Proven ability to take initiative and leadership roles, good judgment and ability to make decisions independently.
• Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of managers, peers, volunteers, customers and the general public.
• Ability to take initiative and leadership roles, and make decisions independently. Experience in donor database software, CRM, and the Microsoft Office suite.
  
  

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.

Essential Functions

LEADERSHIP EXPECTATIONS:

• Supports the creation of a healthy culture within the Association consistent with the culture of Living our Cause, fosters an atmosphere of teamwork making the Y a desirable place to work. Promotes a professional working environment.
• Demonstrates commitment to the total organization by understanding the mission, strategic goals, organizational structure and character development values.
• Incorporates changes into the programs in such a way to maximize positive outcomes; takes constructive and timely action to correct problems while consistently meeting quality standards and deadlines.
• Resolves conflict by constructive problem solving; maintains productive working relationships while mediating or resolving differences; proposes win-win solutions. Demonstrates objectivity in emotional situations; exercises impartiality in problem solving and maintains patience, confidence and composure under pressure or adverse circumstances.
• Projects integrity and personal values, building trust and evoking the highest standards of professional ethics.
• Understands and communicates to all staff the importance of a culture of service and being member-centric.
• Uses team based management to enhance effectiveness. Exercise independent thinking and takes full responsibility for results.
• Follows through on commitments and tasks until completion without prompting or direction.
  
  

Essential Functions

• Develops and executes comprehensive fundraising strategies for annual, capital, planned giving, and major gift campaigns to support the YMCA’s mission and strategic goals. Leads the planning and execution of special fundraising events, donor campaigns, and giving initiatives.
• Recruits, onboards, and develops active and passionate volunteers from diverse backgrounds and develops an effective, comprehensive annual campaign program. Trains volunteers in gift solicitation.
• Helps identify grant funding opportunities and ensures high-quality grant proposals are developed that align with the YMCA’s programmatic goals and priorities. Cultivate relationships with foundations, government agencies, and institutional funders.
• Cultivates, solicits, and stewards a personal portfolio of major donors, corporate partners, foundations, and community stakeholders.
• Works collaboratively with the CEO and Board of Directors to identify and engage potential donors and philanthropic partners.
• Develops and implements strategies for meaningful donor engagement and recognition at all giving levels. Maintain accurate donor records and ensure the timely acknowledgment of contributions. Leverage donor data and analytics to drive fundraising strategies and measure impact.
• Crafts and oversees compelling narratives that communicate the YMCA’s mission, impact, and strategic vision to a wide range of audiences. Guide the creation and dissemination of impact reports, donor communications, campaign collateral, and digital content that inspire engagement and giving.
• Serves as a key member of the YMCA’s Association Leadership Team, contributing to overall strategic planning, culture, and mission advancement. Partners with program, finance, and membership departments to ensure alignment between fundraising and operational goals.
• Leads the development and implementation of integrated marketing and communication plans to enhance the YMCA’s visibility, reputation, and engagement across the community. Ensure brand consistency and alignment across all storytelling and communication platforms.
• Recruits, hires, trains, develops, evaluates, and supervises staff within assigned departments to provide guidance, oversite, and constructive feedback. Develop and implement strategies to motivate staff and volunteers to achieve department goals. Provide training and equip staff with tools to better communicate our cause.
• Cultivates productive working relationships with other organizations, businesses, and governmental entities for the branch and Association resulting in strong community engagement.
• Models relationship-building skills in all interactions; develop and maintain collaborative relationships with staff, participants, members, and community organizations to maximize program impact and drive overall outcomes; maintain regular, clear, and concise communication within the area of responsibility.
• Monitors monthly financial reports to ensure that revenue targets are met and expenses are controlled within assigned departments. Create and manage annual budgets, adhering to targets and reporting deadlines.
• Represent the YMCA in community partnerships, civic groups, and public forums to build relationships and advocate for the organization’s mission.
• Follows organization’s policies and procedures regarding protecting youth from abuse; including screening and selection, training and supervision, and responding to allegations. Communicate to all staff and volunteers the organization’s commitment to protect youth from abuse. Follows mandated reporting requirements.
  
  

Cause-Driven Leadership Competencies

Our Commitment To Equity

Everything we do at the YMCA is based on the ideal that everyone should have the opportunity to reach their full potential, regardless of their race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation or identity, diverse abilities, age, religion, socioeconomic status or any other statuses or identities. Our work is focused on eliminating barriers to access, eliminating disparities in health, providing educational support, supporting working families, and growing our next generation of changemakers for our country.

YMCA COMPETENCIES (Muli-Team Or Branch Leader)

Advancing Our Mission & Cause: Engaging Community, Volunteerism, Philanthropy, Change Leadership

Building Relationships: Collaboration, Communication & Influence, Inclusion

Leading Operations: Critical Thinking & Decision Making, Fiscal Management, Functional Expertise, Innovation, Program/Project Management

Developing & Inspiring People: Developing Self & Others, Emotional Maturity