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 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, and still relevant today, Youth Guidance is a leading provider of outcomes-driven programs serving more than 11,000 youth and touching the lives of more than 14,000 youth, parents, teachers, and community members.

The Development Director achieves annual fundraising goals for Youth Guidance programming in Kansas City. Manages the identification, cultivation, solicitation and stewardship of individual, corporate and foundation donors, as well as public grants or contracts. Engages with the local Advisory Council, in partnership with the ED, to follow up on introductions to prospective donors. Plans and executes small donor cultivation events and site visits to cultivate potential major donors. Responsible for the timely submission of grant proposals and reports, working in collaboration with program, evaluation & quality improvement and finance departments.

Our Development Director:

• Develops and implements plans aimed at establishing an individual donor base in local city, with a focus on public and private grants, as well as individual major gifts.
• Proactive relationship-builder, working collaboratively with the local Advisory Council to cultivate additional local relationships.
• Highly responsive & proactive in engagement of key public & private sector stakeholders. 
• Serves as key point of contact with current & prospective donors through letters, personal visits, phone calls, and personalized acknowledgements to achieve continued donor engagement.
• Forecasts annual, quarterly and monthly revenue, as well as donor renewal and acquisition. Utilizing Raisers’ Edge for constituent relationship management. 
• Completes ongoing prospect research (online, databases, clearinghouses, professional literature, and donor prospecting directories) of current and prospective corporate, foundation and individual donors to identify viable local funding opportunities.
• Completes all stages of funding proposal development including outreach to grant-makers, and development of compelling, timely and error-free letters of inquiry, online applications, formal proposals and grant reports.
• Works collaboratively with agency program, evaluation and finance staff in the development of proposals, reports and grant budgets.
• Ensures site has high-quality, brand consistent digital and print collateral materials and positive public relations, with support from the Director of Marketing & Communications
• Ensures the fulfillment of funding partner recognition and benefits (e.g. article in newsletter, acknowledgement in annual report)

Our Development Director has been equipped for this impactful work with at least:

Education/Experience/Training

• Bachelor’s degree required, Master’s degree preferred.
• Three (3) years of experience and demonstrated track record in fundraising, with experience in the human services or K-12 education sectors preferred
• Strong computer skills (Microsoft Office), Raisers’ Edge experience preferred

Skills/Abilities

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to present a positive image and communicate effectively via telephone and in person
• Highly organized, strategic thinker, with proven ability to handle multiple tasks, handle pressure and meet deadlines
• The ability to work well both independently, and within a team
• Commitment to cultural sensitivity and respect for differences
• Commitment to the continuous improvement of service quality and the organization’s mission

Our Development Director exemplifies:

Mission driven: Demonstrates commitment to the mission of the organization as a whole and alignment with organizational values

Communication: Uses effective written and oral communication with internal staff, teams, and community served; demonstrates empathy and listening

Client orientation: Recognizes needs of diverse stakeholders and approaches relationships with a service orientation, to ultimately maximize impact

Equity mindset: Understands and is committed to goals of equity; consistently brings an equity mindset to the organization’s work and workplace

Ownership and quality of work: Effectively manages own work, and work of teams when relevant, ensuring delivery of high-quality work

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 required to sit and stand for sustained periods of time, frequently talk, hear, use hands and fingers to feel, handle and operate objects or controls, and occasionally stand, bend, stoop, kneel and crouch.
• The employee is required to have close visual acuity to perform an activity such as: preparing and analyzing data and figures, transcribing, and viewing a computer terminal.
• The employee may occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.

Work Environment

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

*The duties performed are primarily in an office setting, vaccination is required. 

Youth Guidance is an equal opportunity employer and proudly values diversity. Youth Guidance does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, veteran status, marital status, sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law and is committed to creating a dynamic work environment that values diversity along all of these lines. People of all backgrounds are encouraged to apply.

 EOE/M/F/D/V/SO