Senior Director of Development: YouthBuild Philadelphia

YouthBuild Philadelphia Charter School is a tuition-free, public charter high school, with a singular focus on supporting youth aged 17-20 who have been pushed out of traditional schools. During our 1-year alternative program, Youthbuild facilitates a warm, loving culture that uses a variety of structures to build community, such as a restorative-justice approach to discipline, weekly community meetings, and school-wide service projects. Students are empowered to attain their high school diploma and vocational certifications, while receiving unconditional support by the staff around them. At YouthBuild, we work intentionally to disrupt the cycle of poverty and support our students to achieve post-secondary success (4-year college, 2-year college, vocational training program, or liveable wage job). Visit to learn more.

The Opportunity:

The Senior Director of Development will be a frontline fundraiser within the development and communication team. The position reports to the Chief Development Officer and collaborates with the CDO to set strategic fundraising priorities and independently execute day-to-day fundraising operations to increase fundraising from $5 million to $7 million by FY27. Building on the successful completion of a capital campaign, and over 100 new donors to steward, the Senior Director of Development will focus on major gift fundraising by setting and implementing strategy for institutional and individual giving. The Senior Director will manage fundraising events, oversee a complex grant calendar, and manage portfolios of individual donors. The successful candidate will bring 5+ years of development experience, deep knowledge of tactics and techniques for raising money, and be ready to hit the ground running, setting up systems to prospect, cultivate, ask, and steward. We are looking for highly creative, data-driven, and analytical candidates willing to take calculated risks and with deep respect for community-centered fundraising approaches. The candidate will be accountable to Key Performance Indicators, including dollars raised, set each year with the CDO. The successful candidate will be very hands-on, understand the art and science of fundraising, and bring deep knowledge of CRM systems, annual giving campaigns, major gift campaigns, and working knowledge of planned giving tools.

Who You Are:

You are/have…

• 5+ years of previous fundraising experience or relevant professional experience and a track record of successfully cultivating and stewarding relationships with individuals.
• Keen insight and strategic mindset for designing and executing a fundraising plan and outreach campaigns to prospective donors and partners.
• Superb organizational, project management, self-management, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to proceed in the absence of clear and immediate answers to problems.
• Equity-focused and believe that all students can achieve.
• Excited to mentor students and support them throughout their time at YouthBuild and beyond.
• Collaborative and dedicated to personal and professional development.
• Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited college or university.
• Proven ability to work independently on complex tasks and meet deadlines.
• Excellent written, oral, and interpersonal communication skills and the ability to develop and maintain strong relationships with a wide range of individuals.

What You’ll Do:

You will…

Individual Giving:

• Develop and implement a comprehensive individual giving strategy, including managing major gifts portfolios, to achieve fundraising goals.
• Design and manage major fundraising campaigns, including annual giving and planned giving programs. Work closely with the communications team to craft compelling donor appeals and materials and segmentation strategies.
• Build and maintain relationships with individual mid-level donors, ensuring personalized engagement and cultivation to enhance YouthBuild’s fundraising pipeline.
• Take full ownership of planning and executing fundraising events, setting measurable goals for growth in contributed income and donor engagement.
• Manage the donor experience, including donor recognition in the annual report, in order to move individuals through the fundraising cycle.

Institutional Giving:

• Develop and implement a comprehensive institutional giving strategy to secure funding from foundations, corporations, and government agencies.
• Set annual goals and objectives for institutional giving in alignment with organizational priorities and financial needs.
• Manage an existing pipeline of foundations, corporations, and government agencies, including relationship building, grant writing, stewardship activities, and site visits. Engage students and program staff as active voices in the grant-seeking process.
• Oversee the grants program, including tracking deadlines, writing proposals, ensuring compliance with funding requirements, managing outside grant writers and maintaining accurate records.
• Build and maintain relationships with institutional donors, including foundations, corporations, and government agencies. Enhance the pipeline of institutional support through research, benchmarking, and attending relevant conferences and conventions, including key YouthBuild Global events.
• Submit timely impact reports, maintain relationships with program officers.
• Advocate for the organization’s mission and programs within the funding community.
• Stay informed of relevant public policy changes and funding opportunities in the nonprofit sector.

Communication and Leadership:

• Work collaboratively and foster open transparent and effective communication channels with the school’s leadership, compliance and finance teams to ensure that grant outcomes are delivered and reported and that “blue sky” ideas match grant makers and individual donors to those new school initiatives.
• Make data-informed decisions and support the leadership of the development team in executing comprehensive fundraising strategies in order to achieve fundraising goals aligned with organizational goals.
• Prepare reports on fundraising progress for CEO and CDO to report out to the leadership team and board of directors.
• Develop and articulate clear, compelling messaging for fundraising campaigns, the case for support, to inspire donors and stakeholders.
• Work in a supervisory capacity to develop the skills of the Team Coordinator to achieve objectives.
• Other duties as assigned, within the parameters of supporting department and schoolwide goals and initiatives.

What We Offer You:

• Generous time off
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Flexible spending accounts
• 401(k) savings plan with an employer match
• Employer-paid life insurance, short-term disability, and long-term disability
• Educational assistance and professional development opportunities to enhance skills and career growth
• Supportive and collaborative work environment
• Strong community support and involvement

Salary Range:

New YouthBuild staff can expect a starting salary of between $95,000-$110,000 based on years of experience, education, and certifications, if applicable.

Applicants will have the opportunity to discuss our employee total rewards package and additional benefits during the application process.

Senior Director of Development Key Dates:

1/3/2025- Priority consideration application deadline

2/3/2025 – Desired employee start date

This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by this employee.

All qualified candidates will receive consideration for employment without regard to their race, religion, ancestry, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, marital status, medical condition, veteran status, or any other basis as protected by federal, state, or local law.