Development Director, Individual Giving and Major Gifts

National Center for Youth Law   

The National Center for Youth Law (NCYL) amplifies youth power, dismantles racism and other structural inequities, and builds just policies, practices, and culture in support of young people. Our efforts advance justice through research, community collaboration, impact litigation, and policy advocacy that fundamentally transforms our nation’s approach to education, health, immigration, foster care, and youth justice. Our vision is a world in which every young person thrives and has a full and fair opportunity to achieve the future they envision for themselves.   

Development Team  

The Development Team’s mission is to ensure that NCYL has the financial resources needed to pursue its mission and vision, and to uphold NCYL’s inclusive, youth-centered, strengths-based, and equity-focused values in all fundraising efforts and activities. NCYL’s Development Team is raising $20M+ annually from foundations, government agencies, corporations, law firms, and individuals. We inspire NCYL supporters and educate them about NCYL’s values, impact, and work and build community and nurture strong relationships among NCYL board members, staff, alumni, and supporters through fundraising efforts.   

Position 

This is an excellent opportunity for someone to leverage their fundraising experience and abilities to improve the lives of children, including immigrants, LGBTQIA youth, those in the child welfare or justice systems, children and their families who are experiencing homelessness, and much more. This position will report to the Senior Philanthropy Director. 

Essential Functions 

• Oversee NCYL’s fundraising efforts, including individual donors, major donors, law firm giving and more. 
• Ensure that individual donors are inspired by NCYL’s mission and vision and are actively engaged in funding the advancement of our goals. 
• Build strong relationships with donors and major donors and support the Executive Director, staff, and board in doing the same. Serve as the primary contact for donors. 
• ​​​Oversee all aspects of individual giving, including annual fundraising campaigns, research, identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of prospective and current donors. 
• Work with the Senior Director of Philanthropy to develop and carry out a comprehensive and actionable Major Gifts plan. 
• ​​​Manage a portfolio of individual major donors, moving these donors to give increasingly larger, multi-year gift commitments. 
• Leverage board members to engage in fundraising. 
• Collaborate with the Senior Director of Communications on strategic messaging and digital fundraising and to raise the organization's profile. 
• Supervise key development staff. 
• Develop a deep understanding of NCYL’s programmatic work to ensure accurate representation of our work to donors and the public. 

Qualifications 

• ​​​Proven track record of raising large six figure, multi-year commitments from new sources. 
• ​​​3 years’ experience supervising development team members. 
• Experience building a major donor program. 
• Strong leadership experience with the demonstrated ability to mentor and build the skills of staff. 
• Computer proficiency and an aptitude for learning new systems and software. 
• Familiarity with Salesforce or other CRMs and grant management tools. 
• Understanding of the funding landscape and the ability to locate opportunities for the organization. 
• Outstanding communication skills, both verbal and written. 
• Able to ​​occasionally work weekends and evenings. 
• Able to travel to attend funder meetings and participate in quarterly team retreats and occasional meetings with leadership at headquarters. 

Physical Requirements  

Prolonged periods sitting at a desk and working on a computer. This position may require some travel. 

Salary, Benefits, and Location  

This is a full-time, exempt position with a competitive salary of $163,379.00 annually. A geographic salary differential may be applied if the candidate resides somewhere other than the Oakland, CA, Los Angeles, CA, New York City, or Washington, DC metro areas. This means that the salary would be reduced if the candidate resides in an area where the cost of labor is less than that of the San Francisco Bay Area. 

NCYL provides a robust benefits package including health, dental, vision, and life insurances, generous vacation and sick benefits, paid family leave, flexible spending account, employer contribution to a retirement plan, paid sabbatical, and short-term and long-term disability insurance. 

There is a strong preference for candidates to reside in the Oakland, CA, Los Angeles, CA, New York City, or Washington, DC metro areas. 

NCYL is registered to do business in the following 13 locations: Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, Oregon, Virginia, Washington, DC, and Wisconsin. If a candidate is hired but lives in a state where NCYL is not currently registered to do business, their start date may need to be delayed until registration can be completed in the new state. This process may take as much as three months to complete. 

It is anticipated but not guaranteed that NCYL’s remote work approach will be in place through 2026. If this policy is revoked prior to 2026, staff will be given at least one year's notice before being recalled to a NCYL office. 

All positions at NCYL are at-will and paid for by grants and donations, thus employment with NCYL will be contingent upon continued receipt of funding. Nothing in the statement changes the at-will employment relationship.

How to Apply 

Please submit a cover letter and resume at the link below. Please, no emails or calls. 

Apply at: https://recruiting.paylocity.com/Recruiting/Jobs/Details/2636691 

Applicants with lived experience within any of our practice areas, and Black, Indigenous, and other people of color, are strongly encouraged to apply. 

It is the policy of NCYL to provide equal employment opportunities to all Applicants (including Employees) regardless of race, ethnicity, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, breastfeeding, national origin, age, abilities/disabilities, neurotypicality, socioeconomic status, veteran status, marital status, prior convictions, or any other protected classifications under federal, state, or local law.