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Lead major gifts and corporate partnerships that help expand McGaw YMCA programs serving children, families, and the Evanston community.
Job Description
Under the leadership of the Chief Development Officer, the Director of Major Gifts and Corporate Partnerships leads McGaw YMCA’s strategy for major individual giving, corporate partnerships, planned giving, and foundation engagement. The role develops and manages high-value donor and institutional relationships to secure significant support for annual fundraising priorities, capital initiatives, and long-term sustainability. The Director serves as the primary relationship manager for major donors, corporate partners, and key funders, overseeing cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship efforts. The position also provides strategic oversight of grant development, including proposal planning, submission, reporting, and compliance. Working closely with the CEO, CDO, Board members, and cross-functional teams, the Director aligns fundraising strategies with organizational priorities and communicates McGaw YMCA’s mission and impact to philanthropic partners while ensuring coordination across major gifts, corporate partnerships, foundation support, and annual giving initiatives.
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree and 7+ years of progressive experience in fundraising, partnership development, or similar relationship-based roles, with a focus on major gifts, corporate partnerships, or philanthropic engagement.
- Demonstrated success securing five- and six-figure gifts; experience with planned giving preferred.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to present effectively and build relationships with donors and partners.
- Proficiency with fundraising CRMs (Raiser’s Edge NXT preferred), donor research tools such as DonorSearch, and Microsoft Office.
- Highly organized, detail-oriented, and able to manage multiple priorities and deadlines.
- Ability to collaborate effectively with diverse communities, internal teams, and organizational leadership.
Essential Functions
Develop and implement strategies to secure major gifts from individuals, corporations, and foundations in support of McGaw YMCA’s fundraising priorities and long-term sustainability. Identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward a portfolio of major donors and prospects, with a focus on securing five- and six-figure gifts. Build and manage strategic corporate partnerships that generate philanthropic and programmatic support, while helping expand the organization’s planned and legacy giving pipeline. Provide strategic oversight of grant development, including proposal planning, submission, reporting, and compliance.
Collaborate closely with the CEO, Chief Development Officer, Board members, and Development Committee to identify and engage top prospects and philanthropic partners. Work across program, finance, marketing, and operations teams to align fundraising opportunities with organizational priorities and effectively communicate program impact. Coordinate with the Director of Annual Giving & Events and Development Operations to ensure alignment across fundraising initiatives, maintain accurate donor records in the CRM (Raiser’s Edge NXT), track fundraising activity and performance, and represent McGaw YMCA at meetings, events, and community engagements.