Chief Development Officer

Position Purpose

The Chief Development Officer (CDO) is a key executive leadership position of Greater Iowa Youth for Christ reporting directly to the Executive Director. The CDO will be responsible for leading and implementing GIYFC’s development strategy, building and managing the development team, and driving advocacy and awareness of YFC’s mission, need, and deliverables to expand mission impact and organizational growth.

Create and Manage a Comprehensive Development and Marketing Strategy

• Develop and execute a comprehensive development strategy that includes identifying and cultivating individual, church, corporate, and foundation donors and prospects.
• Lead and manage all aspects of the development program, including major gifts, planned giving, annual fund, special events, and grant writing.
• Develop and implement a marketing and communication strategy to support development efforts, including creating support materials, social media content, and other communications to promote GIYFC’s mission and ministry.
• Work closely with the Executive Director and Board to develop and maintain relationships with key stakeholders, including giving partners, volunteers, and community leaders.

Drive Awareness and Advocacy of GIYFC’s Mission, Need, and Deliverables

• Develop and implement strategies to raise awareness of GIYFC’s mission, programs, and services to increase its visibility and support.
• Develop and implement strategies to engage and mobilize partners to advocate for the organization’s mission and its impact on the community.
• Represent the organization at community events, churches, and other public forums to enhance GIYFC’s visibility and influence.
• Identify and cultivate relationships with key stakeholders, including potential donors, community leaders, and ministry leaders, to advance GIYFC’s mission and goals.

 Staff Management & Mentorship

• Build and manage a high-performing development team that is aligned with GIYFC’s mission, values, and strategic priorities.
• Provide leadership, guidance, and mentorship to development staff to build their capacity to achieve development goals and to support GIYFC’s mission and goals.
• Foster a culture of collaboration, innovation, and continuous learning within the development team and across the organization.
• Develop and implement performance metrics and evaluation tools to ensure the team’s performance meets or exceeds development targets and other organizational goals.

 Build a Giving Partner-Centered Strategy

• Develop and implement a donor-centered development approach that builds strong relationships with giving partners, emphasizes GIYFC’s mission and impact, and encourages financial investment.
• Develop and maintain a recognition program for giving partners that celebrates and acknowledges their contributions to the ministry.
• Ensure the timely and accurate acknowledgement of all gifts and donations and the proper stewardship of giving partner relationships.
• Work with the Executive Director and Board of Directors to develop and maintain a robust giving partner pipeline to support GIYFC’s long-term development goals.

Build the Infrastructure and Team to Carry Out the Development Plan

• Develop and maintain effective systems and processes to support development efforts, including gift processing, database management, and reporting.
• Develop and implement a development plan that includes clear goals, metrics, and timelines for achieving development targets.
• Build and manage a budget for the development team that is aligned with GIYFC’s strategic priorities and goals.
• Identify and implement technology solutions to support development operations and to enhance giving partner engagement and stewardship.

 Major Donor Cultivation & Engagement:

• Develop and implement strategies for identifying and cultivating major gift prospects, including individuals, churches, businesses, and foundations, to expand GIYFC’s support base.
• Develop and maintain relationships with major gift partners through personalized engagement and stewardship activities, such as one-on-one meetings, cultivation events, and recognition programs.
• Work closely with the Executive Director and Board of Directors to secure major gifts and to develop tailored proposals and gift agreements that align with giving partner interests and GIYFC’s priorities.
• Develop and manage systems for tracking and reporting on major gift engagement.

 Executive Leadership Team Engagement

• Serve as a key member of the executive leadership team, working collaboratively with the Executive Director and other senior leaders to develop and implement the organization’s strategic plan and vision.
• Provide leadership and direction to the development team and other departments as needed to ensure alignment with GIYFC’s goals and objectives.
• Lead the annual planning and budgeting process for the development department, ensuring that goals are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART).
• Provide regular updates to the Executive Director and Board of Directors on development progress and challenges and make recommendations for course correction as needed.

 Because the overriding religious purpose and mission of Youth for Christ USA is to communicate and introduce the Gospel of Jesus Christ to young people and their families, and in that regard to make, educate, and encourage life-long disciples of Jesus Christ, it is very important that you as an employee in the movement of Youth for Christ be recognized as an associate minister of the Gospel.

As an employee of Youth for Christ and an associate minister of the Gospel, YFC expects all employees to:

• Seek God’s guidance and wisdom, through prayer and meditation, for the organization as a whole, as well as for specific ministry initiatives.
• Participate and lead regular times of prayer, devotion, and worship as a regular aspect of your role within YFC.
• Teach and preach from the Bible at YFC staff meetings, conferences, camps and events.

 Additionally, YFC employees will have an opportunity to be commissioned or licensed as a minister of the Gospel through the established Youth for Christ process, and/or ordained by an outside body recognized by Youth for Christ USA.  As such, the following additional responsibilities of a spiritual nature will apply to this position:

• Perform sacramental functions such as the taking of communion and leading times of corporate prayer, confession and praise.
• Perform and lead religious ceremonies such as weddings, baptism and funerals when called upon by staff and other members of the YFC community.