Director of Development and Community Engagement

Description

Position Title: Director of Development & Community Engagement
Supervisor: Chief Executive Officer
Job Type: Full-Time, Exempt
Location: 420 W. Clinch Avenue, Knoxville, TN

Overview

YWCA Knoxville & the Tennessee Valley is on a mission to eliminate racism and empower women across East Tennessee. We live this mission every day through programs and services that help women, children, and families move toward safety, stability, and opportunity.

The Director of Development & Community Engagement leads efforts to strengthen the YWCA's relationships with donors, partners, volunteers, and the broader community. This position is responsible for donor and community communications, fundraising campaigns, special events, sponsorships, stewardship, and organizational storytelling that increase awareness, engagement, and philanthropic support.

Working closely with the CEO and program leadership, the Director translates the YWCA's mission and impact into meaningful opportunities for people and organizations to engage with and invest in our work.

Duties and Responsibilities

Development & Donor Engagement

• Develop and implement annual strategies for donor cultivation, stewardship, retention, and engagement.
• Manage donor communications and regular stewardship touchpoints throughout the year.
• Support the CEO in cultivating and stewarding individual, corporate, foundation, and community relationships.
• Identify opportunities to deepen relationships with current supporters and engage prospective donors.
• Lead annual giving campaigns and other fundraising initiatives in coordination with the CEO.
• Develop sponsorship opportunities and cultivate corporate and community partners.
• Maintain accurate donor, sponsorship, and engagement information within the organization's CRM.
• Track development activity and provide regular reporting on fundraising and engagement efforts.

Community Engagement & Partnerships

• Serve as a visible ambassador for the YWCA and build relationships with businesses, civic organizations, community partners, and other stakeholders.
• Identify opportunities for partnerships that increase awareness, engagement, and support for YWCA programs.
• Coordinate organizational participation in community events and engagement opportunities.
• Develop meaningful opportunities for donors, volunteers, businesses, and community groups to connect with the YWCA's mission.
• Oversee the organization's approach to volunteer engagement and recognition.

Communications & Storytelling

• Lead donor and community-facing communications, including newsletters, email campaigns, social media, fundraising appeals, and impact communications.
• Develop compelling stories that demonstrate program impact and connect supporters to the YWCA's mission.
• Create communications strategies that support fundraising campaigns, events, donor stewardship, and community engagement.
• Maintain consistent organizational messaging and brand standards across external communications.
• Oversee website and social media content to ensure information is current, engaging, and aligned with organizational priorities.
• Collaborate with program staff to identify stories, outcomes, and opportunities to highlight the impact of YWCA programs.

Special Events

• Lead the strategy, planning, and execution of YWCA fundraising and community engagement events, including the Keys of Hope Luncheon and other special events.
• Establish event goals, budgets, timelines, sponsorship strategies, and engagement plans.
• Cultivate event sponsors and community partners in collaboration with the CEO and Board.
• Manage vendors, venues, volunteers, communications, registration, and event logistics.
• Create a strong donor and guest experience before, during, and following events.
• Evaluate event performance, including revenue, expenses, attendance, sponsorships, and opportunities for future engagement.

Development Strategy & Operations

• Work with the CEO to develop annual fundraising and community engagement priorities.
• Maintain a development calendar incorporating campaigns, events, donor communications, stewardship, and community engagement.
• Track key fundraising, communications, event, and engagement metrics and use results to inform future strategies.
• Collaborate with Grants & Impact and program leadership to ensure donor communications accurately reflect organizational priorities, outcomes, and funding needs.
• Support Board members in donor cultivation, community engagement, and fundraising efforts.
• Help strengthen systems and processes that support sustainable philanthropic growth.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Communications, Marketing, Public Relations, Nonprofit Management, Development, or a related field preferred.
• 4–6 years of progressively responsible experience in nonprofit development, donor engagement, communications, community relations, fundraising, or a related field.
• Demonstrated experience building and maintaining relationships with donors, community partners, businesses, or other stakeholders.
• Experience planning fundraising events, campaigns, sponsorships, or donor engagement activities.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to translate organizational impact into compelling stories and messages.
• Strong project management and organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines.
• Comfortable representing the organization in community and donor settings.
• Experience with donor databases or CRM systems preferred.
• Proficiency with social media, email marketing platforms, and basic design tools such as Canva.
• Ability to work independently, exercise sound judgment, and take ownership of projects from strategy through execution.
• Ability to work occasional evenings and weekends for events and community activities.
• Commitment to respectful, inclusive, and relationship-centered engagement with donors, volunteers, partners, staff, and the community.

Compensation and Benefits

Salary Range: $60,000-65,000, with the potential for a performance-based bonus for exceptional achievement of fundraising and engagement goals.

Schedule: Monday–Friday, with flexibility for events and community engagement activities

Benefits include health, dental, and vision insurance; short-term and long-term disability coverage; life insurance; Employee Assistance Program; retirement plan with employer contribution; and generous paid time off and holidays.

YWCA Knoxville & the Tennessee Valley is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace and strongly encourage women and individuals from historically underrepresented communities to apply.