Description
Director of Development | Young Musicians Unite www.YoungMusiciansUnite.org
About Young Musicians Unite:
Established in 2013, Young Musicians Unite is a non-profit that believes every young person deserves access to music education, regardless of their socio-economic background. We collaborate with schools to provide free music education as a powerful platform to inspire their personal development, foster their creative and collaborative skills, and help them to become ready to take their place as our community’s future leaders. By giving students a voice through music, Young Musicians Unite plants the seeds for youth to step into their true potential, both on and off the stage, and become the responsible, committed citizens our country needs in the future.
YMU is on track toward supporting 12,000 students across 75 schools and is operating on a $6.8 Million budget. We are an innovative organization, constantly taking on new challenges by responding with thinking outside of the box. The highest priorities of the Office of the CEO are to steward and cultivate current donors, create new relationships and partnerships in the community, and develop a sustainable income model.
Role Overview
(Strategy, Donor Relationships, Campaigns)
The Director of Development is a key leadership position driving revenue growth, donor engagement, and philanthropic strategy at YMU. This person works directly with the CEO to build fundraising systems, lead donor strategy, and serve as the connective tissue between major giving, committees, campaigns, and events. They’re a strong communicator, excellent strategist, and trusted partner to HNW donors, board members, and institutional funders.
Key Responsibilities
- Develop and execute YMU’s annual fundraising plan in partnership with the CEO
- Cultivate, solicit, and steward a portfolio of major donors and prospects
- Lead campaign strategy for annual giving, gala, Give Miami Day, and special events
- Own wealth research and lapsed donor reactivation strategies
- Work closely with marketing on campaign language and donor mailings
- Lead all sponsorship strategies and asset creation (gala, festivals, youth events)
- Collaborate with Events Manager on guest lists, invitations, and sponsor activation
- Create donor reports, impact mailers, student/alumni spotlights
- Support executive board communications, community board cultivation, and committee engagement
- Represent YMU at high-level donor events and meetings
- Lead a growing development team and consulting partners, collaborating closely with senior leaders across the organization
Skills & Traits
- Strong strategic thinker and executor
- Excellent verbal and written communicator
- Experienced with high-level donors and sponsorships
- Able to collaborate across departments
- Confident in managing up, across, and externally
Requirements
Non-Negotiables:
- Must have held a Director of Development (or equivalent senior fundraising) title for at least 2 years at a nonprofit with a $3M+ budget
- Proven track record personally soliciting and closing major gifts ($10K–$100K+)
- Experience leading annual campaigns, managing giving calendars, and coordinating multi-channel donor strategy
- Must have led or co-led a major fundraising event (gala or equivalent) with over $250K in revenue
- Experience building and managing donor pipelines and working directly with C-level executives or board members
- Strong communication skills – must be able to draft donor-facing emails, reports, and decks independently
- Must have used CRM tools like Bloomerang, Raiser’s Edge, or Salesforce for donor segmentation, moves management, and campaign tracking
Preferred:
- Experience supervising development staff or managing interns
- Familiarity with Miami’s philanthropic landscape or major donor ecosystem
- Experience with sponsorship strategy and corporate partnerships
- Experience managing a donor committee or executive board communications
- Bachelor’s degree required; master’s or CFRE preferred
