Director of Community Impact in Detroit, Michigan at Neighborhood Service Organization

Summary:

The Director of Community Impact (DCI) serves as the executive leader responsible for advancing Neighborhood Service Organization's strategic community impact through leadership in philanthropy, fund development, donor engagement, community partnerships, grant development, volunteer engagement, and business development initiatives. The DCI develops and executes comprehensive fundraising strategies and serves as a liaison for marketing and communications, that support organizational priorities and long-term sustainability.

The DCI manages and cultivates key relationships with major donors, foundations, corporations, community stakeholders, and board members to secure philanthropic support. This position serves as the primary liaison between the fundraising and marketing functions, ensuring that marketing and communications efforts effectively support fundraising campaigns, donor stewardship, community engagement initiatives, and organizational visibility.

Key Responsibilities:

Fund Development & Revenue Generation

Develop and implement a comprehensive annual and multi-year fundraising strategy.

Lead all aspects of fund development, including major gifts, annual giving, corporate partnerships, foundation support, grants, planned giving, and special campaigns.

Establish and monitor fundraising goals, performance metrics, and revenue targets.

Partner with the President/CEO, Board of Directors, and senior leadership to identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward major donors.

Build and maintain a portfolio of high-capacity donors and prospects.

Personally solicit major gifts and philanthropic investments.

Prepare and oversee donor proposals, cases for support, gift agreements, and stewardship plans.

Support capital campaigns, strategic funding initiatives, and special fundraising efforts.

Ensure timely donor acknowledgement, recognition, and reporting of impact.

Major Donor & Foundation Relations

Manage a portfolio of approximately 75-150 major donors and prospects.

Develop individualized cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies.

Lead, in a collaborative manner, capital campaigns and corporate giving programs.

Conduct donor meetings, site visits, presentations, and engagement events.

Identify and qualify new major gift prospects through research, referrals, and relationship networks.

Strengthen donor retention and upgrade strategies.

Develop and maintain relationships with foundations, corporations, and funding partners.

Ensure accurate documentation of donor engagement activities within the CRM system.

Community Engagement & Strategic Partnerships

Build relationships with community leaders, government agencies, corporate partners, and civic organizations.

Represent NSO at community events, speaking engagements, professional associations, and stakeholder meetings.

Plan and execute key NSO community events, from start to finish, in collaboration with NSO team, volunteers, etc.

Develop strategic partnerships that increase organizational visibility, impact, and funding opportunities.

Promote volunteer engagement initiatives that support organizational goals.

Support business development opportunities that align with NSO's mission and strategic priorities.

Marketing & Communications Liaison

Serve as the executive liaison to the Marketing and Communications team.

Collaborate with marketing staff to develop fundraising campaigns, donor communications, stewardship materials, annual reports, and community engagement initiatives.

Ensure fundraising priorities and impact stories are effectively communicated to external audiences.

Provide strategic direction regarding messaging related to donor engagement, philanthropy, and community impact.

Coordinate marketing support for fundraising events, campaigns, and donor recognition activities.

Note: This position does not have direct responsibility for marketing operations, advertising, media buying, branding management, social media management, or communications production.

Leadership & Administration

Develop strategic goals and objectives for the Community Impact and Fund Development functions.

Establish departmental budgets and monitor fundraising performance.

Supervise and develop assigned staff.

Prepare reports, dashboards, and presentations for senior leadership and the Board of Directors.

Participate in strategic planning and organizational leadership initiatives.

Ensure compliance with applicable regulations, policies, and ethical fundraising standards.

Foster a culture of philanthropy throughout the organization.

Candidate Requirements:

Education

Bachelor's degree required.

Master's degree in Business Administration, Nonprofit Management, Public Administration, Communications, Philanthropy, or related field preferred.

Experience

Minimum 10 years of progressive experience in fundraising, philanthropy, major gifts and donor relations, community engagement, or nonprofit leadership.

Demonstrated success securing and managing major gifts.

Experience leading comprehensive fundraising programs and achieving revenue goals.

Experience working with boards, executive leadership, donors, foundations, and community stakeholders.

Minimum 5 years of supervisory experience preferred.

Grant writing and grant management experience preferred

Skills & Competencies

Proven major gift fundraising and donor cultivation skills.

Exceptional relationship-building and networking abilities.

Strong strategic planning and execution capabilities.

Excellent written, verbal, and presentation skills.

Ability to inspire philanthropic investment and community engagement.

Knowledge of donor databases and CRM systems.

Ability to manage multiple priorities while achieving measurable results.

High degree of professionalism, confidentiality, and ethical conduct

Performance Metrics

Total annual fundraising revenue.

Major gift revenue secured.

Growth of qualified major donor pipeline.

Number of donor cultivation and solicitation meetings.

Donor retention and upgrade rates.

Foundation and corporate funding secured.

Grant funding secured.

Community partnership development.

Volunteer engagement outcomes.

Achievement of strategic departmental goals.

Neighborhood Service Organization is an equal opportunity employer and values diversity in its workforce. We encourage applications from all qualified individuals, including those with diverse backgrounds and those with disabilities.