Development Manager

Function

The Development Manager manages CYT Dallas’s day-to-day fundraising and donor-engagement efforts in support of the organization’s mission, programs, and long-term sustainability.

This position helps develop and implement a comprehensive fundraising plan that includes individual giving, annual campaigns, corporate sponsorships, grants, donor stewardship, fundraising events, and donor communications.

The Development Manager serves as a key relationship-builder for the organization and works closely with the Executive Artistic Director, Development Coordinator, Director of Operations, Marketing Manager, Board of Directors, and volunteers. Fundraising at CYT Dallas is a shared organizational responsibility, with the Development Manager helping coordinate strategy, execution, follow-up, and accountability.

Key Responsibilities

Fundraising Planning and Coordination

• Help develop and manage an annual fundraising plan with clear goals, priorities, timelines, and performance measures.
• Work with the Executive Artistic Director and Board of Directors to establish realistic contributed-revenue goals.
• Coordinate fundraising activities across donor development, sponsorships, grants, campaigns, and events.
• Track fundraising progress and help identify adjustments based on results and organizational priorities.
• Provide direction, priorities, and support for the Development Coordinator.
• Help create systems that support consistent donor engagement, follow-up, reporting, and stewardship.

Donor Development and Stewardship

• Identify, cultivate, and steward individual donors and prospective major-gift supporters.
• Build and maintain a pipeline of prospective donors and funding opportunities.
• Support personalized cultivation and stewardship plans for key donors.
• Partner with the Executive Artistic Director and board members on significant donor meetings, asks, and follow-up.
• Help strengthen donor retention, recurring giving, donor upgrades, and annual giving.
• Create meaningful opportunities for donors to experience and understand CYT’s mission and impact.
• Ensure donors receive timely, accurate, and meaningful acknowledgment and follow-up.

Corporate Partnerships and Sponsorships

• Identify and cultivate relationships with businesses, sponsors, and community partners.
• Develop sponsorship opportunities and customized partnership proposals.
• Manage sponsor solicitation, renewal, and stewardship efforts in partnership with the Executive Artistic Director and board members.
• Work with the Development Coordinator, Marketing Manager, and Director of Operations to ensure sponsorship benefits are fulfilled accurately and on time.
• Track sponsorship commitments, recognition, payments, benefits, and renewal opportunities.
• Represent CYT Dallas at appropriate community, business, and networking events.

Grants and Foundation Relations

• Help develop and manage a focused grant strategy aligned with CYT’s priorities.
• Research and qualify foundation, corporate, and community grant opportunities.
• Manage the preparation and submission of grant proposals, letters of inquiry, and reports.
• Coordinate with program, operations, and finance staff to gather accurate information, budgets, outcomes, and supporting documentation.
• Maintain a calendar of grant deadlines, reporting requirements, and funding restrictions.
• Support positive relationships with foundation and funding partners.
• Work with leadership and finance support to help monitor restricted funding and grant compliance.

Campaigns, Events, and Communications

• Manage the planning and execution of annual campaigns, special appeals, donor initiatives, and fundraising events.
• Help establish campaign goals, audiences, messaging, sponsorship strategies, and follow-up plans.
• Partner with the Director of Operations, Marketing Manager, Development Coordinator, volunteers, and event committees on execution.
• Develop donor-centered messaging, appeals, proposals, newsletters, and impact stories in collaboration with marketing.
• Support peer-to-peer fundraising, online giving campaigns, and other donor-engagement efforts.
• Evaluate campaigns and events based on revenue, donor engagement, and return on investment.

Data and Reporting

• Oversee the effective use of the organization’s donor-management and CRM systems.
• Ensure accurate tracking of donor relationships, gifts, sponsorships, grants, pledges, and stewardship activity.
• Prepare regular fundraising reports and dashboards for leadership and the Board of Directors.
• Monitor donor retention, recurring giving, major-gift activity, sponsorship renewals, grant activity, and campaign performance.
• Partner with leadership and finance support on revenue forecasting, gift reconciliation, and restricted funding.
• Maintain organized development records, calendars, reports, and follow-up systems.
• Follow established gift-acceptance, donor-privacy, acknowledgment, reporting, and ethical fundraising practices.

Shared Organizational Responsibilities

The Development Manager leads CYT Dallas’s development program but works in partnership with:

• The Executive Artistic Director on organizational vision, major-donor relationships, significant solicitations, and high-level community partnerships.
• The Development Coordinator on donor records, communications, research, scheduling, campaign execution, grant support, sponsorship tracking, and follow-up.
• The Director of Operations on event logistics, financial coordination, contracts, internal systems, and operational support.
• The Marketing Manager on campaign design, digital communications, social media, photography, video, donor stories, and fundraising materials.
• The Board of Directors on giving, introductions, donor engagement, sponsorship recruitment, advocacy, and stewardship.
• Staff members, volunteers, and committees who support specific campaigns, events, and donor-engagement efforts.

Qualifications

Required

• Three to five years of experience in nonprofit fundraising, development, advancement, sales, business development, community engagement, or a related field.
• Demonstrated ability to cultivate relationships and support revenue growth through donations, sponsorships, grants, campaigns, or partnerships.
• Experience supporting or managing fundraising plans, campaigns, donor relationships, sponsorships, grants, or prospect pipelines.
• Strong written, verbal, presentation, and storytelling skills.
• Strong organizational and project-management abilities.
• Experience using donor-management, CRM, or database systems.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities while maintaining strong follow-through.
• Ability to work effectively with executive leadership, staff, board members, volunteers, donors, and community partners.
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent professional experience.
• Commitment to the mission, values, and Christian identity of CYT Dallas.

Preferred

• Five or more years of development or fundraising experience.
• Knowledge of the Dallas–Fort Worth philanthropic, nonprofit, and business community.
• Experience working with nonprofit boards and volunteer committees.
• Experience supervising staff or coordinating the work of volunteers, committees, or cross-functional teams.
• Experience with youth, theater, education, ministry, arts, or family-serving organizations.
• Relevant fundraising training, continuing education, or professional development.

Pay: $50,000.00 - $55,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• Employee discount
• Flexible schedule
• Paid time off

Work Location: Hybrid remote in Lewisville, TX 75067