United Services for Children is seeking a full-time Director of Philanthropy. United Services has worked 51 years to give children of all abilities a safe, supportive place where they can develop their potential and gain enduring skills that will help them live rewarding lives. Each year, more than 400 children receive speech, occupational and aquatic therapy, and early intervention programs that support toddlers and the families raising them. We operate on a $4 million annual budget and employ 54 people. We have built something remarkable. The Director of Philanthropy will build a private philanthropic base to support it.
In this position, you will build an individual and major giving base from the ground up, and forge corporate relationships that go well beyond sponsorship. The plan will be yours to write, and you will create it alongside a CEO, a board, and a leadership team who want a strategic partner. You will also help us finish our Inclusion Gallery, supporting a $1 million campaign to create a first-of-its-kind space where children of every ability can play, learn, and belong together.
WHAT YOU’LL DO
- Build and lead our individual and major giving programs, with unrestricted operating support as your primary accountability.
- Build and carry a personal portfolio of major gift prospects. Half your week is spent with donors: learning what they care about, connecting it to the children we serve, and inviting them to invest at a meaningful level.
- Write the development plan — including the annual revenue goal you propose and then own.
- Own the case for support, donor communications, and impact storytelling, working closely with our marketing director.
- Oversee our three signature events, with latitude to reimagine them or propose new ones. We contract the logistics; you own the strategy, the revenue, the sponsors, and the stewardship.
- Support the CEO on the Inclusion Gallery campaign, coordinating capital and annual asks so both grow.
- Equip our Board and volunteers to open doors, make introductions, and thank donors well.
- Represent United Services for Children across St. Charles County and the St. Louis region, building awareness that reaches donors and families alike.
WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR
- Five (5) or more years building long-term, trust-based relationships and inviting people to make significant financial commitments, with results to show for it.
- A personal track record of securing meaningful gifts, sponsorships, or partnerships. Be ready to walk us through one, from first conversation to commitment.
- A record of building, not just maintaining. We want to hear about something you started.
- Exceptional follow-through and organization.
- A collaborative instinct: self-directed, and genuinely part of a team.
- A sincere interest in children with disabilities and their families.
- Bachelor’s degree; comfort working in a donor database.
We welcome candidates from outside the nonprofit sector (i.e., consultative sales, wealth management, commercial banking, professional services business development). The core skill translates: building genuine relationships, asking for meaningful commitments, and caring for those relationships long after the gift arrives.
COMPENSATION & BENEFITS
$90,000 starting base, commensurate with experience, with a merit-based salary review at twelve months against markers set with the CEO in your first 30 days. 30 days PTO plus paid holidays; medical, dental, and vision; 403(b) with employer match; PSLF-eligible employer; AFP membership and professional development supported.
TO APPLY
Send a résumé and cover letter to Julie Turner, President & CEO — developmentdirector@unitedsrvcs.org
In your letter, skip the summary of your résumé. Tell us instead about one relationship you built and one ask you made — what you did, what you said, and what you learned. Applications are reviewed on arrival.