For over two decades, The Memorial Foundation has partnered with the Yakima, Washington community to develop comprehensive, innovative solutions and new models of care to address the area’s primary health needs.  Embedded in the new Director of Leadership Giving role are the four primary goals of The Memorial Foundation:  1) Improve health outcomes in children's health. 2) Improve health outcomes in cancer care. 3) Improve health outcomes in end of life care. 4) Sustain a healthy and vital community.  Under the longtime direction and guidance of President Anne Napier Caffery and its Board of Trustees, the Foundation’s dedicated and mission-driven team is committed to working to develop the necessary resources to advance and sustain superior, quality healthcare programs and services of the Memorial Family of Services.  Through the generous support from local donors spanning 25+ years, programs such as the Children’s Village, Cottage in the Meadow, ‘Ohana Mammography Center and North Star Lodge Cancer Care, among others, have realized fruition. Since 1989, the Foundation has demonstrated unique leadership in collaboration and creative resource development and community partnerships. Last year, the Foundation and its donors contributed nearly $4.5 million, making a vital difference in healthcare programs throughout Central Washington.
 
The Opportunity:  Director of Leadership Giving
 
Reporting to the President of The Memorial Foundation, the Director of Leadership Giving is a new role to be filled by a key strategist and fundraising professional with proven success in the cultivation and stewardship of major donors. Inherent in this role is the opportunity to enhance and expand the major gifts program of the Foundation, providing strategic direction for increasing unrestricted, restricted, planned and campaign gifts from individuals.
 
Primary Performance Objectives 
 
Leadership and Fundraising Management

• Work closely with the President and the Board of Trustees to create and implement strategies and goals for solicitation and stewardship of an active portfolio of 100 individuals.
• Promote the involvement of the Board of Trustees in a strategic donor relations program including site visits, other engagement opportunities and philanthropic communications.
• Set annual and campaign fundraising goals including unrestricted, restricted and planned gifts from individuals in partnership with the President and Board of Trustees.
• Oversee and ensure integrity of regular reporting on goal achievement to demonstrate progress, identify areas of concern and revise major gift strategies as needed.

 
Donor and Volunteer Relations

• Build, nurture and cultivate relationships with current donors, prospective donors, Board Members and volunteers beginning with initial introductions by the President.
• Research and develop initiatives to identify, prioritize, cultivate, solicit, recognize and steward prospective donors.
• Maintain a strong working knowledge of the healthcare needs of the local community and the programs and services offered by the Memorial Family of Services.
• Set and monitor annual revenue targets for major gifts, developing regular updates on institutional donor revenue for the Foundation’s leadership.
• Prepare staff and volunteers for key donor meetings and cultivation activities.
• Assign key participants to various donor and prospect relationship-building initiatives.
• Make timely and effective use of the Foundation’s records management resources to ensure an accurate donor database, currently comprised of 10,000 active donors, as well as ongoing reporting updates.

 
Board Relations

• Establish and maintain a strong working relationship with both the governing Boards of the Memorial Foundation and the Memorial Family of Services. 
• Work with and provide training for the Boards to enhance fundraising activities and the overall culture of philanthropy.
• Communicate effectively and promptly with the Boards as requested by the President, also serving as a link for communication between Trustees, staff, donors, volunteers and other key stakeholders.

 
The Qualified Candidate
 
The Memorial Foundation seeks an accomplished and compassionate fundraising professional with a minimum of five years of individual giving/ major gifts experience to serve as its first Director of Leadership Giving. This new position will work closely with the Foundation’s President to grow and maintain its major gifts program, and simultaneously, establish an infrastructure for future growth and development.  The successful candidate will be passionate about the Foundation’s mission, vision and values with exceptional interpersonal, communication, relationship-building and organizational skills.  She/he will bring a caring, friendly and gregarious personality, an exuberant and winning presentational style, and will also be a self-starter, quick learner, team player, good listener, flexible, honest and respectful, in tandem with, possessing a strong business acumen.  A strong preference will be given to those individuals who bring a proven and progressive background in major and planned gifts fundraising in Central Washington.  Central to the role will be the continuum of donor cultivation and the education and nurturing of major gift prospects.  
 
Specific Requirements Include:

• Deep commitment to The Memorial Foundation’s mission with a keen interest in providing state-of-the-art healthcare programs and services to the entire Yakima Valley community.
• A minimum of 7 to 10 years of professional development experience with an established nonprofit organization and/or foundation in related field – healthcare,  human services.
• Successful and progressive background in donor solicitation and stewardship processes.
• Strong working knowledge of strategy development and moves management systems in the cultivation, solicitation and successful closing of five-, six- and seven-figure gifts from individual donors.
• Demonstrated success and progressive leadership background in major and planned gifts.
• Accomplished fundraiser with best practice knowledge and skills to successfully motivate, engage, and interact with senior leadership, high-level donors and Board/volunteers.
• Exceptional ability to discern and respond to patrons’ interests to meet both donor and institutional goals.
• Excellent verbal, written and presentation communication skills.
• Hands-on experience with Raiser’s Edge and proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite.
• Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree and/or CFRE credential preferred.

 
The Memorial Foundation offers a competitive salary and a comprehensive benefits package.  The position finalist will be required to submit a full background and reference checks. Relocation assistance will be offered.
 
The Memorial Foundation is an equal employment opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, religion, age, national or ethnic origin, non-disqualifying physical or mental disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, marital status, political affiliation, genetic predisposition and/or any other lawfully protected classification or occupationally irrelevant criteria.  Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/D/V
 
To Apply
 
The search is being managed by Heather Eddy, CFRE, President & CEO of Alford Executive Search and Kathrene Wales, Associate Consultant.  Questions may be addressed to kwales@alfordexecutivesearch.com. 
 
To apply, candidates should submit their cover letter and resume and complete the online application at https://alfordexecutivesearch.applicantstack.com/x/openings.  To assure confidential tracking of all applicants, no applications will be accepted via email.
 
ALL INQUIRIES WILL BE HELD IN STRICT CONFIDENCE. 
 
Alford Executive Search, a division of KEES – Kistner Eddy Executive Services - The KEES to Effective Leadership is a retained search firm dedicated to providing placement services of exceptional quality.
 
 
 
LIVING IN YAKIMA (provided by The Memorial Foundation)
 
Perhaps it’s the four seasons or the nearly 300 days of sun a year that draw nearly 250,000 residents and more than half a million visitors to the Yakima Valley annually. Perhaps it’s the sweet smell of a valley that’s lush with orchards, vineyards and gardens.
 
Perhaps it’s the diversity and cultural opportunities that create a heritage rich with multi-generational families and new families sharing community-sponsored events and neighborhood-organized barbecues and holiday parties. Maybe it’s the central location—to Seattle, Spokane or Portland—to the mountains, the ocean, rain forests or the Columbia River. Perhaps it’s that feeling of belonging, even when you’ve just arrived, that inspires thousands of new families to call Yakima home every year.
 
So it was no surprise to us that when The Early Show’s Dave Price toured the country as part of The Great American Adventure Winnebago Tour, he and the CBS morning show team stopped in Yakima where he gushed to viewers nationwide about the agricultural bounty he discovered. At one point, Price even challenged The Early Show anchor Harry Smith to pick any letter of the alphabet and Price would name a fruit or vegetable grown in the Yakima Valley that started with that letter.
Most people think of apples when they speak of the Yakima Valley. The area is home to more than 50 varieties of apples. But few know that the United States produces 24 percent of the world’s hops, and about three-fourths of the U.S. crop comes from the Yakima Valley. And in the past 20 years, Yakima Valley wineries have continued to receive increasing acclaim. The magnificent vineyards of the sun-drenched valley lie in the same latitudes as the great wine-producing regions of France. As a result, Yakima’s hand-crafted award-winning wines have enjoyed an explosion in popularity.
 
Located at the confluence of the Naches and Yakima Rivers, Yakima serves as the gateway to the Cascade Mountains to the west and the bountiful Yakima Valley to the east. The city of Yakima is the business and commercial hub of Central Washington, serving a populace of about a quarter of a million people. The Yakima Valley boasts of excellent education, culture and, of course, recreation.
Yakima offers so many attractions that you’ll want to plan to stay a while or make multiple trips to see everything. Depending on when you arrive, the city also plays host to a substantial calendar of events throughout the year.
 
For more information about Yakima and the surrounding area visit: liveyakimavalley.com
 
Read A Day Trip To Yakima from Sunset Magazine.