The Cheyenne River Youth Project® is still seeking a development director to join its staff full time. The salaried position will include benefits, with salary dependent on the select candidate’s qualifications, and the position is available immediately.
The nearly 27-year-old, not-for-profit youth organization has experienced dramatic growth in recent years. Founded in 1988, CRYP began as a small, volunteer-run youth center for 4- to 12-year-olds in an old bar building on Eagle Butte’s Main Street; today, the youth project operates the new incarnation of The Main youth center (1999) as well as the Cokata Wiconi teen center (2006), the Winyan Toka Win organic garden (1999), the farm-to-table Keya Cafe (2014), the new Waniyetu Wowapi Art Park (2014), and the highly valued Family Services program (2002) at its East Lincoln Street campus.
“For us to continue pursuing our mission and long-term vision for CRYP as a holistic wellness facility for youth and an authentic gathering place for our community, we urgently need a development director to manage our growth activities,” said Julie Garreau, CRYP’s executive director. “And, while we would prefer to have that person on site in Eagle Butte or within reasonable commuting distance from our campus, we are open to hiring an off-site candidate who is willing to travel to CRYP several times a year, provided he or she is a good fit for us.”
The development director will be responsible for organizational activities such as developing CRYP’s strategic plan and organizational budget. He or she also will provide coordination and oversight of all fundraising activities, including corporate, federal, state and foundation giving; individual and major donor giving; planned giving; event planning and implementation; marketing; donor management and donor cultivation. And, he or she occasionally will travel to meet with existing and prospective funders.
The development director also will be deeply involved in programming planning and design, which will include developing specific program goals, objectives, outcomes, budgets, work plans, timelines and evaluation processes. In addition, he or she will conduct grant research and writing; contract with any necessary grant writers; conduct human resources activities such as developing position descriptions, recruiting, and interviewing; support the ongoing development of CRYP’s social enterprise initiatives; and manage Board of Directors activities, such as meetings, minutes, and the quarterly board report.
“We would like our ideal candidate to have at least five years of demonstrated success as a fundraising and communications professional,” Garreau said. “We’d also like to see an educational background in business or not-for-profit administration, and we would very much like to see a master’s degree.
“Given the ongoing challenges of the current economic climate and the many urgent needs of children and families in our community, our deputy director does need to have specific training, experience and skills,” she continued. “That being said, if a young person with the appropriate degree program and internship experiences is interested in the position, we would be open to talking with that person.”
To learn more about the qualifications for the development director position and to obtain an application, please call the CRYP offices at (605) 964-8200 or visit www.lakotayouth.org, click on “About,” and select “Employment & Internships.”
The Cheyenne River Youth Project, founded in 1988, is a grassroots, not-for-profit organization dedicated to providing the youth of the Cheyenne River reservation with access to a vibrant and secure future through a wide variety of culturally sensitive and enduring programs, projects and facilities that ensure strong, self-sufficient families and communities.