Manager, Major Giving and Donor Relations

ABOUT US:

Illinois Action for Children (“IAFC”), a local, state, and national leader in the early childhood care and education sector for over 50 years. IAFC programs, services, and advocacy improve learning and life outcomes for children and families, including reducing the effects of poverty. IAFC works to ensure that every child in Illinois – particularly those in need – have access to the necessary resources to succeed in school and in life.

Along with our mission, IAFC is committed to building and maintaining a diverse, equitable, inclusive, and anti-racist culture. We are dedicated to this pledge through our hiring practices and our focus on creating a culture and environment where diverse perspectives, ideas, and identities are valued and integrated into our way of working and servicing our staff and clients. IAFC staff represent a wide diversity of racial, socio-economic, gender, religious, and national identities. We welcome all applicants who share our mission and vision to join us in our essential work.

SUMMARY:

The Manager, Major Giving and Donor Relations will serve as a key member of the development team and will be responsible for leading and sustaining a new major giving program that supports IAFCs mission and objectives. This position will lead the implementation of a multi-channel, major individual giving program that includes managing the major individual fundraising strategies and goals of an on-going legacy campaign to support the Maria Whelan Leadership Institute (MWLI) and other activities of the Maria Whelan Legacy Fund, established in memory of the organization’s former President and CEO. This position will also be responsible for cultivating a substantial portfolio of major donor prospects and creating and managing a stewardship program for major donors that reflects donor values, maximizes donor impact, and builds transformational relationships that increase giving and retention. This individual will work closely with the SVP and Director in identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding major individual philanthropic giving (Currently defined as $5,000 and above).

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES include but are not limited to the following. The organization reserves the right to add to, delete, change or modify the essential duties and responsibilities at any time.

1. Manage a portfolio of major individual donor prospects in CRM database, cultivating, assessing, prioritizing using moves management strategies.
2. Build a pipeline of major individual donor prospects through prospect research and creative acquisition strategies (using online tools, social media, and other resources) to identify, qualify, and prioritize prospective major individual donors for cultivation and solicitation.
3. Collaboratively with the SVPOA, Director of Philanthropy and Marketing Director, develop comprehensive and customized donor-centric cultivation, solicitation, and engagement strategies and collateral to generate new major individual gifts, to upgrade and sustain current major gift donors and to recapture past major individual donors.
4. Collaboratively with the SVPOA and Director of Philanthropy, manage and support fundraising activities for the Maria Whelan Leadership Institute (MWLI)—including conducting major individual donor prospect research, attending Core Committee meetings, supporting committee solicitations, leading MWLI stewardship and recognition initiatives, conducting administrative gift management, tracking, and reporting.
5. Support Board fundraising and stewardship engagement.
6. Actively participate in major gifts strategy development and manage relationship building between major individual donors/prospects and IAFCs Executive and Senior Management teams, MWLI Core Committee, Board of Directors, and other key staff.
7. Collaboratively with the Director of Philanthropy, create a plan for the implementation of a planned giving initiative.
8. Develop and manage a comprehensive stewardship process that appropriately and consistently acknowledges donors at all giving levels, with an emphasis on major individual donors.
9. Play a key role in the planning and execution of IAFCs annual fundraising event.
10. Create a plan for the implementation of an auxiliary group to support the organization’s major fundraising efforts.
11. Develop and execute multi-channel, year-end appeals and other fundraising campaigns
12. Manage, track, and report on general individual giving
13. Collaboratively with the Director of Philanthropy, conceive and activate strategies to engage corporate partners in employee giving opportunities for IAFC.
14. Monitor and report on performance against plan objectives and projections.
15. Collaborate with Organizational Advancement team to strengthen IAFCs culture of philanthropy.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

This position is hybrid, with the employee working 3 days at the Lawrence office (Schedule subject to change).

EDUCATION and EXPERIENCE:

• Minimum 3 years proven and effective experience cultivating individual donor relationships in major philanthropic fundraising, or equivalent demonstrable experience.
• Bachelor’s Degree in a relevant field or equivalent work experience.
• Experience with philanthropy strategy development and delivery, planning, and budgeting.
• Extensive experience with prospecting and new donor acquisition strategies.

• Proven track record of fundraising including high-net-worth individuals and family foundations in Illinois’ philanthropic landscape.
• Experience in event planning including logistics, vendor negotiations, volunteer management
• Experience with developing and delivering fundraising products to attract new supporters. E.g., development boards; giving circles; events; major appeals.
• Expert knowledge of the principles of individual giving and major gifts fundraising.
• Experience building a new major giving program a plus.

OTHER QUALITIES, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:

• Passion for Illinois Action for Children’s mission.
• Proactive self-starter requiring minimal supervision, but also works well in a team setting both at a management level and with peers.
• Assertive; takes initiative and has outstanding follow-through.
• Organized and efficient, capable of managing multiple projects with competing priorities to the highest standards in a timely manner.
• Accurate and impeccable attention to detail.
• Demonstrated relationship builder with excellent interpersonal skills.
• Strong project management knowledge with a keen attention to detail.
• Computer skills should include word processing, database, presentation graphics and spreadsheet computer software.
• Understanding of web-based technology and relationship management software preferred.
• High level proofreading and editing skills.
• Understanding of marketing principles as they relate to development a plus.
• Knowledge of leading Illinois philanthropists a plus, but not required.
• Familiarity with issues surrounding early learning, child care, advocacy, caregivers/child care professionals, racial equity, etc. helpful, but not required.

Benefits of Working at IAFC:

• Working with passionate team members that are driven by our Mission: Illinois Action for Children is a catalyst for organizing, developing and supporting strong families and powerful communities where children matter most.
• We strive to foster and implement a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion across our organization. We know it is not only critical to the success of diversity initiatives - but instrumental in creating an unbiassed and inclusive workplace It not only relates to the diverse clients we serve but also creates a positive employee experience.
• We offer an extensive benefits package that adds value to your total compensation. Our benefits include:

• Health, dental and vision insurance plans with company contribution of 95% for single coverage
• 401k with company match
• Generous PTO – first year-23 days, the second year-28 days, the third year and on - 35 days
• 11 Paid Holidays and 1 Floating Holiday
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Flexible Spending Account
• STD & LTD insurance
• Company paid Life Insurance

Location: Uptown, Chicago

Minimum starting salary $70,500, - compensation commensurate with experience and education

IL Action for Children is EEO/M/F/V/D employer

While we desire for this job posting to be comprehensive, all aspects of the position may be amended at any time at the discretion of IAFC including job duties, work location and/or work schedule.