Assistant Director, Major Giving and Donor Relations

Company: Illinois Action for Children
Location: Chicago
Posted on: June 1, 2025

Job Description:

Assistant Director, Major Giving and Donor RelationsIllinois Action for Children ("IAFC"), a local, state, and national leader in the early childhood care and education sector for 55 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:An essential member of the development team, the Assistant Director, Major Giving and Donor Relations is responsible for establishing and strategically building a major gift pipeline and program, deepen philanthropic relationships, and increase philanthropic support for Illinois Action for Children's (IAFC) mission and priorities. The Assistant Director is a frontline fundraising role that will be responsible for building and managing a portfolio of current and prospective major individual donors, through individualized moves management strategies such as personal visits and other meaningful interactions to identify, qualify, cultivate, solicit, and close gifts of $5,000 and above. This includes developing and implementing multi-channel, major individual giving strategies to support organization and programmatic growth. The AD will steward these high-level individuals in ways that reflect and maximize each donor's values and desire for impact-while building transformational relationships that increase giving and retention. In addition, the AD will create and oversee an auxiliary committee/board (ex: young professionals) and build and steward general individual donors (under $5,000).ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES include but are not limited to the following:

• Conceptualize creative major individual donor acquisition strategies and highly customized cultivation/relationship-building/moves management strategies to successfully convert individuals from prospective to active major donors. Focus is on unrestricted giving/general operating funds, support for Public Policy, Advocacy and Research, and other programs as needed.
• Strategize the acquisition, cultivation, solicitation, of prospective corporate partners/sponsors.
• Personally solicit prospective major individual donors and corporate partners/sponsors.
• Develop, implement, and oversee an auxiliary committee/board (ex: young professionals) to support IAFC's fundraising and education advocacy and build a pipeline to the Board of Directors.
• Work closely with CEO, SVPOA, and Director of Philanthropy on fundraising and stewardship engagement of the Board and Board Revenue Committee.
• Play a key leadership role in the planning and execution of IAFC's annual fundraising event.
• Build a strong general individual giving program through creative identification and active pursuit.
• Create and execute 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, in collaboration with SVP, Director, and appropriate Marketing team members.
• Develop strategic plans for the implementation of recurring donor program, planned giving, and Donor Advised Fund initiatives with Director of Philanthropy.
• Develop and implement individualized stewardship strategies for major individual donors and a comprehensive stewardship/communications plan that appropriately and consistently acknowledges all general individual donors.The Director of Philanthropy, Assistant Director, Grants and Contracts, and Assistant Director, Major Giving and Donor Relations are responsible for ensuring the integrity of the infrastructure for the areas, programs, and/or projects they lead optimally function. For the Assistant Director, Major Giving and Donor Relations this includes:
  • Managing individual donations and donor and prospective donor records in Salesforce (NPSP) including entering opportunities (gifts) and writing and sending acknowledgment letters; recording detailed notes on interactions and moves management progress; input of new leads accounts, contacts, etc.
  • Use prospect research tools to strategically identify, qualify, and prioritize prospective major individual donors for cultivation and solicitation.
  • Manage IAFC's online fundraising platform (Classy)-Build dynamic, compelling campaigns and events using Classy/Classy Live.You will undertake other tasks that are within the scope, spirit, and purpose of the job, to contribute to meeting our fundraising strategic vision and those of Illinois Action for Children.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 unbiased 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 insuranceLocation: Uptown, ChicagoMinimum starting salary $77,600, - compensation commensurate with experience and educationIL Action for Children is EEO/M/F/V/D employerWhile 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.
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Keywords: Illinois Action for Children, Mishawaka , Assistant Director, Major Giving and Donor Relations, Executive , Chicago, Indiana