Director of Development
$100,000–$100,000 year
HybridChicago, Illinois, United States
Job Summary
Manage and grow a portfolio of individual and corporate donors, cultivating relationships that result in five- and six-figure gifts while driving day-to-day development operations with rigorous pipeline management. Demonstrate strong portfolio oversight by maintaining accurate CRM data, executing tailored engagement strategies for donors at each stage of the giving cycle, and advancing fundraising goals against measurable benchmarks. Serve as a strategic partner to the Chief Development Officer and Executive Director, preparing thorough briefings for donor meetings, representing the organization externally at cultivation events, and supporting the planning of donor-facing events like the annual Benefit Dinner. Collaborate with Communications to refine case statements and impact reports, ensuring all donor-facing content aligns with the brand.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor's Degree
- Five or more years of significant frontline fundraising experience
- Executive presence to engage senior donors
- Documented history of securing major gifts ($100K+)
- Exceptional written and verbal communication skills
- Ability to translate the work into compelling donor-facing narratives
- Strong proofreading instincts
- High bar for quality in all written work products
- Effective oral communication skills
- Demonstrated customer service orientation
- Ability to build relationships with multiple stakeholders
- Ability to operate with a high degree of autonomy
- Sound judgment to advance priorities
- Ability to move work forward without requiring close direction
- Demonstrated ability to manage multiple high-priority projects simultaneously
- Rigor and follow-through across each project
- Ability to work as a nimble member of a team
- Ability to answer the call to new responsibilities
- Ability to meet evolving team and organization needs
- Demonstrates AUSL's core values
- Thrives in a collaborative environment
Desired Qualifications
- Experience in using CRM software - Salesforce or Raiser's Edge preferred
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