PRINCIPAL JOB DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

As large and complex neighborhood nonprofit, NHS is one of Chicago's largest and most innovative neighborhood revitalization organizations, serving over 5,000 clients each year through homeownership promotion and lending, homeownership preservation, and property preservation. 

 NHS is seeking an experienced and strategic development director to serve as the principal strategist to maintain, refine, and implement annual fundraising strategies for a small but mighty development department. The successful candidate will have a proven track record of building strong donor relationships and meeting or exceeding annual fundraising goals. 

 The current team has exceeded historic trends and increased giving; NHS now looks to the next director to build on their success. The candidate must have successfully grown major gifts in a community-based agency, and have previously led teams responsible for donor tracking, administration, annual appeals and individual solicitations, grants, sponsorships, events, and institutional giving. 

 A diverse range of experience in fundraising for community-based nonprofits with hands-on knowledge of institutional giving, individual, events and volunteer utilization through a variety of affinity and donor groups will be assets in the role. The Director will need to envision bold growth strategies and implement a strategic annual development plan that expands individual giving and philanthropic funding, strengthens infrastructure, and leverages existing relationships. 

 The Director of Development will work closely with the President, Senior Staff, Board of Directors, and C-Suite volunteers. Given the complexity of funding and the agency’s business units, the candidate should demonstrate a keen understanding of a variety of investment and funding streams; the role must be able to build upon existing stakeholder relationships while growing funding pipelines. 

The role supervises a Grants Manager and Senior Development Manager. 

In the role the candidate will:

• Solicit institutional gifts and sponsorships.
• Cultivate, grow, and solicit a small portfolio of prospective and existing major donors.
• Develop and coordinate annual appeal strategy and messaging.
• Support the grants process and proactively manage relationships with institutional donors. 
• Plan and implement special events inclusive of program, logistics, sponsorships, volunteers. 
• Interface with Trustee committee, Resource Development Committee, and Metro Board 
• Manage the increased utilization of the development CRM, Raisers’ Edge.
• Collaborate with the Director of Communications on the development of agency assets to increase visibility to prospective donors.
• Create and implement fundraising materials/messaging. 
• Report to the central board on revenue for Resource Development department
• Develop and manage the departmental budget.
• Provide analytical reporting and income forecasting.
• Oversee all administrative tasks such as donor tracking and gift acknowledgement.

POSITION QUALIFICATIONS

• Minimum 10 years’ fundraising experience including managing and developing relationships with multiple donor sources and special events.
• Previous leadership roles in nonprofit agencies, preferably mid-size, community based.
• Proven ability to raise funds from multiple sources with tangible understanding of moves management.
• Expertise in cultivating and soliciting a diverse base of donors and funders.
• Experience growing a multifaceted individual giving program including major donor solicitations.
• Ability to plan and implement cultivation and stewardship of donors from multiple channels and through a variety of strategies, including events and communications.
• Experience with, and comfort in, a small, fast-paced development department
• Experience supporting C-Suite volunteers.
• Comfort working independently with a team orientation.
• Experience managing established professional development team.
• Strong organizational skills
• Understanding of the nonprofit housing sector
• Ability to work collaboratively and effectively with staff, donors, funders, Board and affiliate board members, and partners.
• Ability to identify, design, and measure fundraising outcomes through strong analytical skills.
• Capacity to complete and manage multiple projects with competing deadlines in a fast-moving and highly complex organization.
• Experience working in fundraising databases – expertise in Raisers’ Edge preferred.
• Ability to be flexible and adaptable.
• High attention to detail
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office 360
• Knowledge and relationships to funding in the Chicago philanthropic community preferred

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed above are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

PHYSICALDEMANDS

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is:

• regularly required to talk or hear.
• frequently required to stand; walk; sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms.
• The employee may occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate and is of a typical office environment.