Director of Institutional Giving

Job Title(s): Director of Institutional Giving         

Department: Development  

Reports To: Chief Development Officer  

Direct Reports: Grant Writer

Classification: Exempt  

Date: 7/17/26 

Organization Overview 

Covenant House Illinois (CHIL), founded in 2017, provides critical protection and resources for youth ages 18–24 experiencing homelessness across Chicagoland and Illinois. Through trauma-informed, harm-reduction, and youth-centered services including shelter, workforce development, education, and clinical support CHIL empowers young people to achieve long-term stability and independence. With continued growth and expansion, CHIL is committed to strengthening service delivery through strong compliance, quality assurance, and data-driven decision-making.  

Primary Responsibilities:  

The Director of Institutional Giving provides strategic leadership for all institutional fundraising efforts, driving the development, implementation, and management of a comprehensive institutional giving program. The Director is responsible for maximizing philanthropic and public funding through foundation, corporate, and government partnerships while overseeing grant strategy, proposal development, compliance, and stewardship. Serving as a key member of the Development team, this position collaborates across departments to align funding opportunities with organizational priorities, strengthen funder relationships, and achieve annual revenue goals that support Covenant House Illinois' mission and strategic growth.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities: 

Strategic Leadership & Revenue Growth

• Lead the development and execution of CHIL's comprehensive institutional giving strategy, encompassing government, foundation, and corporate funding.
• Establish multi-year institutional revenue goals and funding strategies aligned with CHIL's strategic plan and long-term growth objectives.
• Partner closely with the Chief Development Officer and Executive Leadership Team to identify and secure sustainable revenue streams that advance organizational priorities.
• Analyze institutional funding trends, public policy developments, and philanthropic investments to identify emerging opportunities and risks.
• Develop long-range funding strategies that support both annual operating needs and strategic initiatives, including capital and growth opportunities.
• Serve as the organization's subject matter expert on institutional philanthropy and public funding.

Portfolio Strategy & Funder Engagement

• Manage a portfolio of CHIL's highest-value institutional funders and prospects.
• Develop and execute cultivation, solicitation, stewardship, and renewal strategies for major institutional partners.
• Lead engagement with government agencies, private foundations, corporate partners, and collaborative funding initiatives.
• Represent CHIL with senior funder representatives, public officials, and community stakeholders.

Proposal Development & Institutional Revenue Management

• Provide strategic oversight for all grant proposals, reports, and institutional communications.
• Lead development of complex, high-value, and multi-year funding requests.
• Ensure institutional proposals effectively communicate CHIL's impact, outcomes, and growth strategy.
• Monitor institutional revenue performance and adjust strategies as needed to achieve annual goals.
• Partner with finance, QI, and programs leadership to align funding opportunities with organizational capacity and program priorities.

Team Leadership & Capacity Building

• Lead and manage the institutional giving function, including supervision of institutional giving staff (grant writer).
• Establish department goals, performance metrics, workflows, and accountability systems.
• Coach and develop team members to strengthen fundraising effectiveness and professional growth.
• Foster a culture of collaboration, innovation, and continuous improvement.

Organizational Leadership

• Serve as a senior leader within the Development Department and a strategic partner to executive leadership.
• Participate in organizational planning, budgeting, and strategic decision-making.
• Collaborate across departments to strengthen program design, evaluation, and funding readiness.
• Support board engagement related to institutional fundraising and public funding advocacy.
• Contribute to organizational growth initiatives, including capital projects, strategic expansion efforts, and new program development.

Qualifications

Education & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Nonprofit Management, Communications, Business Administration, Public Administration, or a related field required; Master's degree preferred.
• Minimum of 5 years of progressive fundraising experience, including grant writing and institutional giving (foundation, corporate, and government funding).
• Minimum of 2 years of leadership or supervisory experience.
• Demonstrated success securing and managing institutional funding and achieving fundraising goals.

Skills & Abilities

• Strong grant writing, research, and proposal development skills.
• Knowledge of institutional fundraising strategies, grant compliance, and donor stewardship.
• Excellent organizational, project management, and relationship-building skills.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to collaborate across departments.
• Proficiency with donor database/CRM systems and Microsoft Office Suite.

At Covenant House Illinois, diversity, equity, and inclusion are at the heart of our mission. We know that a team with varied backgrounds and perspectives is stronger and better equipped to serve our youth. That’s why we foster a culture where every team member feels valued, heard, and supported. 

We are committed to continuous learning, honest reflection, and creating opportunities for growth. 

Covenant House Illinois is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We base all employment decisions on qualifications and business needs—without regard to race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, disability, or any other protected status. Discrimination and harassment have no place here, and we welcome all qualified applicants to join our team.