Development Coordinator

Development Coordinator (Part-Time or Contractor)

Organization: Hopeful Beginnings of St. Mary's

Location: Hybrid – office in Palatine, IL (with additional offices in Hanover Park and Elgin, IL)

Employment Type: Part-Time or Contractor

Reports To: Executive Director

Since 1887, Hopeful Beginnings has envisioned a world where every child has a loving home. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit agency, we provide perinatal mental health and adoption services throughout Illinois. We serve all families without prejudice, regardless of religion, income level, race, or orientation, and we rely on the generosity of our donors and community partners to keep these services accessible to everyone who needs them.

Hopeful Beginnings is seeking a warm, relationship-driven Development Coordinator to join our team on a part-time basis. This role is focused on building and deepening a portfolio of individual donor relationships which is the heart of a sustainable philanthropic base. Rather than emphasizing large-scale campaigns or grant writing, this position is about getting to know our donors personally: understanding their motivations, connecting them to our mission, and cultivating long-term, loyal supporters through thoughtful, one-on-one engagement. The Development Coordinator will work closely with the Executive Director to grow individual giving through cultivation, stewardship, and personal outreach.

•     Build and manage a personal portfolio of individual donors, from first-time givers to long-time supporters

•     Identify and research prospective individual donors within our existing community (clients' families, event attendees, volunteers, past donors)

•     Conduct regular, personalized outreach — phone calls, handwritten notes, coffee meetings, and check-ins — to build authentic donor relationships

•     Develop and execute individualized cultivation and stewardship plans for mid-level and major individual donors

•     Create a moves-management system to track donor touchpoints, interests, and giving history in the donor database/CRM

•     Craft personalized acknowledgment letters, impact updates, and touch-base communications tailored to each donor's connection to our mission

•     Plan and host small, relationship-focused donor gatherings (e.g., agency tours, coffee chats, small-group updates)

•     Identify opportunities to upgrade recurring/annual donors toward deeper, sustained giving

•     Partner with the Executive Director on identifying and cultivating potential major and legacy gift prospects

•     Monitor and report on individual giving trends, retention, and portfolio growth

•     1–3 years of experience in individual giving, donor relations, major gifts, or relationship-based fundraising preferred

•     Genuine interest in people — a natural relationship-builder who enjoys listening and connecting

•     Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to tailor messaging to individual donors

•     Strong organizational skills and comfort managing a donor portfolio and moves-management pipeline

•     Comfort working with donor databases/CRM software (experience with platforms like Network for Good, Boomerang, or similar a plus)

•     Emotional intelligence and discretion, given the sensitive nature of our clients' and donors' stories

•     Passion for supporting children, birth parents, and adoptive families is strongly preferred

•     Bachelor's degree preferred, or equivalent relevant experience

•     Schedule: Part-time, approximately 20–25 hours/week; some flexibility for occasional evening or weekend event support

•     Base Compensation: Competitive hourly rate, commensurate with experience; expected annual salary is $46,000-52,000.

•     Performance Bonus: A one-time discretionary bonus is awarded to the Development Coordinator when cumulative gifts from their individual donor portfolio (built through their direct cultivation, outreach, and stewardship) surpass $100,000. Bonus eligibility, amount, and calculation will be defined in writing at time of hire, in accordance with Hopeful Beginnings' compensation policy and nonprofit sector best practices (base pay is not contingent on individual gift size or percentage of funds raised).

Interested candidates should submit a resume and cover letter to nrodriguez@hopefulbeginning.org or contact us at 847-870-8181. Please indicate "Development Coordinator" in the subject line.

Hopeful Beginnings of St. Mary's (DBA Hopeful Beginnings) is an Equal Opportunity Employer. St. Mary's Services is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit, EIN #36-2167889.