Corporate Gift Officer, New Business

Griffin Museum of Science and Industry•Chicago, IL

2d•Onsite

About The Position

The Corporate Gift Officer, New Business is responsible for securing and growing corporate revenue by identifying, cultivating, and securing new corporate partners, with a focus on high-touch portfolio management, sponsorship and strategic engagement opportunities. This role manages a developing portfolio of new, lapsed, and early-stage corporate partners and prospects, while supporting the execution of sponsorship packages and partnership activations across the Museum’s exhibitions, programs, and events. As part of the Institutional Giving team, the Corporate Gift Officer, New Business also supports broader donor engagement efforts, stewardship activities, and special events.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree required.
5–7 years of relevant experience in corporate fundraising, business development, sponsorship sales, marketing partnerships, or related fields.
Demonstrated ability to contribute to revenue generation through prospecting, relationship-building, and closing support.
Strong communication skills, including the ability to craft compelling outreach and donor-facing materials.
Ability to travel up to 10%
Comfort with proactive outreach and building relationships with new contacts.
Highly organized with strong attention to detail and ability to manage multiple priorities.
Experience with CRM systems (Salesforce preferred) and Microsoft Office Suite.
Collaborative, team-oriented mindset with the ability to work across departments.
Willingness to work occasional evenings and weekends for events and networking.
May work occasional evenings or weekend events
Ability to read and interpret documents such as safety rules, standard operating procedures, etc.
Ability to write routine reports and correspondence.
Ability to speak effectively before groups of employees of the organization.
Ability to calculate figures and amounts such as percentages, turnover rates, retention rates, etc.
Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists.
Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.

Nice To Haves

Salesforce preferred

Responsibilities

Identify, research, and qualify new corporate prospects to build and grow a robust pipeline of potential partners aligned with the Museum’s mission and funding priorities.
Conduct proactive outreach, including cold and warm prospecting, networking, and leveraging existing relationships to generate new partnership and funding opportunities.
Support cultivation and solicitation strategies for new corporate donors and sponsors, including preparing outreach materials, proposals, and pitch decks.
Partner with senior team members to advance and close new business opportunities.
Track prospect activity and pipeline movement in the CRM and ensure consistent follow-up and progression toward revenue goals.
Represent the Museum at networking events, industry functions, and community engagements to increase visibility and identify new leads.
Manage and grow an assigned portfolio of 50-75 corporate partners, serving as the primary day-to-day relationship manager.
Execute all stages of the donor lifecycle, with a focus on qualification, cultivation, onboarding, and early-stage stewardship.
Maintain regular communication with corporate partners to ensure strong engagement, satisfaction, and retention.
Track and document all interactions, proposals, and outcomes in the CRM system.
Monitor progress toward individual and team revenue goals, ensuring accountability and timely follow-up.
Support the development and execution of corporate sponsorship opportunities tied to exhibitions, public programs, and events.
Assist in creating and packaging sponsorship assets, ensuring alignment with marketing, brand, and audience engagement goals.
Collaborate with Marketing & Communications and Events teams to deliver high-quality sponsor activations and visibility opportunities.
Ensure fulfillment of sponsorship benefits, including brand placement, recognition, and experiential engagement.
Maintain accurate records of proposals, agreements, and correspondence in the CRM system.
Assist in preparing donor-facing materials, including proposals, reports, and presentations.
Coordinate logistics for corporate meetings, site visits, tours, and events, including ticketing and catering needs.
Support donor cultivation and recognition events, including sponsor activations and receptions.
Collaborate with colleagues across departments to ensure coordinated outreach and consistent partner experience.
Conduct administrative tasks and special projects assigned to support Institutional Giving operations.
Additional Duties as assigned