Development Manager

Illinois Legal Aid Online • Chicago, IL

3d • Hybrid

About The Position

Illinois Legal Aid Online (ILAO) seeks to hire a Development Manager to help grow our resources and donor base. The Development Manager will be an essential member of the organization’s development team, providing critical support that helps fund ILAO’s mission. This role contributes to the overall success of development efforts by ensuring that systems, communications, and processes operate smoothly and that donors and supporters have a positive interaction with the organization. Working closely with the Director of Development and collaborating with colleagues across ILAO as well as outside consultants and vendors, the Development Manager supports a range of fundraising activities, including the grants coordination, annual campaigns, events, and stewardship efforts. ILAO is committed to attracting and retaining a diverse staff. Working with great people with a wide variety of lived experience brings us closer to meeting our vision of a society where all people can get justice. Because our services and products - like the law - are for everyone, we believe in including everyone. We strongly and enthusiastically encourage people of color, individuals who identify within and beyond the LGBTQIA+ spectrum, women, and people with disabilities to apply.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree is required.
• At least 5 years of relevant experience in a professional role executing fundraising efforts, including grants management and event coordination.
• Excellent computer skills in Google and Microsoft office programs and any CRM platform.
• Strong grant writing and reporting skills.
• Strong attention to detail, accuracy, and dependability in a fast-paced, dynamic, deadline-driven environment in a professional manner.
• Excellent people skills, ability to work effectively with a team and diverse groups and individuals.
• Demonstrated oral and written communication skills.
• Must be authorized to work in the United States for any employer.

Nice To Haves

• Experience working in a legal aid organization is a plus.
• Knowledge of federal, state, and city-funded grant writing and reporting is highly desired.
• Knowledge of MailChimp and Salesforce is a plus.
• Knowledge of Adobe Acrobat and Canva is a plus.
• Knowledge of social media tools (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram).

Responsibilities

• Research and monitor foundation, corporate, and public funding opportunities aligned with ILAO’s mission and program priorities.
• Assist in writing, editing, assembling, and submitting grant applications and renewal proposals in accordance with funder requirements and deadlines; track proposal status.
• Coordinate and collaborate with program and finance teams to gather content, proposal budgets, and produce compelling submissions and reports.
• Manage grant timelines and maintain a calendar of deadlines, coordinating internal input and cultivation activities as needed.
• Prepare and submit grant reports demonstrating impact to funders and stakeholders.
• Maintain accurate grant records, including preparing memos and entering awards and related data into the donor database.
• Coordinate and staff funder site visits.
• Assist in developing donor-facing communications, including email appeals, event promotions, and stewardship materials.
• Support the creation and execution of year-round fundraising campaigns, including list segmentation and targeted outreach.
• Help maintain and update ILAO’s case for support and ensure consistent messaging across all development materials.
• Collaborate with program staff to gather stories, data, and impact metrics for use in donor communications and proposals.
• Collaborate on digital fundraising efforts, including tracking performance metrics and recommending improvements.
• Support year-round fundraising campaigns and appeals.
• Assist with all fundraising/social event planning and execution (e.g., annual gala, board events, YPB events, stewardship events, etc.).
• Assist with securing donations & sponsorships for annual gala and other fundraisers and events.
• Staff and support the Young Professionals Board, a cross-sector network of young professionals.
• Oversee timely gift processing and data management within ILAO’s donor database, Salesforce.
• Collaborate with Salesforce consultants to generate periodic (standard and ad-hoc) fundraising analytic reports, including performance against goals and projections.
• Streamline reporting on donor prospects and moves management in the CRM platform.
• Ensure database integrity, maintaining a high level of detail-oriented accuracy within the CRM platform.
• Manage timely gift recognition and acknowledgements.
• Supervise data entry consultant.
• Manage solicitation and stewardship processes for donors assigned, including tracking relevant information, processing gifts, and sending thank you letters.
• Maintain and update the donor tracking system.
• Track and manage local matching gifts.
• Perform all other duties as assigned by the Director of Development.

Benefits

• health and dental insurance
• life insurance
• long-term and short-term disability insurance
• health and dependent care flex spending account
• 15 paid days off
• 15 holidays in the first calendar year of employment
• 403(b) retirement plan, to which ILAO contributes a required 1% of salary monthly.
• flexible workplace policy that supports wellness and work-life balance.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level