Director for Planned Giving

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America • Chicago, IL

4d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Development team within the Office of the Presiding Bishop of the ELCA Churchwide Organization engages donor members across the ELCA through Mission Support and Stewardship, Annual Giving, Institutional Giving, Transformational Giving, and Development Services. The Director for Planned Giving develops, manages, and executes a planned giving fundraising plan to identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward planned gifts supporting churchwide fundraising priorities. The role sets strategy for the planned giving program across the Development team, manages a portfolio of significant planned giving donors, oversees the ELCA legacy society program, serves on the Development leadership team, and works closely with the ELCA Foundation.

This is a full-time, regular, exempt, Chicago-based hybrid position requiring at least two days per week in the office, and more as needed. Candidates must reside in one of the 50 United States or the District of Columbia and be authorized to work lawfully in the United States. The position involves considerable overnight domestic travel by plane and car, including travel to off-site meetings and donor visits. A valid driver’s license is preferred.

Requirements

• At least 7 years of professional fundraising experience developing gifts, particularly planned gifts, and setting strategies.
• Bachelor’s degree in a related field, or an equivalent combination of education, training, and experience demonstrating ability to perform the job duties.
• Experience planning, leading, and managing projects, coordinating with peers, achieving outcomes, and tracking progress for senior staff and partnership members.
• Strong relationship-building skills and ability to interact effectively with diverse constituencies and develop collaborative relationships across departments, units, and expressions of the church.
• Exceptional written and oral communication skills.
• Ability to inspire the confidence of donors, their families, legal and financial advisors, internal colleagues, partners, and staff.
• Understanding of and commitment to the ELCA’s vision, values, and purpose, and familiarity with its structure, theology, and polity.
• Membership in an ELCA congregation or worshipping community.
• Commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility, and anti-racism.
• Understanding of and commitment to Christian stewardship.
• Computer knowledge sufficient to operate a Windows computer and follow basic troubleshooting instructions; ability to use software efficiently, learn new software, follow processes, and identify opportunities for improvement.
• Demonstrated competency with a CRM or other donor management system.
• Ability to meet the physical demands of regularly talking and hearing, being visible on camera, using hands and fingers to operate a computer and telephone, and sitting for long periods; reasonable accommodation may be made.
• Must reside within the 50 United States or the District of Columbia and be authorized to work lawfully in the United States.

Nice To Haves

• Advanced gift planning, financial planning, estate planning, or fundraising certification, such as CAP, CSPG, CFRE, CFP, or AEP.
• Experience using Microsoft Office applications, including Word, Excel, Teams, and Outlook.
• Valid driver’s license.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement a comprehensive planned giving program to increase the number and size of planned gifts supporting ELCA churchwide fundraising priorities.
• Create opportunities for ELCA members to include ELCA ministries in their estate plans and ensure appropriate recognition and stewardship of planned gifts.
• Manage a portfolio of approximately 50–100 active prospects for cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship, and steward long-term planned gifts supporting churchwide fundraising priorities.
• Support mid- and major-gift officers in identifying, developing, and documenting planned gifts, including through training, referrals, and sharing industry trends and best practices.
• Collaborate with Development colleagues and the ELCA Foundation to develop and coordinate strategies for promoting, identifying, soliciting, and stewarding planned gifts.
• Build strong collaborative relationships, particularly with the Senior Director of Annual Giving and Senior Director of Development Services.
• Serve as a key leader on the Development leadership team and help set overall fundraising strategy for the churchwide organization.
• Develop metrics and evaluation tools to show progress in planned giving growth, using actuarial projections as needed.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Benefits

• Employer-paid health premiums for employees.
• Health and dependent care flexible spending accounts.
• Health savings account with an employer contribution.
• Life insurance.
• Substantial employer contribution to a 403(b) retirement plan; no match required.
• Generous paid time-off policy.
• 17 paid holidays.
• Benefits commence on the employee’s start date.

What This Job Offers

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