Director of Institutional Giving

Chicago Public Media•Chicago, IL

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

Chicago Public Media is one of the nation’s largest local nonprofit news organizations, home to WBEZ 91.5FM, the Chicago Sun-Times, and Vocalo. Reaching over 3.3 million people weekly across broadcast, print, and digital platforms, Chicago Public Media is a mission-driven organization aspiring to be the most trusted news source in Chicago. They believe independent journalism is essential to a healthy democracy and that access to objective, fact-based news is a right for every citizen. Serving the public interest, they create diverse content that informs and enriches the community, supported by approximately 250 professionals. The Director of Institutional Giving is responsible for the management and performance of the institutional giving team. This role involves strategizing and implementing revenue initiatives, serving as a frontline fundraiser, and coaching the Manager of Institutional Giving. Reporting to the Vice President of Development, the Director will collaborate across the Development team and other departments to strengthen donor pipeline development, improve fundraising effectiveness, and support a high-performing culture of philanthropy.

Requirements

Seven-plus years of progressive frontline fundraising experience with demonstrated expertise interacting with executive-level foundation and corporate representatives.
In-depth knowledge of the corporate/foundation philanthropy process.
Successful experience in developing multi-year gift strategies.
Management experience, with the ability to lead, coach, and motivate a talented team of fundraising professionals.
Comfort using both quantitative and qualitative data to inform strategy and create a culture of excellence, accountability, and support.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Experience developing case statements and donor proposals.
Superior interpersonal skills required with donors and prospects, as well as internal leadership, peers, colleagues, and direct reports.
Must be a team player with high emotional intelligence who values collaboration and partnerships and treats everyone with respect.
Proactive nature with strong planning and attention to detail.
Ability to be strategic, collaborative, and results-oriented.
Ability to take initiative and manage complex projects and work effectively from conception to completion in a timely manner.
Understanding of fundraising industry standards, especially regarding legal and ethical aspects of donor solicitation, confidentiality, gift crediting, stewardship, and financial principles.
Proficiency with Google Suites and constituent management and fundraising software.
Ability to work with a variety of people in multiple departments for the benefit of the organization; desire to collaborate across departments.
Ability to think strategically and possess a thorough understanding of strategic development.

Responsibilities

Develop and maintain strategy for institutional revenue that supports organizational needs, including benchmarking, strategizing, and building a pipeline through prospect research.
Supervise and support the Institutional Giving team, including onboarding, day-to-day management, goal setting, and performance management.
Conduct portfolio and moves management reviews to ensure timely donor engagement, solicitation activity, proposal tracking, and stewardship.
Support the development of donor strategies, cultivation plans, solicitation approaches, and stewardship opportunities for institutional donors and prospects.
Set and track ambitious individual goals for direct reports to advance donor relationships, upgrade support, and maintain high standards.
Manage an active portfolio of 50-80 foundations and corporations, aiming for year-over-year increases.
Identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward institutional donors.
Prepare written solicitations, proposals, and donor reports.
Manage the responsible stewardship of gifts, including interpreting terms in collaboration with finance colleagues.
Maintain data for the institutional giving portfolio in the database, including contact reports, proposals, and stewardship activities.
Proactively identify and approach potential institutional funders to establish new relationships and strengthen CPM’s connections within the institutional funding community.
Monitor and keep leadership apprised of team fundraising performance, portfolio health, and activity metrics.