Director of Strategic Giving

GREATER CHICAGO FOOD DEPOSITORY•Chicago, IL

12d•Onsite

About The Position

The Director of Strategic Giving provides strategic leadership and day‑to‑day management of the Strategic Giving program, with a focus on donor engagement, portfolio strategy, data‑informed decision‑making, and team leadership. This role brings firsthand experience managing significant donor relationships while partnering closely with the Senior Director of Individual Giving to translate data and insights into clear plans, priorities, and results. The Director oversees a team of Relationship Managers and plays a critical role in strengthening donor journeys, improving portfolio effectiveness, and ensuring the Individual Giving program delivers meaningful impact aligned with institutional priorities.

Requirements

Demonstrated major gifts experience (10 years +) within a non-profit organization, educational institution or other environment of similar complexity.
Demonstrated experience managing major donor portfolios at the $25K+ level.
Strong background in fundraising data analysis, forecasting, and pipeline management.
Proven people‑management experience with the ability to coach and develop fundraising staff.
Experience creating executive‑level reporting and translating data into strategic insights.
Strong strategic, analytical, and communication skills.
Excellent interpersonal skills to relate to donors, volunteers, and colleagues.
Enthusiastic contributor to the Individual Giving team and the broader Food Depository community.
Understanding and commitment to embrace equity, diversity and inclusion in fundraising practices.
Highly organized & detail oriented.
Adaptable and flexible in fast-paced environment, able to multi-task and handle several priorities simultaneously.
Demonstrated initiative and willingness to take on new projects.
Proficiency in MS Office – Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook.
Development database experience.

Responsibilities

Manage a portfolio of major donors ($25K+), with a strong understanding of complex donor journeys.
Partner with the Senior Director of Individual Giving and Relationship Managers on donor and prospect strategy.
Ensure alignment between individual donor strategies, relationship management activity, and organizational priorities.
Provide thoughtful guidance on next steps, focus, and prioritization within donor portfolios.
Engage Chief Philanthropy Officer and Chief Executive Officer appropriately to advance donor relationships.
Develop, analyze, and interpret fundraising data to surface insights and trends across pipelines, portfolios, donors, and campaigns.
Translate data related to budgets, forecasting, and pipelines into concise, actionable insights that support planning and decision‑making.
Work closely with the Senior Director of Individual Giving to create clear narratives that accompany data for executive audiences.
Prepare high‑quality reports and presentations for the Senior Director of Individual Giving and Chief Philanthropy Officer.
Ensure data is used to shape plans rather than simply being reported.
Manage and mentor a team of four Relationship Managers.
Provide coaching, accountability, and strategic guidance to support strong performance and donor‑centered practice.
Partner with the Senior Director of Individual Giving to foster a collaborative, results‑oriented team culture.
Partner with the Senior Manager, Donor Engagement on the creation and execution of meaningful cultivation and stewardship activities.
Support professional growth while ensuring consistent execution against goals, strategies, and standards.
Create strategies that support department goals to significantly increase donor engagement and mission support through multi-year strategies resulting in multi-year commitments.
Ask thoughtful, challenging questions that deepen strategic discussion and decision‑making.
Think broadly and critically about donor engagement, portfolio strategy, and performance.
Maintain a strong focus on impact, clearly distinguishing between activity and meaningful outcomes.