Executive for Development

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America•Chicago, IL

35d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) is seeking an Executive for Development to lead its Development team within the Office of the Presiding Bishop. This role serves as the chief development officer for the churchwide organization, responsible for creating and implementing comprehensive strategies to engage donors across all giving levels and lifecycle stages. The position oversees data management, CRM, gift processing, and the resource and call center. The Executive will be a primary representative for resource generation, serving on leadership tables and advising legislative boards. This is a full-time, regular, exempt, Chicago-based/hybrid position requiring a minimum of 2 days per week in the office. Candidates must reside within the fifty United States or the District of Columbia and be authorized to work lawfully in the United States.

Requirements

10+ years of experience in development-related work, with senior leadership involving significant staff oversight and key organizational functions and initiatives.
Master’s degree in business administration or similar field preferred, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
Demonstrated ability to lead a large, diverse team; strong administrative, organizational, management, and partnership-building skills; strategic thinking ability; capacity to conceptualize, analyze, and synthesize ideas.
Demonstrated ability to develop collaborative relationships with various church entities, including other churchwide units, bishops, and congregational leaders.
Extensive experience with major gifts, donor stewardship, annual giving, capital campaigns, and planned giving. Experience with gifting vehicles including annuities, trusts, donor-advised funds, and endowments.
Broad, functional experience in operations management, including marketing communications, publications, digital media, and data analytics.
Experience in successfully managing board and committee relations, as well as other volunteer groups.
Exceptional interpersonal skills; proven ability to motivate and inspire others to achieve goals and communicate effectively and clearly.
Understanding of and commitment to the mission of the ELCA; in-depth knowledge of church structure, theology, polity, and trends.
Commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility, and anti-racism.
Membership in an ELCA congregation or worshipping community is required.
Minimum Technical Competency: Computer knowledge for operating a Windows computer and basic troubleshooting. Software skills for efficient use of computer programs and applications. Ability to leverage computer knowledge to understand new software, follow processes, and identify improvement opportunities. Experience using Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, Teams, Outlook, etc.) preferred.

Nice To Haves

Valid driver’s license preferred.

Responsibilities

Oversees the development work of the ELCA churchwide organization, including annual and long-term planning for resource development across all revenue channels. Represents Development at leadership meetings and in decision-making.
Interprets and implements policies established by Church Council and other legislative bodies of the ELCA.
Analyzes and evaluates the effectiveness of all operations; develops and maintains organizational structure and effective personnel; and provides for the responsible management of fiscal resources.
Oversees the development of coordinated fundraising strategies for various churchwide organization programs, including Where Needed Most, Lutheran Disaster Response, ELCA World Hunger, and other priorities.
Carries a small portfolio of established transformational donors to the ELCA Churchwide Organization.
Supports stewardship efforts by maintaining or growing Mission Support income and developing interactive communications to engage members.
Ensures effective maintenance and use of the constituent database, leveraging its capacity for communication, fundraising, and marketing. Oversees the call center and resource fulfillment.
Motivates and leads a high-performance management team of 5 direct reports; attracts, recruits, and retains a qualified and diverse staff.
Develops and fosters close working relationships and provides guidance to churchwide units, congregations, synods, regions, and related institutions on resource development matters, ensuring a consistent message regarding the vision and mission of the church.
Performs other duties as assigned.