Manager, Institutional Giving in Illinois

Golden Apple Foundation Careers • Chicago, IL

2d • $80,000 - $100,000 • Onsite

About The Position

The Manager of Institutional Giving is responsible for developing, growing, and stewarding Golden Apple’s portfolio of foundation and corporate funding partners in addition to writing grant proposals for Federal, State, and local entities for grants and/or proposals in response to RFPs for services rendered. This position manages a portfolio of institutional funders and prospects, leads the development and submission of 100-150 proposals annually, oversees all grant reporting requirements, and collaborates across the organization to secure and sustain institutional investments that advance Golden Apple’s mission and strategic priorities. The successful candidate will combine exceptional writing and project management skills with a strategic fundraising mindset and the ability to build strong relationships with institutional partners.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Communications, Journalism, English, Nonprofit Management, Public Administration, Business, Education, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.
• Minimum of five years of progressively responsible experience in institutional giving, grant writing, foundation relations, corporate partnerships, fundraising, or related nonprofit development functions.
• Demonstrated success in developing competitive grant proposals and securing foundation, corporate, and/or government funding.
• Exceptional written communication skills, with the ability to translate complex programmatic information into compelling funding proposals and reports.
• Strong project management skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities, deadlines, and stakeholders simultaneously.
• Experience managing donor, grant, and fundraising information within CRM or database systems.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to build productive relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• High professional and ethical standards for handling confidential information.

Nice To Haves

• Experience managing institutional funding portfolios and achieving annual fundraising goals.
• Experience cultivating and stewarding relationships with foundation, corporate, and public-sector funders.
• Familiarity with education, workforce development, or nonprofit sectors.
• Experience with graphic design, presentation development, and donor communications.
• Experience working in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment.

Responsibilities

• Develop and manage a strategic pipeline of foundation, corporate, and public-sector funding opportunities at the local, state, and national levels.
• Manage a portfolio of institutional funders and prospects, developing strategies for cultivation, solicitation, stewardship, and renewal.
• Collaborate with the Development Team and organizational leadership to establish annual institutional giving goals, revenue projections, and funding strategies.
• Identify opportunities to increase institutional support through expanded partnerships, multi-year investments, and new funding sources.
• Monitor trends in philanthropy, education, workforce development, and public funding to identify emerging opportunities aligned with Golden Apple’s mission.
• Lead the development, writing, coordination, and submission of high-quality grant proposals, letters of inquiry, concept papers, and other funding applications.
• Produce compelling, data-driven narratives that communicate organizational impact, program outcomes, strategic priorities, and funding needs.
• Partner with programmatic and executive leadership to identify funding priorities and develop strong cases for support.
• Coordinate proposal development across departments, gathering information related to program design, implementation plans, budgets, evaluation methodologies, staffing, and outcomes.
• Manage all proposals, reporting, and renewal deadlines to ensure timely and accurate submissions.
• Maintain a robust grant calendar and proposal pipeline that supports organizational fundraising goals.
• Serve as a primary relationship manager for assigned institutional funders and prospects.
• Coordinate and participate in funder meetings, presentations, site visits, stewardship activities, and other engagement opportunities.
• Develop and implement individualized stewardship plans to strengthen relationships and increase long-term philanthropic investment.
• Prepare high-quality grant reports and impact updates that demonstrate accountability, outcomes, and return on investment.
• Ensure funders receive timely communication and recognition consistent with organizational policies and partnership agreements.
• Maintain accurate institutional giving records, proposal documentation, funder interactions, and reporting requirements within organizational databases and CRM systems.
• Generate reports, analyses, and portfolio insights to inform fundraising strategy and organizational decision-making.
• Develop presentations, briefing materials, and stewardship reports for current and prospective institutional partners.
• Continuously improve institutional giving systems, proposal development processes, templates, and cross-functional workflows to maximize efficiency and effectiveness.
• Partner with Marketing and Communications staff to highlight institutional partnerships and funding impact through newsletters, annual reports, social media, and other external communications.
• Contribute to organizational planning by providing insights and recommendations on institutional fundraising.
• Accomplish organizational goals through collaboration, initiative, innovation, and a commitment to continuous improvement.
• Support additional development and organizational initiatives as assigned.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, vision, short-term, and long-term disability insurance benefits
• Flexible Spending Account and Dependent Care Spending Account
• Life and Accidental Death and Dismemberment Insurance
• A defined contribution 403(b) plan in which Golden Apple may match up to a maximum of 5% of your eligible compensation if you choose to invest 5% of your gross pay.
• 2 weeks of paid vacation per year, accrued per pay period.
• 13 paid holidays for which you are eligible immediately upon hire.
• 12 sick/personal days per year accrued per pay period.

What This Job Offers

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