Manager of Institutional Giving

Concordia Place•Chicago, IL

About The Position

The Manager of Institutional Giving reports to the Vice President of Philanthropy and Marketing and leads institutional giving from prospect research and funding strategy through proposal development, award management and compliance, reporting, and funder stewardship. The manager also oversees philanthropy database operations and coordinates the organization’s volunteer engagement program. Concordia Place is a mission-driven organization founded in 1981 that provides multigenerational programs, including early learning, after-school, and teen leadership, for Chicago communities. Its centers serve the Avondale, Ravenswood, North Center, and Old Irving Park neighborhoods, with plans to expand into Albany Park. Its mission is to create involved communities where neighbors can gather, learn, and grow, and it is committed to broad inclusion and opportunity. The role involves work with funders, donors, prospects, community stakeholders, parents, and program leaders. Some remote work is possible, but the position requires in-person meetings, onsite visibility, events within and outside normal business hours, and regular travel between multiple locations. The position operates in a professional office environment and uses standard office equipment.

Requirements

At least 7 years of grant writing and grants management experience, including program evaluation, data, or team leadership.
Relevant bachelor’s degree in a field such as English, Communications, Business, Social Work, Nonprofit Management, or a related field.
Ability to write clear, precise, and compelling proposals and communications.
Knowledge of Chicago-area funders and prospect research.
Experience managing a donor database or CRM, with understanding of data integrity, reporting, workflows, and constituent relationship management.
Strong technology skills, including donor database experience and MS Office applications such as Outlook, Excel, and SharePoint.
Highly organized, detail-oriented, and self-directed, with the ability to balance priorities across multiple projects.
Commitment to the mission and guiding principles of Concordia Place.
Comfort working for a faith-inspired organization that serves everyone regardless of religious beliefs or affiliation.
Ability to commute easily among multiple locations, sometimes within the same day.
Ability to meet the role’s physical demands, including talking, hearing, prolonged sitting, computer and phone use, and lifting up to 30 pounds.

Nice To Haves

An advanced degree.
Nonprofit and youth development experience.
Neon One experience.
Experience coordinating volunteers, volunteer programs, boards, committees, or other community engagement initiatives.
Experience supporting boards, committees, or volunteer leadership groups.

Responsibilities

Write clear, compelling proposals tailored to each funder’s guidelines, formatting, and deadlines.
Manage the grant lifecycle from application through award closeout, ensuring deadlines, deliverables, reporting requirements, and compliance obligations are met.
Track grant spend-downs, expenditures, award restrictions, reporting schedules, and progress toward funded objectives in partnership with Finance and program leadership.
Develop grant budgets and budget narratives in collaboration with Finance and relevant program leaders.
Prepare accurate, timely, and compelling interim and final grant reports demonstrating progress, outcomes, and responsible stewardship of funds.
Establish internal processes for communicating grant requirements, responsibilities, deadlines, and reporting expectations.
Submit proposals, reports, and significant funder communications to the Vice President of Philanthropy and Marketing for review and approval ahead of deadlines.
Maintain organized grant files and documentation to support compliance, continuity, and organizational accountability.
Work with the Vice President of Youth Development and Evaluation to ensure evaluations and outcomes meet funder expectations and needs.
Develop and manage a strategic institutional funding pipeline encompassing foundations, corporate funders, and applicable government grant opportunities.
Identify, research, and assess funding sources for alignment with the organization’s mission, goals, and eligibility criteria.
Lead a long-term institutional funding strategy and revenue forecasting model supporting organizational growth and sustainability.
Cultivate and steward institutional funder relationships and serve as the organization’s primary liaison to funding bodies.
Track grant timelines, submissions, awards, and outcomes, maintaining secure and accurate records.
Strengthen grant-seeking practices and stay current on funding landscape trends.
Coordinate volunteer recruitment, inquiries, screening, onboarding, orientation, scheduling, communications, and ongoing engagement.
Manage volunteer logistics, including assignments, schedules, preparation materials, onsite coordination, and follow-up communications.
Identify opportunities to engage corporate volunteer groups and build relationships with employee engagement and community investment contacts.
Partner with the Vice President of Philanthropy and Marketing to strengthen corporate partnerships, sponsorships, and philanthropic relationships through volunteer engagement.
Serve as the primary staff liaison to the Next Gen Board, supporting member recruitment, onboarding, communications, meeting coordination, and ongoing engagement.
Serve as the functional owner of the organization’s philanthropy database, ensuring data integrity, consistent practices, effective reporting, and appropriate system use.
Oversee database processes and coordinate accurate, timely gift and grant entry, acknowledgment workflows, record maintenance, and data reconciliation with Finance and relevant team members.
Maintain reports, dashboards, and data tools supporting fundraising strategy, revenue forecasting, institutional giving, and leadership decision-making.
Partner with the Director of Donor Relations to ensure database practices support individual donor cultivation, stewardship, retention, and reporting.
Coordinate with Finance to support accurate gift and grant records and alignment between fundraising reports and financial records.
Support other advancement activities and duties as assigned.

Benefits

403(b) retirement savings plan with employer match.
Vacation days.
Sick days.
One week of paid winter holiday.
12 paid holidays per year.
Floating holidays.
Employer-paid short-term disability.
Employer-paid basic life and accidental death and dismemberment insurance.
Medical insurance with employer contribution.
Voluntary dental insurance.
Voluntary vision insurance.
Voluntary basic life and accidental death and dismemberment insurance.
Voluntary long-term disability insurance.
Voluntary Aflac plans.
Employer-paid Employee Assistance Program.
Employee referral program.
Childcare tuition discount for employees.
Quarterly in-service days and professional development resources for teaching staff.