Senior Director for Planned Giving

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America•Chicago, IL

7h•Hybrid

About The Position

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) is seeking a Senior Director for Planned Giving to join the Development team within the Office of the Presiding Bishop. This role is responsible for developing, managing, and executing a robust planned giving fundraising plan to identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward planned gifts for the ELCA's fundraising priorities. The position will set strategy for the planned giving program, manage a portfolio of significant planned giving donors, and oversee the legacy society program. This role serves on the Development team's leadership team and collaborates closely with the ELCA Foundation. 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

7+ years of professional fundraising experience developing gifts – and in particular planned gifts - and setting strategies.
Bachelor’s degree in a related field; or an equivalent combination of education, training and experience that demonstrates the ability to perform the duties of the position.
Demonstrated experience in planning, leading and managing projects, including coordinating with peers to achieve desired outcomes, and tracking progress to senior staff and partnership members.
Proven relationship-building skills and the ability to interact effectively with diverse constituencies.
Ability to develop collaborative relationships across various departments, units, and expressions of the church.
Exceptional written and oral communication skills.
Demonstrated ability to inspire the confidence of donors, their families and their legal and financial advisors, as well as internal colleagues, partners and staff.
Understanding of and commitment to the mission, vision, values, and goals of the ELCA. Familiarity with the structure, theology, and polity of the ELCA.
Membership in an ELCA congregation or worshipping community.
Commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility, and anti-racism.
Demonstrated understanding of and commitment to Christian stewardship.
Minimum Technical Competency: Computer knowledge that enables you to operate a Windows Computer and follow basic troubleshooting instructions.
Software skills to efficiently use computer programs and applications.
Ability to leverage computer knowledge and software skills to understand new software, follow process, and identify opportunities for improvement.
Experience using Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, Teams, Outlook, etc.) preferred.
Demonstrated competency with a CRM or other donor management systems.

Nice To Haves

Valid driver’s license preferred.

Responsibilities

Develop and implement a comprehensive planned giving program designed to increase the overall number and size of planned gifts in support of ELCA churchwide organization fundraising priorities.
Develop opportunities to invite ELCA members to include the ministries of the ELCA in their estate plans and ensure appropriate recognition and stewardship of planned gifts.
Manage a portfolio of approximately 50-100 active prospects to cultivate, solicit, and steward while also carrying primary responsibility for stewarding long-term planned gifts supporting the fundraising priorities of the churchwide organization.
Support mid and major gift officers during the identification, development and/or documentation of new planned gifts for donors under their management. This could include training, coordinating referrals, and sharing industry trends and best practices across the Development team.
Develop and coordinate a shared strategy for promotion, identification, solicitation, and stewardship of planned gifts, with particular attention on building strong collaborative relationships with the Senior Director of Annual Giving and Senior Director of Development Services.
Serve as a key leader of the Development leadership team in setting overall fundraising strategy for the churchwide organization.
Develop metrics and evaluation tools to illustrate progress related to growth in planned giving, utilizing actuarial projections as needed.
Other duties as assigned.