Senior Manager, Annual Giving

North Park University•Chicago, IL

2d•Onsite

About The Position

North Park University, founded in 1891 and affiliated with the Evangelical Covenant Church, is a Christian university with over 3,200 students. Located on land historically belonging to the Miami and Potawatomi tribes, it is a designated Hispanic Serving Institution committed to serving diverse populations. NPU emphasizes its core distinctives: Christian, city-centered, and intercultural, and values diversity among its faculty, strongly encouraging applications from Black, Indigenous, and People of Color. Situated in Chicago's diverse Albany Park neighborhood, the campus is an urban oasis nine miles from downtown. The university's mission is to prepare students for lives of significance and service through education in the liberal arts, professional studies, and theology. The vision is to build a university of uncommon character and enduring excellence where faith, learning, and service meet. The Senior Manager, Annual Giving is a key member of the Advancement and Alumni Engagement team, responsible for leading the strategy, execution, and performance of the University’s annual giving program. This role involves designing and implementing multi-channel fundraising strategies to increase participation, unrestricted support, and strengthen relationships with alumni, friends, and donors. The Senior Manager will cultivate, solicit, and steward everyday donors, leveraging data, digital tools, and collaboration to expand philanthropic impact.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree
Experience in non-profit development and annual giving, with preference for higher education.
Strong interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills.
Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects with strong attention to detail and organization.
Proven ability to meet quantitative and qualitative goals.
Experience with digital fundraising tools and platforms.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office 365
Personal commitment to North Park’s mission of Christian higher education.

Nice To Haves

Experience with Raiser’s Edge NXT or a similar CRM system.
Strong analytical and technical skills, including data querying, reporting, and performance analysis.

Responsibilities

Develop and execute a comprehensive annual giving strategy aligned with institutional fundraising goals.
Establish an annual plan for cultivation, solicitation, and general stewardship of everyday donors.
Integrate annual giving efforts with major gifts, donor stewardship, and engagement strategies to strengthen the donor pipeline.
Lead and project manage all annual giving campaigns, including digital, direct mail, email, phone, crowdfunding, and flash campaigns.
Partner with Prospect Strategy Manager to track, analyze, and report on campaign performance, donor behavior, and key fundraising metrics to inform strategy.
Continuously optimize campaigns using data-driven insights and best practices.
Build and strengthen relationships with alumni, donors, and friends to increase philanthropic engagement and retention.
Partner with Engagement team to align on strategy and maximize resources.
Oversee strategies for donor segmentation, engagement, and marketing giving societies within annual giving.
Partner with the Stewardship and Impact Manager to ensure meaningful and consistent donor stewardship.
Manage a portfolio of 10-25 leadership-level donors, bridging annual and major gifts by identifying prospects for pipeline growth.
Partner with Advancement colleagues and campus collaborators to promote a culture of philanthropy and engagement.
Serve as a strategic partner in an Engagement Center, supporting innovative approaches to constituent outreach and cultivation.
Provide guidance and input on student worker roles and engagement strategies.
Collaborate with the Advancement Operations team to support database maintenance, reporting, and prospect data needs.
Serve as a liaison to internal and external partners, including University Marketing & Communications, North Park Theological Seminary, business office and financial aid, athletics, and external vendors such as freelance creators and printers.
Ensure accuracy, consistency, and effectiveness across all fundraising operations and communications.