Celebrating its centennial anniversary in 2022, the Chicago Council on Global Affairs is where your world and the world meet. The Council is a nonpartisan, non-profit organization that empowers more people to help shape our global future. Through content and engagement experiences that offer diverse, fact-based perspectives and in-depth analysis, we foster dialogue on the world’s most critical issues. We are committed to building an inclusive community of globally conscious people who want to actively participate in global affairs and gain the knowledge that can help them make a tangible impact – big or small – in the world.

With political, cultural, and technological changes and disruptions driving historical shifts in the global order, the Council’s mission is as critical today as when it was founded 100 years ago. In the next century of the Council’s expansion, we will invite new major donors to invest in the Council’s future.

The Role

To drive this effort, the Council is looking for an experienced Director, Individual Giving, to create the strategy and oversee the implementation of plans for current and potential major donors. The Director, Individual Giving, is charged with developing and strengthening relationships with key stakeholders and donors and identifying new individuals, family foundations, and networks to support the Council. The Director, Individual Giving, will also oversee team efforts to grow the annual fund and build a donor journey to identify major gift prospects. This role works closely with the Vice President, Development, to develop donor strategy and identify, cultivate and steward a portfolio of high-potential prospective donors.

The Director of Individual Giving is a hybrid role and requires some in-person attendance at our Downtown Chicago location based on work activities and peak seasons.

  Responsibilities

  Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Manage the individual giving team and oversee their donor portfolios in addition to managing the team’s overall fundraising budget, projections, and timelines.
• Support the senior management team in major gifts fundraising activities.
• Create and execute the major gifts fundraising strategy, using best practices and the full range of fundraising tools to raise hit annual goals and connect potential donors to long-term philanthropic investments that can be made at the Council.
• Acquire new donors at five and six-figure contribution levels, steward gift renewal of approximately 150+ major donors.
• Directly solicit contributions, prepare members of the senior management team for their fundraising solicitations, and work with current major gifts donors and members of the board to identify prospective donors.
• Support the membership team’s efforts to automate small gift fundraising, particularly through the development of an annual fund.
• Identify international interests and expertise of current and potential donors, next generation donors, and family foundations in order to align their personal interests and philanthropic priorities with annual support and campaign support for the Council.
• Work across the organization to leverage opportunities, build awareness, and facilitate meaningful engagement for donors.
• Participates collaboratively with the Development team’s diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies.
• Develop the leadership capacities of team members through providing personal and professional development, training, and coaching.
• Serve as an advocate for team needs and champion team success and leadership.  
• Perform other projects as assigned.

Qualifications

The Director will be strategic, highly organized, and results-oriented. The ideal candidate will enjoy introducing the Council’s work, what makes the organization unique and worthy of investment, and discussing a range of Council activities with a diverse community of current and potential donors. They will excel at building new relationships with top individual donors, family foundations, donor advisors, and board members. The Director will manage a high-performing Individual Giving team and will bring a strong command of fundraising best practices, fundraising tools, and enthusiasm for raising money.

The ideal candidate will have the following qualifications:

• 8-10 years of fundraising experience, preferably in major gifts or individual giving with a non-profit organization, including a track record of securing five and six-figure philanthropic gifts.
• Bachelor’s degree; demonstrated interest in international affairs and world events preferred
• Ability to initiate and build relationships with philanthropic leaders, next generation donors, and family foundations
• Experience managing staff, budgets, and fundraising plans/timelines
• Excellent verbal, written, and listening communication skills
• Self-starter, creative, and driven to achieve and exceed financial goals
• Ability to maintain confidential information, exercise discretion, and use sound judgment
• Keen attention to detail and well-honed organizational skills
• Ability to work collaboratively as part of a team and maintain collegial working relationships with staff members at all levels
• Ability and willingness to work evening and early morning events, and travel occasionally for donor meetings and events beyond downtown Chicago

Council Benefit Highlights 

There are many benefits to working at the Council, including a flexible remote/in-office work environment, half-day summer Fridays, paid parental leave, employer-subsidized medical/dental/vision insurance, generous paid time off, retirement match, mobile phone stipend, commuter accessible, fitness center membership, and more.