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, nonprofit 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.

As the Council enters its second century, we are embarking on an ambitious digital transformation and are growing our community and engagement team to reach and engage more people in Chicago and beyond.

The Role

The Assistant Director, Individual Giving, is an individual giving fundraising professional who identifies new prospects and stewards and cultivates current donors, ensuring that major donors are contributing to and participating in the Council’s offerings as well as supporting the mission of the Council at the highest levels.

The Assistant Director, 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:

• Serve as the account manager for a portfolio of 100-120 major gift donors and prospects, and oversee general membership, generating more than $1,000,000 in annual revenue
• With the support of the Director of Major Gifts, create and implement strategies to engage new prospects
• Steward and cultivate current major donors as well as identify and solicit new donors, all through face-to-face meetings, calls, emails, and events
• Develop and implement active engagement strategies with major donors and prospects, and engage senior staff in partnering on these relationships
• Write original donor communications and review drafts prepared by colleagues on the development team, including meeting requests, solicitations, renewal letters, proposals, acknowledgments, and promotions
• Develop innovative cultivation strategies and promotions, including tying communications to what’s going on in the world and connecting to Council activities
• Oversee the creation of an annual engagement and communications calendar with the Individual Giving Officer’s support 
• Write and distribute monthly email updates to major donors, sharing information about the Council’s upcoming programs and studies, sponsorship opportunities, and other ways to be involved in the Council’s work, linking the Council’s work to matters important to major donors
• Leverage the Council’s large, annual premier events, including the Global Leadership Awards Dinner (GLAD) and the Chicago Forum on Global Cities, to engage new potential supporters
• Attend, engage, and support frequent Council events and activities with strong major donor presence, to include regular weekday evening and early morning hours
• Provide support at Council events approximately 3 - 4 times monthly (registration, ushering, etc.), requiring some evening and early morning hours
• Supervise Individual Giving Officer
• Participates collaboratively with the Development team’s diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies
• Perform other projects as assigned

Qualifications

• 5+ years of fundraising and/or sales experience, preferably with a nonprofit/membership organization, including a track record of securing four and five figure contributions
• A bachelor’s degree or relevant business experience with a focus on business, international affairs, communications, or related field
• Ability to initiate and build relationships with major donors; ability to manage multiple relationships and projects concurrently
• 2+ years of management experience is preferred
• Excellent written, verbal, and listening communication skills; strong presentation and public speaking abilities
• 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 cooperatively as part of a team/willingness to help out as needed on projects on the development team
• Experience with customer relations management software (e.g., Salesforce), and donor databases is required
• Ability to work frequent weekday evening and early morning events and occasionally travel to suburbs 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.