Director, Development (Chicago / Hybrid)
About the position This position serves as a mission-driven leader on the Strategic Gifts team and within the broader Development organization. The role balances hands-on fundraising with people management, providing coaching, mentorship, and performance accountability for frontline fundraisers while personally developing a pipeline of major and principal gifts. The Director leads by example through disciplined prospecting, personalized donor engagement, and the successful solicitation of major and principal gifts. This role partners closely with peer Directors, Relationship Managers, colleagues within Feeding America, and champions collaboration within the Feeding America Network to advance integrated, relationship-based fundraising strategies that maximize philanthropic impact. Feeding America is the nation’s largest charity and the leading domestic hunger-relief charity in the United States. Our mission is to feed America's hungry through a nationwide network of member food banks and engage our country in the fight to end hunger.
Responsibilities
- Manages and develops regionally assigned major gift fundraisers, providing clear expectations, ongoing coaching, strategic guidance and candid feedback to drive fundraising performance and professional growth.
- Informs individual coaching, strategy and portfolio development using data and activity metrics with a commitment to accountability and transparency.
- Fosters a culture of collaboration, learning and excellence by modeling best practices in donor engagement and relationship management.
- Develops an active portfolio of 50–60 donors and prospects with a target solicitation level of 7-figures; leads all aspects of donor strategy, identification, qualification, cultivation, solicitation and stewardship for personal portfolio.
- Models an entrepreneurial and innovative spirit with high volumes of fundraising activity.
- Uses data for prospecting strategy and partners closely with Philanthropy Operations to identify new potential major and principal gift donors.
- Presents mission‑based partnership opportunities to individual philanthropists and family foundations, in collaboration with Strategic Gifts colleagues, Subject Matter Experts (SMEs), executive leaders and Network food banks.
- Evaluates opportunities and considers diverse philanthropic vehicles, including planned giving, to maximize impact by aligning donor goals with organizational priorities, in accordance with Feeding America policies.
- Collaborates with Directors, the Vice President of Development, and peers across Development to align relationship‑based fundraising strategies and maximize national and local impact.
- Leads with an enterprise mindset, partnering with Feeding America Network food banks to coordinate donor strategies for individuals giving at both national and local levels.
- Works cross‑functionally with Corporate and Foundation fundraisers to align strategies for high‑net‑worth individuals, including C‑suite executives and family foundations.
- Builds meaningful partnerships within the Feeding America Network, developing and implementing collaborative fundraising initiatives to deepen engagement and generate revenue.
- Oversees preparation and delivery of personalized donor strategies, briefing memos, proposals, stewardship reports and cultivation materials in partnership with Strategic Gifts colleagues and SMEs.
- Supports and implements comprehensive stewardship and recognition plans for major and principal gift donors in collaboration with Development and Network partners.
- Leads special projects and initiatives that enhance donor engagement, strengthen Network collaboration and advance departmental fundraising goals.
Requirements
- 7+ years of fundraising experience with track record of coaching, developing, and leading frontline fundraisers, preferably within a complex or federated nonprofit organization.
- 3+ years of experience managing a team of fundraisers.
- Strong knowledge of fundraising best practices, including capital campaigns, major and planned giving.
- Demonstrated success soliciting and securing 6- and 7-figure gifts.
- Proven experience developing donor strategies, solicitation approaches, briefing materials and stewardship plans for high‑net‑worth individuals and families.
- Fosters an Enterprise Mindset
- Fosters an Open and Supportive Environment
- Leads with Accountability
- Collaborates Internally and Externally
- Focuses on People and Teams
- Manages Organization and Business Complexity
- Communicates with Impact and Influence
Benefits
- Flexible work environment (hybrid)
- 30-day “work anywhere” program
- Transparent salary ranges
- Regular merit increases
- Step promotions
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