Director of Development

Company: Share Our Spare

Location: Chicago

Closing Date: 02/11/2024

Salary: £125 - £150 Per Annum

Hours: Full Time

Type: Permanent

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Job Requirements / Description

Director of Development

Share Our Spare ensures every Chicago area child, ages 0-5, has the essential items they need to support their health and development to equip them for a strong start. SOS activates community impact through empowerment, innovative solutions, and a network of partners so that children can thrive and families can shift from crisis management to caregiving with dignity. As a result, we help lay the foundation for a resilient and equitable community.

At Share Our Spare, we believe that every child deserves a strong start and every parent the opportunity to prove one. Since 2011, we have helped children and their families across metro Chicago find support, strength, and hope through an agency partner model that emphasizes wraparound services and empowering upward economic mobility. With a distribution network of more than 180 community organizations, we support social service agencies, early childhood educators, young parents programs, health care networks, and housing organizations in 9 counties in and around the Chicago area.

Share Our Spare (SOS) seeks a highly-motivated, versatile and socially conscious Director of Development to join our team. This role will lead our individual and foundation stewardship, oversee grant writing, prospect new funding opportunities and support the Executive Director with overall fundraising goals. Successful candidates will demonstrate exceptional project management skills, fluency in innovative thinking, and strong writing skills. This role is ideal for a development professional who has developed his/her basic fundraising competencies, and is looking for an entrepreneurial role that includes strategy development, leadership responsibility and growth opportunities.

Responsibilities

Fundraising Strategy

In partnership with the Executive Director, leverage and enhance Share Our Spare’s existing development plan to implement a strategic and diversified fundraising plan from individual, corporate and institutional donors.
Manage and grow a portfolio of major gift donors/prospects and manage the fundraising strategy for these donors with primary responsibility for cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.
Build and manage a portfolio of donors and prospects with $10,000+ capacity for giving, and a focus on prospects capable of giving over $25,000+.
Cultivate, solicit and close annual, major gift and multi-year contributions.
Report to the Board of Directors on progress towards annual fundraising goals.
Fuel SOS’s fundraising pipeline as primary prospect researcher.
Keep apprised of landscape and relevant news/changes in corporate, foundation, and individual giving communities.
Create customized pitch decks and other presentation materials.
Implement a high-quality stewardship program that engages, recognizes, and thanks supporters to strengthen their relationship with Share Our Spare.
Support events strategies, including sponsorship and ticket sales.

Grants and Institutional Support

Support Development Associate in management of the grants pipeline, including submissions, reporting and acknowledgments.
Oversee and grow an established pipeline of grants and prospects.
Manage all donor data from event software to ensure accuracy.

People Management and Team Leadership

Serve as Share Our Spare ambassador within and outside of the Sharehouse.
Work collaboratively with the leadership team to shape culture, team mentality and staff professional development.
Foster a positive and collaborative team environment.
Promote and foster a culture of giving and appreciation with staff, Board of Directors, volunteers, and the broader community.
Actively contribute as a leadership team member and support our ongoing DEIB work.

Communications

Craft and execute compelling communication tools that drive support and championship of Share Our Spare’s mission.
Oversee creation and execution of press releases, social media editorial calendar and communications and marketing collateral for various events.

Qualifications

Passion for and commitment to Share Our Spare’s mission.
Associate degree required; College degree preferred.
3-5 years of relevant professional experience preferred.
Strong written and verbal communication skills.
Familiarity with Microsoft Office and Google programs (e.g. Drive, Docs, Sheets, Word, and Excel).
Experience with donor and inventory management databases required.
Ability to work and manage projects independently as well as collaboratively.
Proven record of proactive problem solving, effectively taking initiative, and strategic thinking.
Strong organizational skills, both in terms of time management and in detail-oriented work.
Access to reliable transportation.

Benefits

Benefits include health insurance, IRA with employer match, 2 weeks of paid time off in year 1 with scaffolded time off opportunities, skill-building, great growth potential, and the opportunity to be part of an entrepreneurial, mission-based organization making an impact in Chicago.

Share our Spare is an equal employment opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, pregnancy, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. Applicants and employees who require a reasonable accommodation due to disability, pregnancy, childbirth or related or common medical conditions should contact Share our Spare’s Executive Director. As provided by applicable law, reasonable accommodations will be provided to qualified applicants and employees, unless an undue hardship would result.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $75,000.00 - $85,000.00 per year

Benefits: