Job Opportunities


Have you thought about a career that promotes literacy among Chicago's youth?

At WITS, we believe there is no better gift than the love of reading. If you are as passionate about education as we are, we invite you to explore a career with WITS.

Since 2006, we have experienced exciting growth in our programs including the number of students we serve and volunteers we recruit. Throughout the years, we have built a diverse team of dedicated, intelligent, and passionate individuals.

Currently we are accepting applications for Development Director.

SUMMARY OF POSITION:

This position is a key member of senior staff and leads the organization in planning and executing a comprehensive fundraising plan which brings in over $1 million annually. This includes corporate, foundation, and government funding and sponsorship with a particular focus on individual giving. 

Major Duties and Responsibilities

  • Partner with executive director to plan solicitation and stewardship of donors and guide board, committee members, staff, and volunteers in on-going cultivation.
  • Support board members and volunteers to be effective fundraisers.
  • Participate in organizational and long-term strategic planning and overall promotional activities.
  • Develop long-term growth strategies with a particular focus on growing and supporting individual giving.
  • Implement annual development plan and monitor and evaluate development strategies.
  • Develop and implement work plans.
  • Supervise and evaluate development department personnel.
  • Supervise the creation of and monitor the department annual expense budget and income goals. Prepare financial documents needed for fundraising and evaluation
  • Supervise the planning, analysis, and production of development-related publications.
  • Support and grow existing strategies and develop innovative ways to expand donor base.
  • Identify and cultivate new and prospective donors; develop and implement a strategy for cultivating major donors.
  • Work closely with the executive director and board in setting income goals for each fiscal year; determine appropriate strategies and priorities for soliciting gifts from donors.
  • Provide support to the solicitation efforts of the executive director, board members, and volunteers.
  • Write appeal letters and solicitation materials.
  • Research and potentially develop technology-based fundraising strategies.
  • Supervise the implementation of existing strategies; develop new initiatives to expand funder base and diversity of types of funders.
  • Develop annual fundraising goals, appropriate strategies, and priorities.
  • Write grants and ensure timely submission of proposals, sponsorship requests, budgets, updates, and end-of-year reports to corporate, foundation, and/or government funders.
  • Supervise the identification, research, and evaluation of potential corporate, foundation, and government prospects for solicitation.
  • Attend site visits with prospects and funders as appropriate.
  • Develop innovative ways to expand net proceeds and increase sponsorship.
  • Manage the team responsible for producing events; supervise staff and/or outside consultants planning and executing special events, ranging from the annual 400-person Luncheon to intimate private major donor events.
  • Oversee the production of work plans, timelines, event-related print materials, correspondence, and financial and evaluation reports for each event.
  • Monitor each event budget.
  • Serve as the primary development liaison with marketing and Communications and Research and Development Committees.
  • Prepare Committee reports and presentations.
  • Manage a fundraising team.
    Manage the department budget, including analytical reporting and income forecasting.
  • Provide consistent team leadership to the Development team and serve on the organization's Leadership Team to facilitate cross-departmental cooperation and communication.
  • Maintain regular contact with internal and external stakeholders, including all staff, external stakeholders include the organization's Partners, Board Members, Board Development Committee, members of executive management, donors, etc.
  • Develop and prepare reports related to donation trends, activities, and opportunities.
  • Plan and lead site visits with potential and current donors. Work with Development and Program staff, and other organizational leaders to ensure tour success from start to finish and post-tour follow-up.
  • Oversee the management and use of ETapestry. Use ETap to produce donor reports, event reports, and mailing lists.
  • Assist with other projects as necessary.
  • Supervise the administrative work of staff to ensure development records are reconciled with accounting records, timely acknowledgments are sent, donor and prospect files are maintained, and database is maintained
  • Perform other duties as necessary.

  

Qualifications, Skills and Abilities

  • College degree with minimum of eight years experience in fundraising, with a minimum of three years in a senior management position leading a development team, and three years of proven experience in individual giving and major donor cultivation.
  • Proven ability to lead a fundraising effort that brings in $1+ million annually (in addition to other factors, performance is evaluated based on the ability to reach fundraising goals).
  • Experience and proven success developing board and committee members as fundraisers.
  • Prior experience and proven success with annual giving and major donor fundraising.
  • Proven success managing small and large events and excellent managerial skills.
  • Knowledge of the local and national funding community; particularly individual philanthropists.
  • Assertive, out-going personality with an infectious can-do attitude.
  • Ability to work occasional evenings and weekends.
  • Excellent writing, public speaking, and interpersonal skills
  • Experience with Microsoft Office 2003. Knowledge of ETapestry database required.
      

    Send cover letter and resume to natasha@witschicago.org.  No phone calls please.