Development Specialist

Title: Development Specialist
Reports to: CEO, with ongoing collaboration and coordination with the Program Director
Supervisory responsibility: None currently
Status: Full-time
Location: Chicago area; primarily remote
Salary range: $60,000 to $65,000 annually

About the role

The Development Specialist is a fundraising professional responsible for developing and executing Female Strong's long-term fundraising strategy and coordinating day-to-day development activities. Working closely with the CEO and Program Director, this position advances individual giving, new donor development, donor cultivation and stewardship, corporate sponsorships and partnerships, and fundraising campaigns and events. The Development Specialist will collaborate with Female Strong's Operations Coordinator and consulting Grant Manager. The Grant Manager retains primary responsibility for grant strategy, proposals, reports, submission deadlines, and the grants calendar. The Development Specialist will help coordinate internal information and support funder stewardship and follow-up when needed. This position is well suited to a proactive relationship builder who enjoys strategy development, donor engagement, and the detailed follow-through required to move fundraising work forward. Occasional evening and weekend work is required for events, donor meetings, and selected organizational activities.

Female Strong is a Chicago-based nonprofit that offers hands-on programs, mentorship, and real-world experiences designed to build confidence, leadership, and entrepreneurial skills in middle and high school girls. Through Female Strong Camps, the YEA! Chicago Entrepreneur Girls Program, and other career exploration and leadership experiences, girls strengthen skills such as strategic thinking, public speaking, financial management, problem solving, resilience, and teamwork while discovering what is possible for their futures. With a vision of building a community one million strong by 2035, Female Strong is expanding the opportunities, relationships, and support that help girls find their voices, pursue their aspirations, and grow into confident future leaders.

Core Values

• We Get It Done
• We Have a Growth Mindset
• We Serve to Inspire

Responsibilities

• Donor Development and Stewardship: Build and manage relationships with assigned donors and prospects through research, personalized outreach, meetings, solicitation, recognition, and timely follow-up; partner with the CEO, Program Director, and board members on cultivation strategies, donor introductions, renewals, increased gifts, and special initiatives.
• Corporate Sponsorships and Partnerships: Identify, cultivate, and steward corporate sponsors and community partners; coordinate outreach, proposals, meetings, recognition, and sponsorship fulfillment; represent Female Strong at donor, sponsor, and community meetings and events as needed.
• Campaigns, Appeals, and Events: Work with the CEO, Program Director, and Marketing consultant on the strategy, calendar, and execution of the annual fund and seasonal campaigns; in collaboration with the Marketing consultant, write solicitation letters, digital appeals, donor updates, and other fundraising communications; support related social media content; coordinate the fundraising components of events, including sponsor and guest outreach, donor communications, on-site support, recognition, and follow-up; track campaign and event results and recommend adjustments based on response and donor feedback.
• Prospect, Pipeline, and Data Management: Research prospective donors, sponsors, and partners and maintain clear pipelines, relationship histories, next steps, and follow-up schedules; collaborate with the Operations Coordinator to maintain accurate donor and prospect records, acknowledgments, segmentation, reporting, and fundraising workflows in Neon CRM; convert introductions and event attendees into qualified prospects and active donor relationships; prepare prospect profiles and fundraising updates for the CEO, Program Director, and volunteer board leaders; maintain the development calendar and use fundraising data to support donor strategy and decision‑making; review fundraising data for accuracy and use it to support donor strategy, campaign decisions, and reporting.
• Grant Collaboration: Support the consulting Grant Manager and Program Director by coordinating internal information, data, impact stories, funder communications, and stewardship as needed.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
• Three to five years of paid experience in nonprofit fundraising, development, advancement, or a closely related field.
• Demonstrated experience cultivating donor relationships and participating in direct solicitations.
• Experience with individual giving, donor stewardship, fundraising campaigns, sponsorships, or corporate partnerships