Director of Development, Individual Giving

About the Role

The Director of Development (Individual Philanthropy & Major Gifts) leads NLEN's individual philanthropy strategy by cultivating transformational relationships that expand unrestricted revenue through major gifts, planned giving, donor-advised funds, family foundations, and non-application-based corporate philanthropy. This role owns the full lifecycle of donor cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship while building the systems, partnerships, and engagement strategies needed to cultivate lifelong supporters and achieve long-term financial sustainability.

Responsibilities

• Individual Philanthropy, Major Gifts & Planned Giving Strategy
  • Design, build, and execute NLEN's individual giving strategy by cultivating transformational relationships that expand unrestricted revenue through major gifts, planned giving, donor-advised funds, family foundations, and non-application-based corporate philanthropy.
  • Develop and execute a multi-year individual philanthropy strategy that grows unrestricted revenue and diversifies NLEN's funding base.
  • Build, qualify, and actively manage a portfolio of major gift prospects capable of making five-, six-, and seven-figure investments.
  • Design and implement a planned giving strategy that encourages legacy gifts through bequests, beneficiary designations, charitable trusts, donor-advised funds, and other deferred giving vehicles.
  • Partner closely with the CEO (primary solicitor) and Chief Strategy, Innovation & External Affairs Officer (secondary solicitor) to develop cultivation strategies, prepare solicitation plans, and advance donor relationships through every stage of the moves management process.
  • Conduct prospect research, wealth screening, and philanthropic capacity assessments to identify high-capacity individuals and strategic giving opportunities.
  • Develop personalized cultivation, solicitation, stewardship, and recognition strategies that deepen donor engagement, increase lifetime giving, and improve donor retention.
  • Monitor fundraising trends and philanthropic priorities to proactively identify new opportunities that strengthen NLEN's long-term individual giving strategy.
  • Serve as the internal champion and key partner to the Associate Board to maximize their fundraising and friend-raising capacity while cultivating the next generation of governance and major donors.
• Philanthropic Systems & Operational Excellence
  • Build and manage the systems, processes, and organizational infrastructure that create disciplined relationship management, personalized donor engagement, and sustainable fundraising practices that outlast individual staff members.
  • Actively leverage and improve Salesforce as NLEN's major gifts and donor relationship management system.
  • Develop and maintain a comprehensive moves management process that ensures every major donor and prospect receives timely, strategic, and personalized engagement.
  • Maintain accurate donor portfolios, cultivation plans, contact reports, revenue forecasts, stewardship schedules, and fundraising dashboards.
  • Prepare donor briefings, meeting materials, executive correspondence, follow-up communications, and solicitation strategies that support the CEO and executive leadership.
  • Develop standardized donor stewardship plans, cultivation workflows, and relationship management practices that improve consistency, responsiveness, and long-term donor engagement.
  • Establish systems that increase donor acquisition, retention, gift upgrades, and planned giving participation through disciplined relationship management.
  • Promote continuous improvement through documentation, process refinement, and organizational learning.
• Brand Engagement & Strategic Communications
  • Execute donor-centered marketing, communications, and engagement strategies that elevate NLEN's brand, deepen philanthropic relationships, and inspire greater investment in the organization's mission.
  • Execute the individual philanthropy components of NLEN's brand engagement strategy and differentiated marketing and communications plan.
  • Partner with the Director of Development (Institutional Giving) to develop compelling fundraising campaigns, impact stories, stewardship communications, and donor engagement materials.
  • Design and execute high-touch donor cultivation experiences, including Jeffersonian Dinners, leadership briefings, site visits, and personalized engagement opportunities.
  • Support strategic fundraising events and community convenings by developing donor cultivation strategies, sponsorship opportunities, and executive engagement plans.
  • Coordinate cross-functional efforts to maximize donor participation, stewardship, and philanthropic investment through signature events and strategic initiatives.
  • Foster a culture of philanthropy by equipping staff, leadership, the Board of Directors, and the Associate Board with the messaging, tools, training, and engagement opportunities needed to serve as effective ambassadors, fundraisers, and friend-raisers for NLEN.
  • Partner with internal leaders and external vendors to ensure consistent messaging, storytelling, and brand representation across all donor-facing communications.

Requirements

• Education & Experience: Bachelor's degree in communications, nonprofit management, business, or a related field with at least five years of progressively responsible fundraising experience, including major gifts, donor relations, or philanthropy.
• Major Gifts Expertise: Demonstrated success cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding major individual gifts, corporate philanthropy, donor-advised funds, or family foundation investments.
• Relationship Management: Exceptional ability to build authentic relationships with high-net-worth individuals, executives, board members, and community leaders.
• Strategic Fundraising: Experience developing moves management strategies, donor portfolios, cultivation plans, and personalized solicitation approaches.
• Collaborative Leadership: Ability to partner effectively with executive leadership, board members, volunteers, and cross-functional teams to advance fundraising priorities.
• Technology & Data Management: Experience using Salesforce or comparable CRM platforms to manage donor portfolios, fundraising pipelines, and stewardship activities.
• Communication & Influence: Outstanding written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills, with the ability to prepare compelling donor communications, executive briefing materials, and solicitation strategies.
• Event Strategy & Donor Engagement: Experience planning high-touch donor cultivation experiences, fundraising events, and executive engagement opportunities that deepen relationships and increase philanthropic investment.
• Brand Engagement & Storytelling: Ability to translate organizational impact into compelling narratives that inspire giving and strengthen donor engagement.
• Commitment to Mission: Passion for advancing economic mobility, racial equity, and community-driven impact consistent with NLEN's mission and values.

About the Organization

North Lawndale Employment Network is a comprehensive workforce development agency on Chicago’s West Side dedicated to advancing the economic outcomes of the community’s residents through innovative employment initiatives, including our social enterprises. In August 2021, North Lawndale Employment Network transitioned to a new campus which features a premier community café for residents and stakeholders.

Mission

To improve the earning potential of the North Lawndale community through innovative employment initiatives that lead to economic advancement and an improved quality of life for residents.

Core Values

• Neighborhood-focused employment initiatives are fundamental. Successful programs are neighborhood-focused and community-driven so they meet the specific needs of individuals.
• Quality of work matters. People who work hard should not be poor. A full-time job must meet basic needs and offer conditions for engagement, advancement, and respect.
• Economic mobility is essential to reducing poverty. Family supporting wages and financial literacy are core to addressing economic insecurity, which disproportionally affects African American, Latino, and other families of color.
• Economic insecurity is not only impacting the poor; it has grown to threaten the middle class.
• Self-employment and entrepreneurship are critically important economic mobility strategies to generate income and boost household finances.
• We must address the racial wealth gap and social inequality. The United States’ history of racially charged public policy has created the modern racial wealth divide not just through the legacy of slavery and Jim Crow, but through the more recent race-based discrimination in hiring, housing subsidies, tax subsidies, and veteran benefits as well as other implicitly and explicitly racist public policies.
• Everyone deserves human dignity and empowerment. To uphold this belief, we do all of our work in a manner that values human dignity and eliminates shame, humiliation, and stigma by building on the strengths that help our participants and community survive loss and trauma and rebalance the power dynamic between participants and authority figures.

Status: Full-Time / Exempt (salaried) or Part-Time (classified)
Hours: Full-Time – 40 hours per week / Some evenings and weekends, as needed
Hours of Operation: Monday – Friday 8am-5pm