Individual Giving Director

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Description

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

• Develop and implement a comprehensive individual giving strategy, including cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of donors above the $1K giving level.
• Provide oversight and direction for major gifts, leadership gifts, planned giving, principal gifts, and grants programs.
• Lead annual and multi-year planning efforts for individuals giving in alignment with the organization’s overall fundraising goals and strategic revenue roadmap.
• Monitor performance metrics and donor trends to inform strategy, improve efficiency, and ensure sustainability.
• Lead and oversee moves management strategies across the Individual Giving team to ensure coordinated, strategic advancement of donor prospects toward solicitation, with a focus on continually replenishing and enhancing the individual donor pipeline.
• Provide strategic oversight of the chapter’s planned giving program, including identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of planned giving prospects to grow long-term legacy support for Make-A-Wish Illinois.
  
• Build and manage a personal portfolio of high-capacity donors and prospects, including individuals capable of making major and principal gifts.
• Execute cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship efforts to secure significant philanthropic investments.
• Develop tailored engagement strategies to deepen donor relationships and inspire long-term commitment to the mission.
• Represent the organization at donor cultivation events, fundraising activities, and mission-focused experiences to build relationships and increase donor engagement.
  
• Supervise and support a team of gift officers responsible for various segments of the individual giving portfolio.
• Coach and mentor staff to meet performance goals and grow professionally, fostering a collaborative and results-driven team culture.
• Collaborate with other Development leaders to integrate individual giving with events, corporate partnerships, and other fundraising initiatives.
• Partner with the Mission Delivery, Marketing & Community Advancement, and Operations teams to ensure alignment across donor communications, reporting, impact storytelling, and donor engagement opportunities.
  

Description
Position Description: The Individual Giving Director leads the strategy, execution, and management of all individual giving programs for donors giving above $1K to maximize philanthropic support from individual donors across the giving spectrum. This includes leadership gifts, major gifts, principal gifts, planned giving, and grants. The Director oversees a team of gift officers, ensures strong donor stewardship practices, and maintains a personal portfolio of high-level donors. The Individual Giving Director is a key leader in the Development Department and plays an essential role in achieving the chapter’s revenue goals and advancing the mission of Make-A-Wish Illinois.
Essential Duties & Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership & Program Oversight

• Develop and implement a comprehensive individual giving strategy, including cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of donors above the $1K giving level.
• Provide oversight and direction for major gifts, leadership gifts, planned giving, principal gifts, and grants programs.
• Lead annual and multi-year planning efforts for individuals giving in alignment with the organization’s overall fundraising goals and strategic revenue roadmap.
• Monitor performance metrics and donor trends to inform strategy, improve efficiency, and ensure sustainability.
• Lead and oversee moves management strategies across the Individual Giving team to ensure coordinated, strategic advancement of donor prospects toward solicitation, with a focus on continually replenishing and enhancing the individual donor pipeline.
• Provide strategic oversight of the chapter’s planned giving program, including identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of planned giving prospects to grow long-term legacy support for Make-A-Wish Illinois.
  

Donor Portfolio Management

• Build and manage a personal portfolio of high-capacity donors and prospects, including individuals capable of making major and principal gifts.
• Execute cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship efforts to secure significant philanthropic investments.
• Develop tailored engagement strategies to deepen donor relationships and inspire long-term commitment to the mission.
• Represent the organization at donor cultivation events, fundraising activities, and mission-focused experiences to build relationships and increase donor engagement.
  

Team Management & Collaboration

• Supervise and support a team of gift officers responsible for various segments of the individual giving portfolio.
• Coach and mentor staff to meet performance goals and grow professionally, fostering a collaborative and results-driven team culture.
• Collaborate with other Development leaders to integrate individual giving with events, corporate partnerships, and other fundraising initiatives.
• Partner with the Mission Delivery, Marketing & Community Advancement, and Operations teams to ensure alignment across donor communications, reporting, impact storytelling, and donor engagement opportunities.
  

Operations & Compliance

• Oversee individual giving budget development, forecasting, and reporting in partnership with the development services and operations teams.
• Ensure accurate and timely tracking of donor interactions, proposals, and gifts within the CRM system.
• Maintain a deep understanding of donor giving vehicles and ensure adherence to relevant laws, regulations, Make-A-Wish America policies and ethical standards.
  

Requirements
Education

• Bachelor’s degree required.
  

Experience & Skills

• Minimum of 8 years of progressive fundraising experience, including demonstrated success managing high-level donor portfolios.
• Minimum of 3 years of experience successfully managing and developing a fundraising team, with demonstrated ability to lead through influence, drive performance, and foster a collaborative culture.
• Strong knowledge of fundraising best practices in major gifts, annual giving, and planned giving is required.
• Proven ability to coach and lead high-performing teams in a collaborative environment.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, including experience crafting donor proposals and stewardship materials.
• Experience with donor databases (Salesforce preferred) and data-driven fundraising strategies is required.
• Commitment to the mission and values of Make-A-Wish Illinois.
  

Additional Attributes

• Ability to focus on the tasks and details relevant to the position and the organization, while also switching quickly between functions.
• Ability to exercise excellent independent judgment and take ownership of decisions.
• Ability to think on a broad, systems-level relative to the scope of the position.
• Ability to work independently and self-manage to achieve goals while being a strong team player.
• Ability to organize, meet deadlines, and delegate appropriately.
• Ability to lead and embrace change.
• Ability to develop strong relationships within a collaborative setting that values diverse opinions.
  

Work Schedule and Location: Hybrid Schedule – Tuesday and Thursday in-person at the corporate office (200 W. Monroe, Suite 1801, Chicago, IL 60606) and Monday, Wednesday, and Friday are remote. Occasional evenings and weekends are required for donor engagement and events. This position must have reliable access to a vehicle and the ability to work some evening and weekend hours in support of donor relationships and events.
Business needs may dictate occasional need to adjust the hybrid schedule and team member is expected to be able to accommodate the organization’s physical presence needs as part of their hybrid work agreement.
Other: Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Physical Activities and Working Conditions: The physical demands and working conditions described here are representative, but not exhaustive, of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

• This position is typically performed in an interior, environmentally controlled office setting. The duties of the job require extended periods of time being stationary and manipulating a computer (keyboard, monitor, mouse), and other standard office equipment including, but not limited to printer, fax, calculator, copier, telephone and associated computer/technology peripherals.
• At times this job will require an ability to lift up to 30 pounds.

Seniority level

• Seniority level

  Director

Employment type

• Employment type

  Full-time

Job function

• Job function

  Other

• Industries

  Non-profit Organization Management

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