Greater Chicago Food Depository
Senior Director of Donor Engagement and Operations
Greater Chicago Food Depository, Chicago, Illinois, United States, 60290
Senior Director of Donor Engagement and Operations
Greater Chicago Food Depository
Salary: $160,000 – $180,000 per year
General Description Joining the Food Depository at a time of exponential development growth, this key role will provide oversight of donor cultivation and stewardship, planning and strategy, prospect management and pipeline development, metrics and analytics, and development operations. The Senior Director will collaborate with the Chief Philanthropy Officer and development teams to create a plan that increases donor engagement and retention, supports data‑driven decision making, and fosters cross‑functional collaboration.
Key Responsibilities and Essential Functions
Lead an innovative cultivation and stewardship program that deepens mission engagement and increases donor retention.
Refine and develop cross‑department systems and processes that support all aspects of fundraising.
Provide oversight to the moves management system and donor research.
Lead donor operations, including gift processing, acknowledgement, and analytics, to inform fundraising strategies.
Lead development and reporting of key performance indicators.
Supervise a team of nine, including four direct reports.
Donor Stewardship / Cultivation
Build a stewardship and cultivation framework that ensures the development team has systems, processes, and workflows to effectively steward and cultivate donors.
Collaborate continuously with Development, Marketing, Community Impact, Policy, Advocacy, and Community Engagement teams to enhance stewardship offerings for donors.
Oversee a robust cultivation program supporting in‑person, online, and virtual engagement opportunities.
Collaborate with the CPO and Technology & Infrastructure team to implement and maintain systems, data, tools, and assets that assist relationship managers with pipeline development, management, and tracking.
Maintain awareness of program budgets, funding needs, and ongoing program developments, learnings, successes, and challenges.
Planning and Strategy
Translate organization priorities into fundraising objectives and goals in partnership with the CPO and development leadership.
Support development of individual work plans and track key performance indicators across the department.
Act as a thought partner to harness data, identify new ideas, scan for best practices, and drive continuous improvement within development.
Development Operations Process and Systems
Develop and implement streamlined business processes to increase efficiency and accuracy of development workflows, including gift processing, prospect management, revenue/cash forecasting, and report development.
Encourage cross‑team collaboration across the donor pipeline.
Research and Relationship Management
Supervise the Senior Manager of Prospect Development and Analytics, providing leadership and support of moves‑management programs, data acquisition, prospect and portfolio development, and related activities.
Analyze and recommend continual refinement of the donor portfolio to maximize impact.
Data Reporting and Analysis
Collaborate with other development leaders to define and modify key metrics and indicators of successful donor engagement.
Donor Data Management, Gift Processing and Acknowledgement
Provide strategic guidance and oversight to the data management and gift‑processing teams.
Supervise the Senior Manager of Development Operations and collaborate on key decisions related to data management, acquisition, research, and analysis.
Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree with 7-10+ years of development experience specific to this role.
Minimum of 4‑5 years managing multi‑functional teams.
Strong background in strategy development, change management, and system improvement.
Proven record in developing robust cultivation and stewardship programs.
Demonstrated initiative and desire to take on new projects.
Superb interpersonal skills and the ability to actively listen.
Excellent written and oral communication skills.
Effective presentation and negotiation skills.
Highly organized and attentive to detail.
Adaptable and flexible, able to handle several priorities simultaneously in a fast‑paced environment.
Team‑oriented and collaborative, with the ability to work independently.
Commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion in fundraising practices.
Proficiency in MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook).
Strong development database experience.
Exposure
Hybrid remote, in‑person Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.
General office environment; limited exposure to warehouse environment.
Interaction with staff, board members, financial donors, volunteers, and the general public.
Local travel depends on events; evening and weekend hours required.
Benefits
Health, dental, and vision insurance coverage.
Employer‑paid life and disability insurance.
Employee Assistance Program.
403(b) retirement plan with employer contribution.
Generous paid time off.
Parental leave.
On‑site gym.
$3,000 annual employer‑paid ThrivePass wellness benefit.
$250 employee referral bonus.
Seniority Level Director
Employment Type Full‑time
Job Function
Business Development and Sales
Individual and Family Services
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Salary: $160,000 – $180,000 per year
General Description Joining the Food Depository at a time of exponential development growth, this key role will provide oversight of donor cultivation and stewardship, planning and strategy, prospect management and pipeline development, metrics and analytics, and development operations. The Senior Director will collaborate with the Chief Philanthropy Officer and development teams to create a plan that increases donor engagement and retention, supports data‑driven decision making, and fosters cross‑functional collaboration.
Key Responsibilities and Essential Functions
Lead an innovative cultivation and stewardship program that deepens mission engagement and increases donor retention.
Refine and develop cross‑department systems and processes that support all aspects of fundraising.
Provide oversight to the moves management system and donor research.
Lead donor operations, including gift processing, acknowledgement, and analytics, to inform fundraising strategies.
Lead development and reporting of key performance indicators.
Supervise a team of nine, including four direct reports.
Donor Stewardship / Cultivation
Build a stewardship and cultivation framework that ensures the development team has systems, processes, and workflows to effectively steward and cultivate donors.
Collaborate continuously with Development, Marketing, Community Impact, Policy, Advocacy, and Community Engagement teams to enhance stewardship offerings for donors.
Oversee a robust cultivation program supporting in‑person, online, and virtual engagement opportunities.
Collaborate with the CPO and Technology & Infrastructure team to implement and maintain systems, data, tools, and assets that assist relationship managers with pipeline development, management, and tracking.
Maintain awareness of program budgets, funding needs, and ongoing program developments, learnings, successes, and challenges.
Planning and Strategy
Translate organization priorities into fundraising objectives and goals in partnership with the CPO and development leadership.
Support development of individual work plans and track key performance indicators across the department.
Act as a thought partner to harness data, identify new ideas, scan for best practices, and drive continuous improvement within development.
Development Operations Process and Systems
Develop and implement streamlined business processes to increase efficiency and accuracy of development workflows, including gift processing, prospect management, revenue/cash forecasting, and report development.
Encourage cross‑team collaboration across the donor pipeline.
Research and Relationship Management
Supervise the Senior Manager of Prospect Development and Analytics, providing leadership and support of moves‑management programs, data acquisition, prospect and portfolio development, and related activities.
Analyze and recommend continual refinement of the donor portfolio to maximize impact.
Data Reporting and Analysis
Collaborate with other development leaders to define and modify key metrics and indicators of successful donor engagement.
Donor Data Management, Gift Processing and Acknowledgement
Provide strategic guidance and oversight to the data management and gift‑processing teams.
Supervise the Senior Manager of Development Operations and collaborate on key decisions related to data management, acquisition, research, and analysis.
Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree with 7-10+ years of development experience specific to this role.
Minimum of 4‑5 years managing multi‑functional teams.
Strong background in strategy development, change management, and system improvement.
Proven record in developing robust cultivation and stewardship programs.
Demonstrated initiative and desire to take on new projects.
Superb interpersonal skills and the ability to actively listen.
Excellent written and oral communication skills.
Effective presentation and negotiation skills.
Highly organized and attentive to detail.
Adaptable and flexible, able to handle several priorities simultaneously in a fast‑paced environment.
Team‑oriented and collaborative, with the ability to work independently.
Commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion in fundraising practices.
Proficiency in MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook).
Strong development database experience.
Exposure
Hybrid remote, in‑person Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.
General office environment; limited exposure to warehouse environment.
Interaction with staff, board members, financial donors, volunteers, and the general public.
Local travel depends on events; evening and weekend hours required.
Benefits
Health, dental, and vision insurance coverage.
Employer‑paid life and disability insurance.
Employee Assistance Program.
403(b) retirement plan with employer contribution.
Generous paid time off.
Parental leave.
On‑site gym.
$3,000 annual employer‑paid ThrivePass wellness benefit.
$250 employee referral bonus.
Seniority Level Director
Employment Type Full‑time
Job Function
Business Development and Sales
Individual and Family Services
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