TITLE: Director of Development, Corporate Relations
Special Olympics Illinois is a not-for-profit sports organization offering year-round training and competition in 18 sports to a community of more than 55,000 traditional athletes, Young Athletes, Unified partners, coaches, volunteers, and more. It strives to be a global leader in shaping a culture where people with and without intellectual disabilities are fully integrated into the community by providing year-round opportunities in competitive sports, health education, leadership and personal development. As a part of the Special Olympics Illinois team, you’ll join an energetic and hard-working group of individuals committed to transforming the lives of those we serve.
Position Overview
Special Olympics Illinois is actively recruiting for the role of Director of Development, Corporate Relations. This role’s responsibilities include fundraising, developing and maintaining key strategic relationships, and supporting the strategic plan and organizational goals of Special Olympics Illinois. This role will be an integral part of the development team, responsible for driving revenue, cultivating new corporate partnerships and managing a portfolio of current corporate partners and donors. This position will also be responsible for developing and implementing impactful employee engagement and fundraising solutions that increase revenue streams to support Special Olympics Illinois’ mission and strategies. This position will have a particular focus on growing philanthropic support in and around the Chicagoland area.
Primary Duties and Responsibilities
Corporate Partnerships
- Retain and grow relationships with existing corporate partners and cultivate new relationships to achieve revenue goals by delivering a high level of communication, stewardship and donor-centric strategies.
- Directly contribute to fundraising goals as established by the Senior Director of Development for corporate dollars raised and contacts made.
- Develop corporate outreach and engagement strategies, build a portfolio of prospects, prepare written materials and proposals in keeping with department standards.
- Collaborate with Development staff and Senior Leadership on unique engagement opportunities to steward current donors and cultivate prospective donors, both individuals and corporations.
- Recruit key community stakeholders and business leaders to serve on SOILL’s various volunteer leadership boards and committees.
- Help to oversee Leaders Council, a group of mid-to-senior career professionals who raise funds and awareness for SOILL.
- Ensure accuracy and timeliness of account data input with the organization’s Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system, Salesforce.
Signature Fundraising Events
- Secure volunteer leaders to serve on event committees (primarily the Champions Ball Committee).
- Drive event revenue through sponsorships, donations and, in-kind acquisitions.
- Identify attendees, sponsors and donors for cultivation and engagement.
- Manage ongoing stewardship for event attendees, sponsors, donors, and committee members.
- Analyze, evaluate and report on event outcomes.
Development Operations
- Maintain constituent data in Salesforce to proactively manage relationships and track engagement.
- Partner with Donor Relations to coordinate financial tracking of gifts and stewardship plans.
- Develop and manage fundraising collateral including gift proposals in partnership with the Marketing & Communications department.
- Utilize available tools to conduct prospect research.
- Provide recognition and impact reports to partners in a timely manner.
- Participate in revenue forecasting and help to create and manage various budgets.
Preferred Qualifications
- Bachelor’s Degree required.
- 4+ years experience in nonprofit development and fundraising, corporate engagement, sales, or relevant experience.
- Superior relationship-building and interpersonal skills which enable rapport-building with internal and external stakeholders.
- Experience engaging with a variety of internal and external stakeholders.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
- Knowledge of nonprofit fundraising best practices and various forms of development solicitation practices, including events, corporate partnerships, cause marketing, and major gift solicitation.
- Computer fluency in MS Office and CRM experience (Salesforce preferred); knowledgeable about the role technology plays in fundraising.
- A continuous learner who is interested in being a proactive, positive member of the team.
Work Schedule & Requirements
- Based in Chicago (with flexibility for a hybrid office schedule).
- Reports to Senior Director of Development.
- Monday through Friday with frequent/occasional evenings and weekends as position demands.
- Independent in-state travel frequently/occasionally required, including some overnight and weekend travel as an essential function of position.
- Physical mobility required: must be able to climb stairs, assist in setup and breakdown at events, stand or sit for long periods of time, and load and unload vehicles.
- Medium work required, which involves lifting no more than 50 pounds at a time with frequent lifting or carrying of objects weighing up to 25 pounds; requires a good deal of walking, standing, and/or sitting with some pushing and pulling of arm or leg controls; includes sedentary work.
- Close visual acuity required to perform activities such as: preparing and analyzing data and figures; transcribing; viewing a computer terminal; extensive reading; visual inspection involving small defects, small parts, and/or operation of machines; operating motor vehicles.
- First Aid/CPR Training and Certification required or willing to obtain within the first six months; must be able and willing to effectively administer First Aid/CPR on-site during events.
- Valid driver’s license and proof of insurance is required.
- Offers of employment are contingent upon clear results of a background check.
Benefits
This full-time position includes an excellent compensation and benefits package including health, dental, vision, life, voluntary disability insurance, a retirement savings plan with company match, generous paid time off benefits, and more.
Special Olympics Illinois is committed to building a diverse, creative, engaged, collaborative, and hard-working team that is dedicated to our athletes, our communities, and each other. Our employees are our most valuable asset, and we aim to create a positive atmosphere where employees feel valued and fulfilled. We truly want people to love working here, and we strive to create a culture that allows for growth, opportunity, and fun.
Special Olympics Illinois is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, creed, age, disability, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, familial status, pregnancy, predisposing genetic characteristics, military status, domestic violence victim status, criminal conviction, and all other protected classes under federal or state laws.
