Director Of Development & Communications

Position: Director of Development & Communications

Employment Type: Full-Time | Exempt

Location: Chicago

Reports to: Chief of Staff Mission

Genesys Works is a nonprofit organization that provides pathways to career success for high school students in underserved communities through skills training, meaningful work experience, and impactful relationships.

Purpose of Position

We are seeking an enthusiastic and experienced Development professional to lead and execute our Development and Communications strategy as we expand our fundraising operation and build a foundation for long-term success. This position reports to the Chief of Staff and is considered part of the senior leadership team.

This position is responsible for vision-setting, strategic planning and management of all major fundraising activities, including institutional and individual cultivation, solicitation and stewardship, database management, and communications and marketing. The successful candidate will expand and diversify Genesys Works Chicago donor base and pipeline and work closely with other team members to secure funding for new initiatives. In addition to leading all philanthropic strategies, the Director of Development & Communications will have primary responsibility for designing and implementing the marketing and communications plan for Genesys Works Chicago to support resource allocation and increase visibility.

Key Responsibilities

Vision-Setting and Strategic Planning

Actively work with the Executive Director, Chief of Staff and stakeholders to design a comprehensive development strategic plan to include individual, foundation and corporate giving

Successfully implement donor-centered fundraising strategies that ensure the Chicago site will meet and maintain $1.25M

Develop a donor-centered fundraising culture to retain and steward existing donors and cultivate new relationships with family / corporate foundations and corporate sponsors

Raise the profile of the organization among foundations and policymakers

Collaborate with Genesys Works National Development Team to coordinate local / national development efforts

Fundraising

Actively cultivate, solicit, and steward donors and prospective donors through management of prospect lists to identify, cultivate and solicit grants and sponsorships and develop individual-giving platforms

Oversee prospect research, management of funding pipeline, and maintenance of grants calendar

In collaboration with the Grants Manager, research and write grant proposals and fulfill reporting requirements

Grants, Gift Processing and Donor Acknowledgement

Direct impactful and accurate gift processing and donor relations, ensuring timely gift acknowledgments

Facilitate contributions from crowdfunding and employee-giving platforms

Serve as a liaison to gift accounting and development staff at Genesys Works National Work with development staff at Genesys Works National to assess and evaluate existing gift accounting process and tools, improving overall efficiency and accuracy

Marketing & Communications

In collaboration with the Chief of Staff, develop strategic communications plan (internal and external) to advance our mission and provide greater visibility in the community and improve stewardship of donors

Serve as a liaison for corporate sponsors and third-party fundraisers

Support in organizing and executing major events

Qualifications

We seek an experienced senior-level development leader who believes deeply in our organizations mission and the population we serve, thrives in the dynamic and fast-paced work environment, has a well-developed fundraising philosophy, can provide strong leadership and support to our staff, is highly organized, and is excited by the challenge of setting the vision for and building an exemplary fundraising operation.

Successful candidates will possess deep and proven experience in two or more of the following areas:

Five years of professional experience in a nonprofit organization with demonstrated success as a development leader

Ability to think strategically and build successful fundraising strategies for growth Ability to provide high-quality customer service to internal and external clients, including the board, institutional funders, corporate partners, and staff

Ability to relate to and work with diverse populations

Ability to produce results independently and as part of a team

Adaptable style; a leader who can positively impact strategic and tactical fundraising initiatives

A minimum of three years of experience with developing, and expanding major gift donor relationships

Excellent writing and copyediting skills

Comfort working with fundraising databases and Microsoft Office applications

Strong organizational skills and a talent for creating efficiencies and refining processes

Bachelors degree required

Heart, humor, and a passion for our youth development mission

Grant writing and foundation relations

Portfolio of key funder relationships in the Chicago market

Marketing and communications

Salesforce.com, Raisers Edge or a similar donor relationship management system

Physical Requirements

Including, but not limited to: standing and sitting for long periods; speaking loudly and clearly; reaching, stooping, and kneeling. The employee must have close visual acuity to perform activities such as preparing and analyzing data and figures, viewing a computer terminal, and extensive reading. Most work environments are climate-controlled, open space floor plans.

Commitment to Diversity

Genesys Works is an equal-opportunity employer that celebrates diversity and is committed to creating an equitable and inclusive environment for all employees. Genesys Works will not tolerate discrimination or harassment of any kind.

We believe that diversity, equity, and inclusion among our staff and corporate partners are essential to successfully executing our organizational mission. As such, we seek to recruit, support, develop, and retain high-caliber talent from a diverse candidate pool that both complements and reflects the students we proudly serve.

Commitment to Inclusivity

Genesys Works remains committed to fostering a more equitable, inclusive, and united society. We stand in solidarity with members of the BIPOC and LGBTQ+ communities and seek partnerships that help dismantle the systems that lead to inequity in pursuit of a more just community.