Development Manager
Illinois Humanities

Status: Salaried, Full-Time Exempt
Reports to: Senior Director of Development and Communications
Location: Chicago metropolitan area

Background:

Illinois Humanities, the Illinois affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, is a statewide nonprofit organization that activates the humanities through free public programs, grants, and educational opportunities that foster reflection, spark conversation, build community, and strengthen civic engagement. We provide free, high-quality humanities experiences throughout Illinois, particularly for communities of color, individuals living on low incomes, counties and towns in rural areas, small arts and cultural organizations, and communities highly impacted by mass incarceration.

We envision an Illinois where the humanities are central to making the state more just, creative, and connected.

Our Values:
Center people's experiences, histories, and cultures.
Actively promote equity, uplift diversity, and ensure inclusion.
Make and protect space for the exchange of challenging ideas, meaningful dialogue, and personal reflection.
Intentional, partner-centered relationships that build social capital and strengthen social cohesion, particularly for underserved and historically disenfranchised communities.

POSITION SUMMARY

Reporting to the Senior Director of Development and Communications, the Development Manager plays a critical role in supporting the organization's fundraising efforts, with a particular focus on cultivating and stewarding individual donors. This position is responsible managing and implementing donor engagement strategies and special events, supporting board and staff donor cultivation and retention efforts, and serving as the development team's point person for tracking giving and giving trends. In 2025, Illinois Humanities is celebrating its 50th anniversary; donor engagement around the anniversary will provide an especially meaningful opportunity for long-time supporters.
Strong candidates will have 4-6 years of experience in nonprofit fundraising, possess strong communication and relationship-building skills, and be passionate about being part of a dynamic team committed to fundraising excellence in service to Illinois Humanities' mission.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Develop and implement strategies to grow and retain the individual donor base.

Create and oversee donor cultivation events, campaigns, and communications.

Support timely and personalized stewardship with donors.

Steward and analyze donor data to identify trends and opportunities.

Collaborate with the development team to meet annual fundraising goals.

INDIVIDUAL GIVING

Maintain cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship activities for the organization's portfolio of current and prospective supporters.

Manage and schedule donor meetings and solicitations for the Executive Director, Senior Director, and board members; provide briefings and materials to support the successful donor engagement and the major gift pipeline.

Oversee annual campaigns such as Giving Tuesday and seasonal appeals. Develop content and manage production for annual fund mailings, stewardship postcards, e-blasts, and social media content in collaboration with the communications team.

SPECIAL EVENTS

Serve as the development lead for donor cultivation events, stewardship gatherings, and select organizational events; serve as a core team member for the annual gala.

Coordinate gala sponsorship solicitations, including identifying potential sponsors and managing outreach efforts. Track sponsorship commitments and ensure timely follow-up and acknowledgment.

Collaborate with the communications team to develop and implement marketing strategies for events, including invitations, promotional emails, and social media content to maximize attendance and visibility.

Manage post-event activities, including thanking sponsors and attendees and compiling reports on event performance, including revenue, attendance, and areas for improvement.

BOARD of DIRECTORS

Support the Executive Director's cultivation and stewardship of board members.

Provide administrative and scheduling support to the Board of Directors, including board committees.

Monitor board tenure, contributions, participation, and commitments and maintain the board SharePoint.

Support the preparation of board books, manage meeting logistics (venue, A/V, catering), and assist in agenda preparation for quarterly meetings.

Serve as the primary note taker for board and committee meetings and draft minutes.

DATA, ANALYITICS, AND ADMINISTRATION

Serve as the Raisers Edge administrator for the development department; managing queries, exports, and reports to support donor management and event RSVPs; steward data management and analysis with consultants and vendors to enhance donor retention and appeal outcomes.

Ensure programmatic and organizational contacts relevant to development are accurately maintained in the database.

Generate fundraising and prospect management reports, establishing metrics to track success in individual giving.

Support the development and maintenance of department policies and procedures related to use of the database and reports; implement new systems and policies as needed.

Other duties as assigned

What we are offering:

The annual salary for this position is $68,000 - $75,000

Full-time employees are eligible for employer-provided health coverage (multiple plans offered at 80% employer paid premium for the employee), 401(k) (including an employer contribution), and other benefits

12 Vacation Days, 3 Personal days, and 10 days of Sick Leave available to all full-time employees annually, with additional earned vacation after two and five years of employment

Each full-time employee receives 11 paid holidays and 3 floating holidays annually

What to expect:

Step one: All submissions will be reviewed, and the initial candidate pool will be formed after phone screenings. Not all submissions will make it into the candidate pool.https://ilhumanities.org/work-with-us

Step two: Candidates in the pool will take part in an interview with members of the Illinois Humanities Team via Zoom or in-person.

Step three: There will be additional rounds of interviews with the final candidates. Final candidates may be asked to provide additional information. Selection and placement of the final candidate will occur after these final rounds of interviews. Once the final candidate has accepted their offer of employment, all other applicants will be notified of their status. This posting will remain open until the job is filled.

Work environment:

Our Chicago Loop office is accessible. Work at off-site locations is required and those may not necessarily be fully accessible. Evening and weekend work is sometimes required. This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, and scanners. Employees are regularly required to talk, hear, see, and communicate effectively via computer. Illinois Humanities is an equal opportunity employer and seeks to employ qualified individuals based on individual merit. It does not discriminate against any individual with respect to the terms and conditions of employment based on that individual's race, sex, age, religion, color, national origin, disability, genetic information, marital status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, housing status, or any other non-merit factor protected under state, local or federal laws. Equal Employment Opportunity applies to all personnel actions such as recruiting, hiring, compensation, benefits, promotions, training, transfer, termination, and opportunities for training. Illinois Humanities is committed to a fair and equitable workplace where everyone is a respected and valued member of the team.

Illinois Humanities Chicago office is currently operating in a hybrid work environment with in-office days and optional remote workdays each week.

COVID-19 Vaccination Policy:

To support public health efforts to reduce the risk of COVID-19, Illinois Humanities has adopted a policy that requires all staff receive a complete COVID-19 vaccine based on the CDC's current definition, which is subject to change. Employees must submit a full Record of COVID-19 Vaccination or have a fully signed Reasonable Exception approval by date of hire.

Illinois Humanities is an equal opportunity employer and seeks to employ qualified individuals based on individual merit. It does not discriminate against any individual with respect to the terms and conditions of employment based on that individual's race, sex, age, religion, color, national origin, disability, genetic information, marital status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, housing status, criminal record, or any other non-merit factor protected under state, local or federal laws. Equal Employment Opportunity applies to all personnel actions such as recruiting, hiring, compensation, benefits, promotions, training, transfer, termination, and opportunities for training. Illinois Humanities is committed to a fair and equitable workplace where everyone is a respected and valued member of the team.

To Apply: Please upload a cover letter and resume on our "Work With Us" page or through the relevant job website. Applications will be accepted and reviewed until the position is filled.

Qualifications:

4-6 years of experience in nonprofit development in individual giving, event management, and/or donor database administration, preferably in a management role.

Excellent interpersonal, communication, and project management skills.

Fluency with donor management systems and donor management software; experience with Raiser's Edge a plus.

Self-starter capable to adapt to changing priorities and deadlines

Commitment to the mission and values of Illinois Humanities.

Additional Details:

The skills and experience needed to be successful in this job exist on a spectrum. Highly qualified and desirable candidates may not meet 100% of the skills and experience included in this description. We encourage all who are interested in this position to apply.