Development Manager, Institutional Giving

MacArthur Justice Center (MJC); Chicago (IL); Hybrid; USD 75,000 - 82,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Employer-sponsored health

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Life and disability insurance

EAP

FSA plans

401K

Generous paid time off

Job summary

MacArthur Justice Center (MJC) is seeking a Development Manager, Institutional Giving to grow and manage philanthropic funding from foundations, corporations, law firms, and other funders. The role emphasizes building processes and systems to scale institutional giving while strengthening internal fundraising infrastructure.

You will craft compelling funding narratives, manage a robust donor pipeline, and collaborate across teams to align proposals with program priorities.

Qualifications

• Five+ years of related experience in a nonprofit environment.
• Experience with EveryAction or similar CRM.
• Proven ability to conduct independent donor research using professional tools.
• Exceptional writing and storytelling skills for donor communications.
• Ability to manage multiple deadlines in a fast-paced setting.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Identify, research, and qualify funding prospects aligned with mission.
• Develop and manage a strategic pipeline to meet revenue targets.
• Lead the preparation and submission of grant proposals and sponsorship packages.
• Secure and manage five- to seven-figure grants and sponsorships.
• Cultivate new institutional funders and partnerships across sectors.
• Maintain CRM records and report on fundraising performance.

Skills

Exceptional writing

Research skills

Project management

Strong communication

Attention to detail

Education

Bachelor's degree in Communications / Business Administration / Non-Profit Management

Tools

EveryAction

Job description

Summary

The Development Manager, Institutional Giving is responsible for securing and growing philanthropic revenue from foundation, corporate, law firm, and other institutional funders. This is a newly created role within a growing Development team, offering significant opportunity to help build the organization’s institutional fundraising portfolio. At the same time, the role will require a strong focus on strengthening internal development infrastructure, including systems, processes, and workflows that support sustainable fundraising growth.

Who We Are

The MacArthur Justice Center (MJC) is a national nonprofit civil rights organization. We represent people who have been harmed by America’s criminal legal system, seeking to vindicate their rights, elevate their story, and hold people with power accountable. We do this primarily through cutting-edge litigation and advocacy across the country, on end-to-end issues in the criminal legal system, from policing, to prosecutorial discretion, to rights of indigent defendants, to mass incarceration, to prison conditions, to wrongful convictions and the death penalty. For more information on our work, visit www.macarthurjustice.org .

You’ll Thrive in This Role If You

• Are an exceptional writer who enjoys translating complex ideas, legal strategies, and programmatic impact into compelling proposals, reports, and funding narratives that inspire investment.
• Love the challenge of creative prospecting and uncovering new funding opportunities, whether through foundation research, corporate partnerships, law firm sponsorships, or emerging philanthropic trends.
• Think like a builder and are excited by the opportunity to help strengthen systems, processes, and infrastructure that support a growing institutional fundraising program.
• Enjoy setting ambitious goals and developing strategies to continually expand a funding portfolio, increase revenue, and deepen institutional partnerships over time.
• Are energized by the opportunity to help shape a growing Development function and contribute ideas that position the organization for long-term fundraising success.
• Balance creativity with discipline, using data, relationship-building, and strategic thinking to move prospects through the pipeline and convert opportunities into meaningful support.
• Are motivated by mission-driven work and want to leverage your fundraising expertise to advance civil rights and create lasting systemic change.

What You’ll Do

Fundraising & Revenue Development

• Identify, research, and qualify foundation, corporate, and institutional funding prospects aligned with organizational mission and programs.
• Develop and manage a strategic pipeline of funding opportunities to meet annual revenue targets.
• Lead the preparation, writing, and submission of high-quality grant proposals, LOIs, and sponsorship packages.
• Consistently secure and manage 5–7 figure grants and sponsorships, with responsibility for meeting assigned annual revenue goals.
• Use creative and proactive fundraising approaches to identify and cultivate new institutional funders, including exploring unconventional entry points, partnership models, and cross-sector opportunities.
• Collaborate with internal teams to align proposals with program priorities and funder interests.

Grant Management & Compliance

• Oversee timely submission of grant reports and ensure adherence to funder requirements.
• Maintain a centralized grants calendar and tracking system for applications, renewals, reporting deadlines, and outcomes.
• Ensure compliance with grant agreements, including budget alignment and performance metrics.
• Track and report on funding outcomes, including dollars raised, renewal rates, and pipeline conversion metrics.

Donor Cultivation & Stewardship

• Serve as point of contact for assigned funders, managing relationships that may involve multi-year, 5–7 figure commitments.
• Develop stewardship materials, impact reports, and ongoing communications to strengthen retention and increase giving levels.
• Support renewal and expansion of existing institutional funding relationships, with a focus on increasing gift size and multi-year commitments over time.

Data Management & Reporting

• Maintain accurate records of all funder interactions, proposals, and results in the CRM system.
• Track and analyze fundraising performance, including:
• Dollars raised (by funding source and type)
• Proposal win rate and conversion rates
• Pipeline value and stage progression
• Renewal and retention rates
• Use data to inform strategy and report regularly on progress toward six- and seven-figure revenue targets.

Strategic Planning & Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Collaborate with leadership to develop annual and multi-year institutional fundraising plans tied to revenue goals.
• Translate program outcomes into compelling, data-driven funding narratives that support high-value proposals.
• Contribute to the development of a scalable institutional giving strategy as part of a growing development function.
• Identify opportunities to expand the institutional funding portfolio through creative prospecting, partnerships, and market intelligence.

Other Job Duties

• Support donor events, site visits, and presentations as needed.
• Assist with general development activities, including individual giving campaigns or special projects when necessary.
• Stay current on trends in foundation and corporate philanthropy, grantmaking priorities, and sector best practices.
• Represent the organization at external meetings, conferences, and networking events.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Education

Bachelor's degree in Communications, Business Administration, Non-Profit Management, or a related field preferred.

Required

Skills and Experience

• Five or more years of related experience in a non-profit environment
• Direct experience with EveryAction or other CRM
• Proven ability to conduct independent research using tools like LinkedIn, Foundation Directory Online, iWave, or GuideStar to identify and qualify donor leads.
• Exceptional writing and storytelling skills; ability to draft compelling donor acknowledgments and pitch decks with minimal supervision
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple deadlines, particularly coordinating logistics for events and other teams
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Experience working in a deadline driving, fast-paced environment

Preferred

• Direct experience managing an institutional giving program
• Direct experience with law firms and sponsorship cultivation strategies
• Advanced experience gathering data or drafting narratives for foundation grant applications
• Experience working in culturally and racially diverse environment

Travel

• Occasional travel to MJC’s other offices may be required.
• Occasional travel for organization-wide gatherings (e.g., All Staff Retreat).

Location

MJC operates on a hybrid schedule and currently requires two days in the office each week. The Development Manager, Institutional Giving must reside within commuting distance to MJC’s DC or Chicago office.

The criminal legal system disproportionately harms people of color, people from low-income communities, people who were formerly incarcerated, people with disabilities, and LGBTQ+ individuals. We strongly encourage people who identify within these and other communities underrepresented in the legal profession to apply. All applicants must have and be committed to the cultural competence required to work with clients, co-workers, and community partners who come from different backgrounds and experiences.

The starting salary range for this position is $75,000 – $82,000 and is based on a variety of factors, including years of previous/applicable experience and MJC's commitment to ensuring pay equity within the organization.

• employer-sponsored health
• dental
• vision
• life and disability insurance
• EAP
• FSA plans
• 401K
• a generous paid-time-off policy

Learn more about our benefits at macarthurjustice.org/benefits/

MJC Is a PSLF-eligible Employer. For More Information, Visit studentaid.gov/manage-loans/forgiveness-cancellation/public-service#qualifying-employment