Development Manager (Part-Time)

Female Strong; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 40,000 - 45,000; Part time

Job summary

Female Strong in Chicago is seeking a part-time Development Manager to advance fundraising through grant writing, donor stewardship, prospect research, corporate partnerships, sponsorship development, and fundraising operations. This role focuses on securing philanthropic support and strengthening relationships with donors, foundations, corporations, and community partners.

The Development Manager will implement strategies that support growth and sustainability while ensuring meaningful

Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years in fundraising or nonprofit development.
• Experience writing grant proposals and reports.
• Experience managing donor databases; Neon CRM preferred.
• Strong written communication and relationship-building skills.
• Ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines.
• Experience with donor stewardship and sponsorships.

Responsibilities

• Research and identify grant opportunities aligned with Female Strong's mission and strategic priorities.
• Write, submit, and manage grant proposals, letters of inquiry, and grant reports.
• Maintain grant calendars, submission schedules, and reporting requirements.
• Track grant outcomes and maintain accurate records of funding opportunities and submissions.
• Collaborate with staff and leadership to gather program data, outcomes, and impact stories for proposals and reports.
• Coordinate donor communications and stewardship activities.
• Assist with cultivation, solicitation, and engagement of current and prospective donors.
• Support implementation of donor recognition and retention strategies.
• Manage donor acknowledgments and stewardship touchpoints to ensure timely and meaningful engagement.
• Assist with donor meetings, communications, and relationship management activities.
• Maintain accurate donor records and interaction histories within the CRM system.
• Identify, research, and cultivate prospective corporate sponsors and community partners.
• Develop and manage relationships with businesses, civic organizations, and community stakeholders that support Female Strong's mission.
• Support sponsorship outreach and proposal development for organizational initiatives.
• Collaborate with leadership to expand organizational visibility and community partnerships.
• Serve as a relationship manager for select corporate and community partners.
• Maintain development calendars, fundraising timelines, and solicitation schedules.
• Conduct prospect research on foundations, corporations, and individual donors.
• Prepare development reports, fundraising updates, and pipeline tracking documents.
• Support donor database management and fundraising reporting through Neon CRM.
• Develop and maintain donor communication workflows, segmentation strategies, and solicitation tracking processes.
• Develop and maintain donor communication workflows, segmentation strategies, and solicitation tracking processes.
• Provide representation at fundraising events and community engagement activities.

Skills

Relationship-building

Written communication

Project management

Donor stewardship

Prospect research

Tools

Neon CRM

Job description

The Development Manager is responsible for supporting and advancing Female Strong's fundraising efforts through grant writing, donor stewardship, prospect research, corporate partnerships, sponsorship development, and fundraising operations. This position plays a key role in securing philanthropic support and strengthening relationships with individual donors, foundations, corporations, and community partners.

The Development Manager will implement fundraising strategies that support organizational growth and sustainability while ensuring donors and supporters receive meaningful engagement and stewardship. This role requires a proactive, relationship-focused professional who can balance strategic fundraising initiatives with strong operational execution.

This is a part-time position, approximately 20 hours per week. Some flexibility in scheduling is available. Attendance at fundraising events, donor engagement opportunities, and selected organizational functions is required, including occasional evening and weekend commitments. Examples of development-related work will be required throughout the interview phase.

• Research and identify grant opportunities aligned with Female Strong's mission and strategic priorities.
• Write, submit, and manage grant proposals, letters of inquiry, and grant reports.
• Maintain grant calendars, submission schedules, and reporting requirements.
• Track grant outcomes and maintain accurate records of funding opportunities and submissions.
• Collaborate with staff and leadership to gather program data, outcomes, and impact stories for proposals and reports.

Donor Stewardship

• Coordinate donor communications and stewardship activities.
• Assist with cultivation, solicitation, and engagement of current and prospective donors.
• Support implementation of donor recognition and retention strategies.
• Manage donor acknowledgments and stewardship touchpoints to ensure timely and meaningful engagement.
• Assist with donor meetings, communications, and relationship management activities.
• Maintain accurate donor records and interaction histories within the CRM system.

Corporate & Community Partnerships

• Identify, research, and cultivate prospective corporate sponsors and community partners.
• Develop and manage relationships with businesses, civic organizations, and community stakeholders that support Female Strong's mission.
• Support sponsorship outreach and proposal development for organizational initiatives.
• Collaborate with leadership to expand organizational visibility and community partnerships.
• Serve as a relationship manager for select corporate and community partners.
• Maintain development calendars, fundraising timelines, and solicitation schedules.
• Conduct prospect research on foundations, corporations, and individual donors.
• Prepare development reports, fundraising updates, and pipeline tracking documents.
• Support donor database management and fundraising reporting through Neon CRM.
• Develop and maintain donor communication workflows, segmentation strategies, and solicitation tracking processes.

Event & Campaign Support

• Assist with fundraising campaigns and special events.
• Coordinate donor and sponsor communications related to fundraising initiatives.
• Represent Female Strong at fundraising events, donor cultivation opportunities, sponsorship meetings, and community engagement activities.
• Support event sponsorship fulfillment and donor recognition efforts.

Qualifications

• Demonstrated experience in fundraising, development, nonprofit advancement, or related fields. A minimum of 5 years experience is required.
• Experience researching, writing, and managing grant proposals and reports.
• Experience managing donor databases and fundraising systems. Experience with Neon CRM is strongly preferred.
• Strong written communication and relationship-building skills.
• Ability to manage multiple projects, deadlines, and stakeholder relationships simultaneously.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Ability to work independently and proactively in a fast-paced environment.
• Experience using CRM systems, preferably Neon CRM.
• Ability to develop and manage donor communication workflows, fundraising pipelines, and solicitation strategies.
• Strong grant writing, proposal development, and donor communication skills.
• Experience prospecting and cultivating corporate sponsors, community partners, and individual donors.
• Strong relationship management and donor stewardship capabilities.
• Ability to analyze fundraising data and prepare reports that support decision-making.
• Commitment to confidentiality and responsible stewardship of donor information.

Success Measures

• Growth in contributed revenue.
• Timely and high-quality grant submissions.
• Increased donor engagement and retention.
• Expansion of community partnerships and program host relationships.
• Strong fundraising systems, reporting, and donor stewardship processes.
• Accurate and up-to-date donor and fundraising records.
• Positive donor, sponsor, and partner experiences.

Female Strong Core Values

• We Get It Done!
• We Have a Growth Mindset
• We Serve to Inspire

The salary range for this half-time position is $40,000-$45,000 annually, based on experience and qualifications. Female Strong is committed to fair, transparent, and mission-aligned compensation practices.