Director of Development

American Parkinson Disease Association; Chicago (IL); Hybrid; USD 88,000 - 93,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

401k plan

Life insurance

Pension

HSA & FSA options

Paid time off

Job summary

American Parkinson Disease Association is seeking a Development Director to lead revenue growth through strategic cultivation and solicitation of donors. This hybrid, exempt role requires travel across the Greater Chicagoland area and some evening/weekend work to support events and campaigns.

The Director of Development will staff committees, engage sponsors, and expand corporate partnerships, ensuring effective stewardship and mission impact throughout the region.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in business or communications/marketing preferred.
• Five+ years in fundraising, development or event fundraising.
• Experience in donor outreach, sponsorships, and grants is strong.
• Ability to travel within the Chicagoland area and work evenings/weekends.

Responsibilities

• Lead revenue growth through strategic identification, cultivation, solicitation and stewardship.
• Oversee major events, sponsorships and donor engagement activities.
• Recruit, train and manage event committees and volunteers.
• Develop compelling fundraising appeals and materials for campaigns.
• Maintain donor databases and ensure accurate data reporting.
• Collaborate with executives, boards and volunteers to meet goals.

Skills

Relationship building

Communication skills

Event planning

Donor relations

Leadership

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in business/communications/marketing

Tools

Raiser’s Edge

DonorPerfect

Salesforce

Qgiv

Job description

The American Parkinson Disease Association is currently seeking a Development Director to join their growing organization. This is a full time, exempt, hybrid role (a blend of work from home and in-person) and must live in the greater Chicagoland Area, to serve the community and attend meetings and events. The Chapter seeks a Director of Development to lead a diverse portfolio of fundraising efforts, achieve sustainable growth and champion cultivation efforts in the region. The position is a full-time, exempt position which requires some evenings and weekends and includes travel locally, statewide, and regionally to cultivate relationships, engage constituents and attend local events and meetings. The Chapter provides an array of dynamic, community-based programs and services and is well-poised for explosive revenue growth to support mission activities. The ideal candidate is familiar with the Chicagoland geography and culture, has knowledge of Parkinson’s disease, the healthcare, social service, and fundraising environments; has relationship-building skills and communications strengths; and possesses ability to multi-task, deliver exceptional customer service, and utilize keen problem solving and judgment skills.

AMERICAN PARKINSON DISEASE ASSOCIATION:

Every day, the American Parkinson Disease Association (APDA) provides the support, education, research and community that helps everyone impacted by Parkinson’s disease live life to the fullest. APDA is the largest grassroots network dedicated to fighting Parkinson’s disease, a chronic, neurological disorder, and works tirelessly to help the approximately one million people with Parkinson’s disease in the United States live life to the fullest. Founded in 1961, American Parkinson Disease Association has raised and invested more than $338 million to provide outstanding patient services and educational programs, elevate public awareness about the disease, and support research designed to unlock the mysteries of Parkinson’s disease and ultimately put an end to this disease.

ABOUT THE ROLE:

The Director of Development (DD) is responsible for leading revenue growth through strategic identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of corporate and individual prospects, as well as peer-to-peer events. This position will be responsible for cultivating and securing financial contributions from individuals, businesses, and organizations in support of APDA’s events, activities, and programs, and by raising public awareness to maximize service delivery and revenue generation potential in the community. The DD staffs board committees, and represents APDA to internal and external stakeholders, donors, prospects, and the public. Willing to ultimately help meet the objectives of American Parkinson Disease Association’s mission.

You will have the ability to:

• Spearhead the development and achievement of annual event revenue and expense budgets for all major events and fundraising initiatives, in accordance with annual budget and work plan.
• Lead fundraising events including Optimism Walks and other event-based fundraising by handling planning, sponsorship, and logistics, with direct accountability for goals set forth in the annual budget.
• Recruit, train, motivate and manage event committees and event-day volunteers.
• Grow third party fundraising events and personal donation campaigns by establishing guidelines, resources and outreach methods and assist donors in implementation.
• Identify, cultivate, and secure new corporate sponsors while strengthening relationships with current and past sponsors to increase their level of support.
• Develop inspiring and compelling appeals and online fundraising campaigns.
• Develop solicitation materials, write proposals, and develop presentations.
• Oversee logistics before, day-of, and post-event, ensuring donor and sponsor benefits have been fulfilled with the highest level of customer service, and conducting post-event analysis, evaluations, and recommendations.
• Oversee preparation and maintenance of accurate records/data reports to evaluate, manage, and grow revenue.
• Maintain the integrity of donor and sponsor data in databases and publications.
• Manage and grow the grant writing program, including the identification of potential grantors, developing relationships, completing grant applications, and conducting follow up.
• Assist the Executive Director, regional staff and volunteers in other programs, tasks, and events as needed.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s Degree required, preferably in business or communications/marketing discipline and/or five years’ experience in corporate development or event/fundraising or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• CFRE preferred.
• 5+ years of prior experience in fundraising and development through events, forming new corporate alliances and partnerships, individual and grant support, preferably in a non-profit setting with a field-based organization.
• Proven track record of revenue growth and success adhering to budget and timeline expectations.
• Proven ability to engage staff, volunteers, sponsors, donors, and others and lead them toward achievement of fundraising goals.
• Willingness to travel around the Greater Chicagoland area and work irregular hours including attending evening or weekend meetings or events as necessary to carry out responsibilities.
• Experience in donor database software and user fluency in fundraising databases, research tools, and web-based platforms such as wealth/foundation search tools, CRM, and online fundraising platforms, such as Raiser’s Edge, DonorPerfect, Safesforce, and Qgiv.

RELATED SKILLS & KNOWLEDGE

• Knowledge of philanthropic community.
• Ability to establish performance metrics and indicators to measure success.
• Motivated to meet and exceed fundraising goals.
• Ability to prospect/cold-call new businesses to solicit sponsorships; comfortable with networking.
• Strong computer skills and ability to use existing technology to achieve desired results.
• Skilled in exercising sound judgment.
• Proficient in the latest versions of Microsoft Office, including Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to connect and articulate the American Parkinson Disease Association’s mission and results.
• Highly developed verbal, written, organization and presentation skills, including proofreading and public speaking.
• Undertake self-development activities to learn new skills.

SALARY & BENEFITS

• Base Starting Salary Range: $88,000-$93,000. Annual salary based on background and experience.
• APDA has an attractive benefits package including: Medical, Dental, Vision, 401k, Life Insurance, Pension, HSA & FSA spending accounts available; Paid time off in addition to standard holidays

APDA is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to workplace diversity.

Candidates from diverse backgrounds are encouraged to apply.