Gift Officer

Experimental Station; Chicago (IL); Hybrid; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k)

401(k) matching

Competitive salary

Dental insurance

Health insurance

Paid time off

Parental leave

Vision insurance

Job summary

Experimental Station in Chicago is seeking a relationship-driven Gift Officer to grow mid-tier donors and advance the major gifts program. You will manage a portfolio, cultivate donors, and partner with leadership to shape strategy.

The role covers gift processing, CRM reporting in Salesforce, event planning, communications, and donor stewardship, with a lean team and opportunities to influence programs across the South Side community.

Qualifications

• 4+ years of progressive fundraising experience in a non-profit environment.
• Proven comfortable with directly asking individuals for financial support and securing gifts.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication for appeals and proposals.
• Ability to design and execute donor engagement tactics with measurable outcomes.
• Experience with data hygiene, gift processing, and basic financial reporting.
• Desire to deepen skills in portfolio management, donor solicitation, and campaign execution.

Responsibilities

• Manage a portfolio of ~150 mid-tier donors, serving as their primary contact.
• Execute personalized cultivation and stewardship plans to boost retention and upgrades.
• Lead direct solicitations for renewals, upgrades, and special gifts.
• Coordinate donor recognition efforts with timely, creative acknowledgments.
• Collaborate on strategy and execution of Annual Fund and seasonal campaigns.
• Write solicitation letters and donor communications; support social media campaigns.

Skills

Donor relationships

Direct solicitation

Written communications

Campaign planning

Data reporting

Portfolio growth

Tools

Salesforce NPSP

Job description

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Competitive salary
• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Paid time off
• Parental leave
• Vision insurance

ABOUT EXPERIMENTAL STATION

Experimental Station builds the infrastructure and opportunities that enable people and communities to thrive. Rooted in Chicago’s South Side, we connect people, resources, and ideas to build a healthier, more equitable, more vibrant, and sustainable South Side and Illinois.

OUR PROGRAMS INCLUDE

• Blackstone Bicycle Works: Now celebrating its 20th year, Blackstone Bicycle Works empowers youth from Chicago's South Side through bicycle mechanics, mentorship, STEAM concepts, and leadership development.
• 61st Street Farmers Market: Connects 3,000+ Woodlawn and South Side shoppers to fresh produce weekly, bridging the gap between local farms and affordable food. The Market provides food education to hundreds of local youth and community members annually, building a healthy food culture.
• Link Up Illinois: Increases the affordability and accessibility of fresh foods by doubling the value of SNAP/Link purchases at more than 150 farmers markets, farm stands, food co-ops, and grocery stores across Illinois.
• Arts & Culture: Experimental Station is a South Side hub for arts, culture, and community. Since its founding, Experimental Station has hosted free public events and supported artists, cultural producers, local groups, and neighbors with accessible, discounted space rentals.
• Business Incubation: Since 2006, Experimental Station has provided discounted long-term rental space and resources to mission-aligned local businesses and journalism institutions.

We believe in the values of hospitality, diversity, creativity, belonging, and sustainability. We are seeking a relationship-driven fundraising professional who shares these values and wants to make a direct impact on the South Side.

THE OPPORTUNITY

Are you a relationship-builder who loves connecting people with causes they care about? Do you thrive in a dynamic environment where your hustle directly impacts a community?

We are seeking a Gift Officer to serve as a frontline fundraiser for Experimental Station's programs. In close partnership with the Senior Development Manager and reporting directly to our Executive Director, you will manage and grow a dedicated portfolio of mid-tier donors, moving them from casual supporters to deeply invested partners and advancing our major donor program goals.

Because we are a lean and agile team, you will work directly with leadership on big-picture strategies while also executing daily operations—from gift processing and donor data management to campaigns and special events. If you are strategic, relationship-driven, and ready to take ownership of donor growth alongside a passionate leadership team, you may be an ideal fit.

WHAT YOU’LL DO

• Portfolio Management: Manage a dedicated portfolio of ~150 mid-tier donors, serving as their primary point of contact and building long-term, meaningful relationships.
• Cultivation and Stewardship: Partner with the Senior Development Manager to execute personalized cultivation and stewardship plans aimed at increasing donor retention and upgrading giving levels.
• Direct Solicitations: Conduct direct, in-person solicitations, confidently asking for renewals, upgrades, and special campaign gifts.
• Donor Recognition: Coordinate donor recognition efforts, ensuring all gifts are acknowledged promptly, creatively, and meaningfully.
• Board and Pipeline Growth: Work with the Board of Directors and engaged volunteers on a Fundraising/Major Gifts Committee to develop capacity for a steady major giving ($5k+) program.
• Associate Board: Cultivate and manage a future Associate Board focused on fundraising in collaboration with the Senior Development Manager under organizational leadership oversight.
• Campaign Strategy: Collaborate closely with the Senior Development Manager and Executive Director on the strategy, timeline, and execution of the Annual Fund and seasonal fundraising campaigns.
• Donor Communications: Write compelling solicitation letters, digital appeals, and donor communication materials, and support social media campaigns alongside communications staff.
• Event Logistics and Outreach: Play a key role in planning and executing fundraising events and galas, from guest outreach to on-site logistics.
• Gift Processing: Accurately track, log, process, and acknowledge incoming individual gifts in Salesforce NPSP, ensuring high data integrity.
• CRM Reporting: Manage the donor database/CRM to track interactions, maintain clean records, and pull actionable reports to keep leadership informed on progress.

PERSONALITY PROFILE

• The People-Person: You genuinely love listening to people, learning about their interests, and connecting their passions to Experimental Station's mission.
• Engaging and Dynamic: You possess excellent presence, whether speaking 1-on-1 face-to-face, virtually, over the phone, writing emails, or representing the organization at an event.
• Determined and Resilient: You aren't afraid of the word "no." You view fundraising as a puzzle to solve and are driven to meet or exceed targets.
• Strategic and Analytical: You focus on the long-term donor journey, using giving history to shape targeted cultivation and translate data insights into actionable campaign strategies.
• Versatile Collaborator: You enjoy the variety of a small non-profit and can pivot seamlessly from a donor lunch to pulling Salesforce reports or editing a solicitation letter.

QUALIFICATIONS AND SKILLS

Required:

• Experience: 4+ years of progressive fundraising experience within a non-profit environment (e.g., transitioning from Development Associate to Manager or Gift Officer level).
• Direct Solicitation: Proven comfort level and experience directly asking individuals for financial support, with a track record of successfully securing gifts.
• Communication: Exceptional written communication (for appeals and proposals) and verbal communication (for donor meetings and presentations).
• Strategy and Execution: A creative, action-oriented approach with the ability to design and execute donor engagement tactics that achieve measurable outcomes.
• Operations and Data: Experience with data entry hygiene, gift processing, and basic financial reporting (tracking fundraising metrics and understanding budgets).
• Growth Oriented: A strong desire to deepen skills in portfolio management, donor solicitation, and campaign execution.

Preferred:

• Hands-on experience with Salesforce NPSP or a similar non-profit CRM (Raiser's Edge, DonorPerfect, Blackbaud).
• Prior experience assisting with annual funds, special campaigns, peer-to-peer fundraising, or comprehensive campaigns.
• Experience building corporate or institutional relationships (drafting sponsorship packages or grant proposals).
• Experience executing fundraising events, galas, and donor receptions (logistics and guest-facing support).

OUR COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION

Experimental Station is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. All employment decisions are based on business needs, job requirements, and individual qualifications, without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, and gender identity), national origin, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or any other status protected by federal, state, or local laws.

The Experimental Station fosters a dynamic ecology of innovative educational and cultural programs, small businesses, and community initiatives. Since 2006, we have addressed local needs by building our programming and fostering, hosting, and sponsoring many other initiatives. Current programs include Blackstone Bicycle Works, Link Up Illinois, 61st Street Farmers Market, small business incubation, and public arts and cultural events.

Flexible work from home options available.