Senior Director of Development & Donor Relations

Growing Home Inc.; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 85,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Growing Home Inc. in Chicago, IL, seeks a Senior Manager of Development to lead institutional fundraising and manage a growing team of development officers.

You will oversee the full grants portfolio, funder stewardship, and revenue generation, ensuring the organization’s long-term sustainability through high-quality grant writing and cross‑department collaboration. You will develop annual fundraising plans, identify new funding opportunities across multiple networks, and track progress with

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in relevant field such as Communications or Marketing.
• Experience in nonprofit development, with grant writing and donor relations.
• Strong leadership, coaching, and team development abilities.
• Proven track record in securing gifts from individuals and foundations.
• Familiarity with fundraising systems and reporting processes.
• Proficiency in data-driven storytelling and budget oversight.

Responsibilities

• Oversees full lifecycle of grant portfolio, including prospecting, strategy, proposal writing, reporting, and compliance.
• Ensures 8–12 proposals and 4–6 reports per month, with deadlines met.
• Leads grants snapshot and coordinates with Finance for reconciliation.
• Cultivates relationships with current and prospective funders through meetings and events.
• Manages a growing team of development staff and provides coaching and development opportunities.
• Leads major events planning and donor engagement aligned with fundraising goals.
• Maintains prospect database, pipeline development, and data integrity in Salesforce.

Skills

Grant writing

Donor relations

Fundraising strategy

Team leadership

CRM: Salesforce

Data reporting

Education

Bachelor's degree in Communications or Marketing

Tools

Salesforce

WordPress

Constant Contact

Microsoft Office

Google Suite

Job description

Growing Home Inc. in Chicago, IL, seeks a Senior Manager of Development to lead institutional fundraising and manage a growing team of development officers.

You will oversee the full grants portfolio, funder stewardship, and revenue generation, ensuring the organization’s long-term sustainability through high-quality grant writing and cross‑department collaboration. You will develop annual fundraising plans, identify new funding opportunities across multiple networks, and track progress with