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Location: In-house
Reports to: Director of Development
Grade: Exempt
The Organization
Empower Illinois® (EI) is a 501c3 non-profit that serves as a statewide scholarship granting organization (SGO). EI supports expanding access to quality education options, in particular those available at private school through the Invest in Kids Tax Credit Scholarship Program. Since 2018, EI has served more than 22,800 low-income children and raised more than $170 million for scholarships. In addition to the SGO aspects of its work, EI advocates for policy that leads to a high- quality, student-centered education system for children from low-income and working- class families—both inside and outside of the traditional public education system. EI focuses on a broad range of research based and innovative policies, the core of which are focused on equitable funding and developing pathways to unlock the unique student potential within a diverse range of learner types. EI policy is sequenced as part of a larger long-term strategy to build a base on which further innovations—empowering educators, equal access to gifted education, career technical education, course equity, and better meeting the needs of children with unique abilities—can better prepare students for success beyond the K-12 environment.
Overview
The Empower Illinois Major Gifts Officer/Director of Major Gifts (title dependent upon experience) is responsible for advancing the mission of Empower Illinois through the identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of individuals and organizations who have a capacity to make a tax credit scholarship or 501c3 donations of $50k+. The Major Gifts Officer/Director of Major Gifts will report to the Director of Development, collaborating closely with the Director of Schools and Community Partnerships and the President to successfully raise funds essential to the work of the organization.
Primary Duties and Responsibilities
• Manage a portfolio of 100 – 200 prospects including high-net worth individuals, corporations, foundations, schools, and parishes
• Attend in-person events and meetings within the Chicagoland region and across the state of IL or the USA as required to advance and enhance relationships for Empower Illinois
• Manage the major gift pipeline and key external relationships
• Prepare research, briefings, and reports for the Board of Directors, President, and Director of Development on prospects and donors
• Design major gift strategies to meet and exceed fundraising objectives
• Developing individual fundraising strategies that work for each donor
• Developing a donor solicitation strategy for major gift prospects
• Designing and operating a donor stewardship program
• Tracking and assessing major gift fundraising metrics
• Document communications with contact reports and maintain portfolio donor records in Salesforce
• Collaborate with the Communications Team with the creation of reports, presentations, and proposals with/and for internal and external partners
• Performs additional duties, assignments, and projects, as required
Education and Experience
• College degree or equivalent. Education is considered to include both the formal/ traditional, as well as learning from life and experience.
• Well-developed people-skills and the ability to form high-quality, professional relationships with individuals from diverse backgrounds
• Previous local fundraising work and/or professional or volunteer experience that demonstrates strong skills in building and managing relationships with high-level individuals, and the ability to relate to and influence a variety of external partners including civic leaders, community organizations, elected officials, and families
• Organized, strategic, and self-motivated professional who can set goals and deliver results against their assigned goals
• A history of working in fast-paced entrepreneurial environments while remaining connected to and aligned with broad organizational goals and objectives
Skills and Knowledge
• Have a passion for education and that an education has the power to transform the lives of students and their families
• A self-starter with a can-do attitude who enjoys fast-paced environments
• A warm and welcoming personality who can be a front-line communicator with key constituents
• A creative thinker and team player
• Strong project management skills with keen attention to detail
• Experience in Salesforce and/or another CRM
• Comfortable in an organization that seeks to make good be better
• Ability to attend in-person meetings and donor visits with job requirements that can fall outside the Mon-Fri 9-5pm working schedule with broad organizational goals and objectives
Empower Illinois offers the following professional and personal benefits
• Serve in a key role in a growing organization with dynamic and experienced leadership and a committed Board of Directors
• Being a part of a team where we believe that we are better together
• Competitive salary and generous benefits
• Knowledge that your work is directly impacting educational opportunities for thousands of students across the state of Illinois
Empower Illinois is an Equal Opportunity Employer, M/F/H/V.
Location: In-house
Reports to: Director of School and Community Partnerships
Grade: Exempt
The Organization
Empower Illinois® (EI) is a 501c3 non-profit that serves as a statewide scholarship granting organization (SGO). EI supports expanding access to quality education options, in particular those available at private school through the Invest in Kids Tax Credit Scholarship Program. Since 2018, EI has served more than 22,800 low-income children and raised more than $170 million for scholarships. In addition to the SGO aspects of its work, EI advocates for policy that leads to a high- quality, student-centered education system for children from low-income and working- class families—both inside and outside of the traditional public education system. EI focuses on a broad range of research based and innovative policies, the core of which are focused on equitable funding and developing pathways to unlock the unique student potential within a diverse range of learner types. EI policy is sequenced as part of a larger long-term strategy to build a base on which further innovations—empowering educators, equal access to gifted education, career technical education, course equity, and better meeting the needs of children with unique abilities—can better prepare students for success beyond the K-12 environment.
Overview
The growing Regional Manager Team focuses on local advocacy around the Invest in Kids Act and Tax Credit Scholarship Program fundraising. The Regional Manager is responsible for developing relationships and providing support in specific regions of the state and with key constituent groups. The Regional Manager is the primary relationship lead for communities across Illinois, creating a hub of support, communication, and advocacy. Empower Illinois seeks a Regional Manager who can assess the opportunities available in each of these areas and make strategic decisions about priorities and additional possibilities.
Primary Duties and Responsibilities
• In coordination with the Advocacy Team, develop relationships with local, city, and statewide officials to ensure timely and two-way communication of information about the Invest in Kids Acts, and its impact vis a vis the scholarships provided by Empower Illinois
• In coordination with the Development Team, drive tax credit scholarship fundraising at the school level to achieve ambitious school system and regional fundraising goals
• Regional leadership and local advocacy, including coordinating in-district school visits with legislators
• Work with the Advocacy Team to develop region, school, and constituent-specific strategies to empower local stakeholders
• Develop and implement grassroots strategies and events to mobilize scholarship families and coalition members to take meaningful action issues related to the Invest in Kids Tax Credit Scholarship Program
• Provide meaningful training and relevant resources to school network and civic leaders relative to the scholarship application process, fundraising, donor relations, and marketing
• Represent Empower Illinois externally in a variety of settings and participate broadly in the local community
• Work effectively with all peers and the stakeholders in Finance, Communications, Development, and Operations to negotiate and influence positive stakeholder outcomes
• Maintain and update stakeholder interactions in the organization’s CRM tool (Salesforce)
• Resolve stakeholder issues and provide clarification on processes and portal features
• Performs additional duties, assignments, and projects, as required
Education and Experience
• College degree or equivalent. Education is considered to include both the formal/ traditional, as well as learning from life and experience
• Have a passion for education policy and believe in Empower Illinois’ core priority that the Tax Credit Scholarship Program has the power to transform the education and the lives of students from low-income and working-class families
• Well-developed people-skills and the ability to form high-quality, professional relationships with individuals from diverse backgrounds
• Previous advocacy/grassroots experience and/or local fundraising work, and the ability to relate to and influence a variety of external partners including civic leaders, community organizations, elected officials, and families
• Experience navigating complex political environments and a keen understanding of the political nuances of Illinois
• Organized, strategic, and self-motivated professional who can set goals and deliver results against their assigned goals
• A history of working in fast-paced entrepreneurial environments and working remotely while remaining connected to and aligned with broad organizational goals and objectives
Skills and Knowledge
• The ability to be pragmatic and focus on solutions that work in the real world of politics, classrooms, and with families and their children
• The ability to identify new ways to add value to stakeholder organizations and to more deeply engage them in the important work of advocacy
• A capacity for eliciting impact stories from scholarship recipients and their school communities, identifying advocates and spokespeople who have the respect of the community, and aligning these testimonies with the broader policy, advocacy, and communications objectives of the organization
• Entrepreneurialism and a high level of ambition
• A level of integrity and energy compelling enough to bring a divergent range of partners with different political, religious, and financial backgrounds together in a collaborative fashion and inspire them to act
Empower Illinois offers the following personal and professional benefits
• Being a part of a team where we believe that we are better together
• Competitive salary and generous benefits
• Knowledge that your work is directly impacting educational opportunities for thousands of students across the state of Illinois
Empower Illinois is an Equal Opportunity Employer, M/F/H/V.