System Development Manager Jobs in Illinois (NOW HIRING)

The Pat Tillman Foundation (PTF) unites and empowers remarkable military veterans and spouses as the next generation of public and private sector leaders committed to service beyond self. Inspired by Pat Tillman, who proudly put his NFL career with the Arizona Cardinals on hold to serve his country, family and friends established the Pat Tillman Foundation following Pat's death in April 2004 while serving with the 75th Ranger Regiment in Afghanistan. Over the last 21 years, PTF has supported nearly 1,000 Tillman Scholars as they've furthered their education and increased their professional impact in the world.

PTF seeks a highly motivated, team-oriented Development Manager to join the existing Development Associate, Associate Director of Development, and the Director of Development in managing all aspects of the Foundation's investor program. In addition to shared responsibilities, and subject to the discretion of the Director of Development, the incoming Development Manager will collaborate across departments and with volunteers to nurture a culture of relationships and engagement throughout the organization and around the country.

The Development Manager will be a high-performing contributor to the success of PTF's fundraising programs. The Development Manager will own a portfolio of donors and lead PTF's signature fundraising event, Tillman Honors. The Development Manager will lead and scale efforts to build community and support for PTF.

Who You Are

• Detail-oriented and highly organized.  An effective systems thinker who can manage multiple projects and prioritize appropriately to produce high-quality results quickly and on time.  You are a natural forward planner who critically assesses your own performance.

• Relationship-builder. You love working with diverse audiences and partners to elevate the voices and impact of the Tillman Scholars as the next generation of public and private sector leaders. You know how to excite people about opportunities to connect with our mission and invest in the impact of the scholar community. You have solid relationship management skills and are an effective networker motivated to strengthen relations with supporters, investors  and partners.

• Clear communicator. You understand the power that small, daily, consistent actions have to create trust and build lasting relationships. Clear and effective written and verbal communicator, experienced in presenting to senior and/or strategic leadership. You have an entrepreneurial spirit and a communication style that inspires others and extinguishes conflict.

• Entrepreneurial spirit. You are a lifelong learner who is passionate about intellectual growth and committed to continuous improvement. You're driven by innovation, creativity, and breakthrough thinking that challenges the conventional and fosters new ideas. As a self-motivated leader and teammate, you love brainstorming to come up with big, inspiring ideas. You are a bold thinker with innovative ideas and creative problem-solving approaches.

• Change Agent: Leader that is agile, courageous, and pushes through conflict for speed to action. A leader that thrives under pressure, takes big risks, delivers solutions, and leads the change. You are a self-motivated leader that drives the agenda and thrives in a competitive, fast-paced environment. Relentless focus on delivering results and tenacity to get it done with urgency.

• Passionate. You care about making a difference in the world, and want to support veterans and their families working at an impactful level across sectors including health, law, business, policy, academia, government, and defense. You want to come to work and feel inspired every day. You want to change the world.

What You'll Do

In addition to participating in regularly-scheduled team meetings, brainstorms, prep and planning sessions, and events; assisting with the daily documentation of stewardship and engagement efforts in the pursuit of revenue; imagining and blueprinting new ways to engage investors through sponsorship opportunities and mutually-beneficial interactions; supporting the Director of Development, the Associate Director of Development, the Office of the CEO, and the Board of Directors, and planning and executing a yearlong calendar of PTF events in collaboration with all other functional teams, you will own the specific duties bulleted below. 

General

• Provides initiative, and accountability for PTF and all related constituencies in accordance with the development department and the foundation's strategic focus

• Helps donors accomplish their philanthropic goals and ambitions through a relationship with PTF; regularly engages donors and prospects in conversations that build relationships to generate revenue for PTF, as well as expand and diversify the donor pool

• Collaborates closely with the Development team to ensure smooth integration and success of PTF's giving programs; executes on activities and meets stated goals for donor engagement and giving

• Maintains close and highly collaborative relationships within the development team, PTF staff, board, scholars, and other constituencies

• Becomes acquainted with Tillman Scholars and collaborates with them on engagement and stewardship activities

• Work with the rest of the development team to ensure regular CRM database updates and maintenance.

Events

• Leads all aspects of our annual Tillman Honors event in Chicago; collaborates with operations, marketing, and programs teams to ensure the event meets its fundraising and attendance goals

• Provides leadership and support for the execution of Pints for Pats events

• Provide support to development team on Team Tillman initiatives 

Individual Giving 

• Cultivate, solicit, and steward a portfolio of individual donors to grow the organization's fundraising revenue as primary relationship manager

• Identify and solicit new major gifts ($5,000+ donors) 

• Oversee donor stewardship; collaborate with Operations ensuring acknowledgement letters are sent, manage stewardship gifts, data input for all donor information and interactions 

• Manage Team 226, our group of monthly donors 

Foundation Partnerships

• Working with the Associate Director of Development, this position will serve as a relationship manager for foundation contacts 

• Manage calendar of foundation grants to ensure timely applications and reporting 

• Work closely with other teams to track and collect data for stewardship reporting 

Corporate Partners

• Support Associate Director, Director, and CEO with corporate partners including sponsorship activation and stewardship to strengthen partnerships that align with the mission and strategic priorities

Grant-making 

• Identify, qualify, and cultivate new relationships with grant-making organizations. 

• Write and submit grants to well-aligned grantors

• Oversee and manage grant calendar and deliverables for all grantors in the designated region

• Collaborate with internal stakeholders to ensure timely accomplishment of grant deliverables

Qualifications

• 5+ years experience in fundraising, sales, account management, or similar field with experience working in nonprofits preferred 

• Prior events experience in the nonprofit or similar sector strongly preferred

• Salesforce experienced preferred

• Grant writing experience preferred 

This position will report to the Associate Director of Development, and will be based in Chicago out of our office at 180 N. La Salle St. in River North. We are in the office three days a week (Tuesday - Thursday) from 9 to 5, with WFH Mondays and Fridays. Remote candidates will not be considered for this role. Other development staff are based in Chicago and Washington D.C. Travel is estimated at 10% of total work time in a given year. The position is available immediately. 

Based in Chicago, the Pat Tillman Foundation offers competitive salaries, comprehensive benefits, and a collaborative and welcoming environment where passionate and curious thinkers will thrive.