Director of Development

DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT

About Cara Collective
Cara Collective seeks to fuel a courageous national movement to eradicate relational and financial poverty. Through our four entities – Cara Chicago, Cleanslate, Cara Connects, and Cara Plus – we engage job seekers, employers, and other organizations across the country to break the cycle of poverty through the power and purpose of employment.

At present, we produce 1,000 jobs each year, at one-year retention rates for their permanent placements over 20 points higher than national norms, and with over 80% of employed participants moving on to permanent housing in which their families can thrive.

Our results don’t just end with employment. We also maintain market-competitive businesses that create gateway jobs for those they serve, and produce a profound social return on investment, where for every dollar invested in this work, $5.97 is re-invested in society over a five-year time horizon. The work is important not only because of its clear goal of bringing individuals in need back to the dignity and the productivity of employment, but because of its clear mission to transform people’s lives. Families become stronger, relationships are healed, and communities become more vibrant because nothing gives you a positive outlook on life like a job.

Today, we take the insights gained over the last three decades to not only serve a growing number of jobseekers locally, but also to equip other organizations and employers nationally with the tools and practices to build a more inclusive economy. Our hope is that as more jobseekers get back to work, and more employers realize the value of this untapped workforce, we will not only shift the narrative of what talent looks like in our country, we will also ensure thousands more families realize the lasting power of hope, jobs, and opportunity.

Learn more at www.caracollective.org.

About the Role

The Director of Development partners with Chief Philanthropy Officer on overall departmental strategy including budgeting, moves management, stakeholder relations, and events. They oversee and build relationships with institutional and individual donors and prospects to maximize financial donations and help Cara Collective achieve its strategic and organizational goals. This position sits on the Leadership Team and manages 2 staff members.

Reports To
Chief Philanthropy Officer

Outcomes

The Director of Development will be responsible for achieving the following outcomes within the organization:

• Achieve a personal annual revenue goal of $1.3M from a portfolio of donors
• Manage 2 team members who secure $1.2M of institutional support on an annual basis from foundation and corporate grants and sponsorships and roughly $1M of major gift and other individual funding
• Represent the Development team at the Leadership Team level, lending an enterprise and team voice in response to strategic and operational activities

Responsibilities

Team & Portfolio Management (50%)

• Achieve a personal annual revenue goal of $1.3M from a portfolio of donors
• Responsible for day-to-day oversight and support of Individual Giving Manager and Institutional Giving Lead, who
• help secure $2.5M of institutional support on an annual basis from foundation and corporate grants and sponsorships and $1M of major gift and other individual funding
• Manage an institutional and individual fundraising plan that is managed in Salesforce and reported on regularly to evaluate progress and success
• Seek out and analyze data to inform development strategy
• Co-lead moves management process, including regular meetings and evaluation
• Conduct regular prospect research to grow institutional portfolio by a minimum of 10 new funders annually
• Liaise with the Executive Team and Board of Directors to identify, cultivate, and solicit top institutional and individual prospects
• Develop and implement acquisition strategy to diversify individual giving profile, and grow a personal portfolio of 20 donors over next three years
• Assess partners for capacity to contribute to Cara Collective in other ways (e.g. volunteering, employment, training)

Leadership & Strategic Initiatives (30%)

• Partner with Chief Philanthropy Officer on overall departmental strategy including budgeting, moves management, stakeholder relations, and events
• Liaise with the Board of Directors and affinity groups to activate around time, talent, and treasure goals
• Sit on Leadership team representing the Development team at the management level
• Work with various departments to vet opportunities and partners to achieve enterprise goals, particularly with our 3 social enterprises and public revenue department
• Represent Cara Collective at engagement opportunities

Communications (10%)
• Ensure organizational goals and metrics are articulated in a stakeholder-friendly manner, compelling, and representative of the work of Cara Collective
• In collaboration with Director of Marketing and Communications, occasionally author and regularly review development-related communications, including but not limited to success stories, newsletter articles, solicitation letters, and acknowledgement letters

Additional Responsibilities (10%)
• Provide support for all special events
• Special projects as needed by the Chief Executive Officer or Chief Philanthropy Officer

Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree required, Master’s degree preferred
- At least 7 years of comparable experience working with institutional and individual donors
- Meticulous record-keeping skills and detail-oriented approach
- Experience working in a fast-paced environment while maintaining high personal standards for the quality of output
- Strong critical-thinking skills, with the ability to understand high-level strategic objectives, as well as, the tactical details critical for their success
- Ability to solve problems independently and collaboratively, exercising good judgment while balancing competing priorities
- Skilled at public speaking
- Ability to simultaneously manage short-term and long-term plan and goals
- Highly professional demeanor with the ability to work successfully with a wide array of constituents, including donors, board members, volunteers, program staff and other stakeholders
- Aptitude with Salesforce (or comparable CRM), Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook and PowerPoint
- Availability for some evening and weekend work
- Commitment to excellence and passion for the mission of Cara Collective

Equal Opportunity Employer
Cara Collective is committed to creating a diverse work environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. Cara Collective does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, gender identity, religion, sexual orientation, age, disability, parental status, veteran status, or any other protected status under applicable laws. We encourage individuals of all backgrounds to apply. If you are a qualified candidate with a disability, please email us at kboelkens@carachicago.org if you require reasonable accommodation to complete this application.