Chief Development Officer

Aspen Leadership Group is proud to partner with Chicago Public Media in the search for a Chief Development Officer.

Reporting to the Chief Executive Officer, the Chief Development Officer will lead all fundraising efforts on behalf of Chicago Public Media, including developing a strategic plan to maintain and increase philanthropic revenue. The Chief Development Officer will ensure the achievement of annual and long-term goals for major gifts, foundations, planned giving, annual fundraising events, and corporate giving. The Chief Development Officer will be an active representative of Chicago Public Media, building relationships across the community to advance and strengthen the mission and amplify the role that philanthropy can have on the organization.

Chicago Public Media believes independent journalism is essential to a well-functioning democracy and access to fact-based, objective news and information is a right of every citizen. The organization serves the public interest by creating diverse, compelling content that informs, inspires, and enriches. It connects diverse audiences and helps them make a difference in their community, the region, and the world. Chicago Public Media employs many who are inspired by its mission and who want to belong to an organization that inspires, supports, and challenges. 

Home to the Chicago Sun-Times and WBEZ, Chicago Public Media (‘CPM’) is one of the largest local non-profit news organizations in the country. WBEZ and the Chicago Sun-Times serve more than 4.4 million people across broadcast, print, and digital platforms weekly. Chicago Public Media’s mission is to strengthen the well-being of local communities and democracy through independent local journalism. Its newsrooms produce accessible, trusted news, information, and programming that helps all Chicago area residents make informed decisions every day, and Chicago Public Media aspires to become the essential and most trusted news source Chicago turns to each day to understand the people, events, and ideas that shape America’s third-largest metropolitan community.

During the past five years, Chicago Public Media has significantly expanded the size and ambitions of its newsroom. In addition to bringing nationally syndicated public radio news and talk shows to a Chicagoland audience, its award-winning newsroom desks cover education, criminal justice, politics and government, race, class, and communities and data-driven investigations. Its live, two-hour show on WBEZ, Reset, drives and further expands the daily conversation during midday listening hours. Chicago Public Media has expanded its community engagement initiatives with community conversations around issues that intersect with its reporting; in-depth exploration of specific topics and discussions in a live event setting; and curated live events drawing big national names and thousands of visitors.

Chicago Public Media seeks a Chief Development Officer with a passion for public media and a commitment to the belief that a shared, independent, and trusted public media space remains central to an effective and informed democracy; an ability to lead and thrive in all major fundraising functions including major gifts/principal giving, foundations and government grants, data management, budget administration, marketing, and communications;  an ability to build meaningful and trusted relationships with donors with a preference for individuals with knowledge of the Chicago philanthropic landscape; and  an ability to articulate and execute a fundraising vision for Chicago Public Media to internal and external stakeholders. All applications must be accompanied by a cover letter and résumé. Cover letters should be responsive to the mission of Chicago Public Media—to serve as a cornerstone of the public conversation; as a central pillar of civic community; and to reassert itself as the heart of innovation within public media.

The salary range for this position is $250,000 to $325,000 annually.

Chicago Public Media is committed to the inclusion of all qualified candidates. If you require reasonable accommodation in completing this application, interviewing, or participating in the selection process, please contact Marianna DiVietro at mariannadivietro@aspenleadershipgroup.com.

To apply for this position, visit: https://opportunities.aspenleadershipgroup.com/opportunities/1808.