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Director of Development

Employer
Equality Illinois
Location
Chicago, Illinois
Salary
$90,000 - $100,000
Posted Date
Oct 2, 2024
View more categoriesView less categories
Position Type
Fundraising
Fields
Other Fields

Director of Development



About Equality Illinois
Equality Illinois is the statewide civil rights organization advancing full equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people. We are among the most impactful LGBTQ+ civil rights organizations in the country. In the past few years alone, we have led the passage of nearly 30 transformative laws and regulatory changes, galvanized over 10,000 people a year to take a civic action with us, and secured nearly 1,000 pro-equality news stories about our work in earned media across the country.

Equality Illinois is a 501(c)(4) organization with an affiliated 501(c)(3) entity, Equality Illinois Institute. Combined, the two entities raise over $2 million each year. The organization is led by a diverse, dynamic, and impactful team of six full-time employees.

On behalf of 500,000 LGBTQ+ Illinoisans, Equality Illinois and the Equality Illinois Institute bring the voices of LGBTQ+ people and allies to institutions of power across Illinois, striving to create a world that is healthy, just, and fully equal for all LGBTQ+ people. Equality Illinois advances civil rights and social justice by inspiring, advocating, and mobilizing through an inclusive movement that works tirelessly on behalf of those served.

MISSION
Equality Illinois builds a better Illinois by advancing equal treatment and full acceptance of the LGBTQ+ community.

VISION
Equality Illinois envisions a fair and unified Illinois where everyone is treated with dignity and respect, and where all people live freely, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity or gender expression.

Position Summary
Equality Illinois is seeking a full-time Director of Development. The Director will primarily serve as a community organizer for individual donors and corporate partners. They will build strong personal relationships with current and prospective donors, grounded in mutual respect, and deepen the connection between these donors and our work. Additionally, they will rally these donors- collectively and individually- to leverage their networks to grow the base of support for LGBTQ+ equality. The Director will work collaboratively with the Director of Public Policy, who strengthens and grows relationships with public officials, and the Director of Civic Engagement, who strengthens and grows relationships with community partners, to collectively build a broad base of support among donors, champions, and partners.

Essential Job Functions
The Director of Development is a leading and essential member of the eight-person staff at Equality Illinois. While they do not manage any direct reports, they indirectly lead and support volunteer, and donor-driven events and programming related to fundraising and community engagement. This role will also be responsible for three primary work streams:

  • Maintaining and growing our individual donor circle, the Capitol Club. The Capitol Club is a collective of donors contributing $1,200+, with the goal of stewarding existing donors (roughly 125 individuals/families) to increase membership to over 200 by the start of 2026 through friendraisers, strategic prospecting, and leveraging the networks of our current champions. We aim to increase participation in the Capitol Club among women, BIPOC, TGNC, and non-Chicago-based champions in particular.
  • Maintaining and growing our corporate partner program, the Illinois Equality Council (IEC). We currently have 35 businesses participating in our IEC with program attendance for events and meetings hovering around 25 attendees. By 2026, we would like to have 75 businesses participating with program attendance drawing 50 or more people for most programming.
  • Providing lead direction and management of key strategic events, including our Annual Gala, Network For Equality, and Pride Month Kickoff. Organizational events typically support about 30% of our fundraising goals, with the Gala raising almost $1M and netting $500,000+ toward the total fiscal year goal. These events are also key settings for the Director of Development to steward, network, and build relationships with donors and prospective bundlers/connectors.


While the primary responsibility for stewarding current donors and identifying and cultivating prospects will lie with the Director, they will be able to rely on the partnership of the Director of Operations for support with event logistics, collections, reporting, and other matters as negotiated.

Qualifications
The core skills a successful candidate must have are:

  • A deep commitment to LGBTQ+ equality and the mission, philosophy, and goals of Equality Illinois, including an existing articulation of these talking points, or a willingness to learn them successfully to be able to communicate effectively with donors and stakeholders alike.
  • A skilled problem-solver and self-starter with a high degree of adaptability and thrives in a complex, entrepreneurial environment.
  • The ability and drive to establish, maintain, and grow relationships within a wide range of donors—politicians to senior leaders, young families to teen champions—by getting to know what motivates them and then astutely inspiring these donors to champion our work.
  • A strong background in tracking, and reporting, to effectively and efficiently manage overlapping plans, budgets, goals, tasks, prospects/donors, programs, and events.
  • The ability to effectively and efficiently communicate with staff, donors, and stakeholders alike, about your responsibilities, their impact, and outcomes.
  • Strong narrative and storytelling skills which convey a compelling narrative and call to action for donors by allowing them to find themselves in the persuasive story of Equality Illinois.
  • Ability to anticipate needs, maintain respect, and hold people accountable (i.e.: donors, stakeholders, volunteers) in a way that feels good and achieves results by those engaged.
  • Entrepreneurial skills that point to a pattern of evoking new strategies, calculated risks, and the ability to fail quickly and move forward.
  • A team-minded mentality demonstrated by partnering with colleagues and proactively seeking to align their work with the work of others.
  • Willingness and ability to travel (20%) and work evenings and weekends as required.


These skills can be demonstrated in any number of ways, not solely through traditional fundraising and development roles. For example, business developers who have grown a book of business, community organizers who have grown strong coalitions toward large-scale action, political candidates who have built grassroots intensive campaigns, or volunteers who have grown impactful all-volunteer teams to achieve historic results all may be able to demonstrate the qualifications above.

Reporting Relationships
The Director of Development reports directly to the Chief Executive Officer and has no direct reports. The Director also serves as part of a collaborative team of other directors at Equality Illinois.

Compensation + Benefits
The salary range for this position is approximately $90,000 - $100,000

Equality Illinois provides a competitive package of benefits to all eligible full-time employees beginning after the first full month of employment. Insurance coverage begins on the 1st of the month following the date of hire if the required paperwork is completed and submitted.
Benefits package to include:

  • PPO medical and dental plans – organization covers 80% of premiums for employees and 70% for employees + spouse/child.
  • Vision plan covered by Equality Illinois at 100%.
  • Supplemental plans (life, short-term disability, long-term disability).
  • Tax-savings programs: for Transit.
  • Simple IRA – a savings incentive match plan for employees.
  • Vacation: 15 days paid vacation time each year, with no more than 20 days accrued, plus paid vacation for an employee's birthday. Holidays are determined annually by the Board.
  • Sick/Personal/Emergency Leave: up to five (5) days per year accrued from date of employment.
  • Family Leave: employees are not eligible for FMLA but we do have a policy for employee leave related to the adoption or birth of a child.
  • Sabbatical: Available to apply after 5 years of continuous full-time employment.
  • Relocation assistance may be available and individually negotiated for candidates outside the Chicago Area.


As a reflection of our firm's commitment to equity and equal pay for all, Cooper Coleman requires that salary ranges or salary starting points be published for every search we conduct. The practice of not posting salaries perpetuates the gender and racial wage gap and discriminates against women, people of color, and other historically excluded populations by causing individuals to negotiate from a disadvantaged starting point.

Location
The successful candidate must reside in or relocate to the Chicagoland region. This position initially requires onsite work at the Equality Illinois Office in Chicago, Illinois, with the opportunity to transition into hybrid work structure after six months. After six months and upon meeting performance expectations, the role will transition to a hybrid model, requiring only 1.5 days in the Chicago office.

While the Equality Illinois offices are in Chicago, the Development Director will be required to meet both virtually and in person with donors across the entire state of Illinois as identified and needed, with a particular focus on growth desired in the Bloomington, Carbondale, Champaign, Peoria, Springfield, and Metro East communities.

Relocation assistance may be available and individually negotiated for candidates outside the Chicagoland Area.

EEO + Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
The very mission of Equality Illinois is to build a better Illinois by advancing equal treatment and full acceptance of the LGBTQ+ community. On behalf of 500,000 LGBTQ+ Illinoisans, Equality Illinois and the Equality Illinois Institute bring the voices of LGBTQ+ people and allies to institutions of power across Illinois, striving to create a world that is healthy, just, and fully equal for all LGBTQ+ people. We advance civil rights and social justice by inspiring, advocating, and mobilizing through an inclusive movement that works tirelessly on behalf of those we serve. That focus on inclusion also directly includes the diversity of people of color, faith, sex, gender, experience, and background.

Equal Employment Opportunity. Equality Illinois is an equal opportunity employer. People of color, women, and transgender people are strongly encouraged to apply.

Background Checks
Before sending your resume for this position, please read it over for accuracy. Cooper Coleman verifies its candidates' employment and academic credentials at the time of offer, and our clients frequently conduct background checks before finalizing an offer.

Submission Instructions (read carefully)
Cooper Coleman is leading this search on behalf of Equality Illinois. To apply, please visit this link (www.coopercoleman.com/current-searches). All Expressions of interest should be made via this application. Inquiries and nominations of qualified candidates can be sent to:
 

hello@coopercoleman.com



Kindly use the position title as the subject line of your email. All inquiries will be held in confidence.

A cover letter is not required with your initial application but is welcomed to help us understand your fitness for and interest in this role during our initial evaluation. Candidates invited for interviews will be asked to provide a thoughtful letter of interest indicating their specific qualifications for the opportunity, desire to join Equality Illinois, and connection to its mission.

Cooper Coleman LLC is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all qualified candidates and will refer candidates without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation or identity, age, ability, veteran status, or any other legally protected basis.

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