Director of Development - Chicago

Common Threads seeks a highly motivated Director of Development to oversee the organization’s development division. This position will lead the organization’s fundraising strategy, execution, and performance management for individual, foundation, corporate, and government giving.

The Director will manage a team that consists of two fundraisers, a grant writer, and an individual giving/ board engagement manager. Development Manager oversees their portfolio of foundation, corporate, and government accounts. The Director will be responsible for overseeing these managers to ensure fundraising and growth goals are obtained in all verticals via new and existing opportunities.

Projected

Start Date:

January 5, 2026

• Develop and implement a comprehensive fundraising strategy
• Work closely with leadership to set and meet fundraising goals, and manage up-to-date revenue projections
• Prepare the CEO and Development team for cultivation, solicitation, and/or stewardship conversations/activations, as needed
• Collaborate with the entire Growth division (consisting of development and marketing/communications) to develop effective donor communications and materials, as well as the creation of key development collateral, such as community impact reports and other documents, as needed
• Monitor and analyze data, and use insights to help direct organizational strategy
• Collaborate with Programs and Evaluation staff to propose programs and projects that meet funder interests while advancing organizational goals
• Participate in market-specific and national working committees related to nutrition equity
• Represent Common Threads internally and externally, articulating mission and programs to diverse funding and community audiences through individual conversations and group presentations
• Monitor philanthropic trends and lead/initiate strategy meetings on potential mission-related special project directions

• Manage and lead a team of fundraising professionals that make up the cultivation, LOI, proposal, reporting, renewals
• Ensure Development division goals are met, and ideally exceeded

Development division (foundation, government, and corporate giving)

• Manage team members throughout the fundraising process and establish OKRs and KPIs for the division and individual team members

• Support the grant writer in research grant opportunities, prepare grant proposals, and manage the grant application process. Ensure compliance with grant requirements, track reporting deadlines, and oversee grant-funded programs to achieve intended outcome

• Support execution to grow individual donations through seasonal giving appeals and campaigns
• Cultivate and lead major gift relationships with support from CEO
• Assist with CEO’s and Marketing/Individual Donor strategy efforts to recruit and build donor/ supporter networks and individual revenue with National, Advisory, and regional board members in all Common Threads markets

• Lead planning and execution of cultivation and fundraising events, ensuring alignment with revenue goals.
• Engage board members, donors, and volunteers in event strategy, participation, and follow-up stewardship.

The above statements are intended to describe the essential job functions of this role and are not an exhaustive list of all duties performed by personnel occupying this position.

• Bachelor’s degree (preferred)
• 7+ years of progressive experience in fundraising
• Must be experienced in all fundraising verticals (corporate, foundation, government, and especially individual giving)
• Proven track record of securing five, six, and seven-figure grants and multi-year gifts from corporations, foundations, and/or government sources
• Management experience
• Proficiency in Salesforce (or other CRMs) and an understanding of the importance of department data integrity
• Experience with  (preferred)
• Knowledge of national and local institutional funders specific to Common Threads’ program locations
• Grant writing, reporting, and compliance experience
• Experience overseeing and developing funding proposals (e.g. writing grant…