Senior Director of Development

About Arts Alliance Illinois

As the statewide advocacy and lobbying organization for arts and culture, Arts Alliance Illinois supports the creative sector by championing public policies, securing funding, and building connections that help artists and organizations thrive.

This role is 90% remote, with required attendance at occasional Chicago office meetings, annual staff retreats, Arts Alliance events, and in-person donor meetings and cultivation activities. All employees must reside in Illinois during their employment.

The Senior Director of Development reports to the Executive Director and leads all fundraising strategy and execution for Arts Alliance Illinois. This includes frontline major gifts work, multi-year revenue strategy, departmental leadership, and management of staff across grants, individual giving, membership, and data systems.

• Initial application
• 30-minute phone interview
• Panel interview with selected Alliance staff
• Paid work sample assessment
• Final interview with the Executive Director and a board member

Arts Alliance Illinois values diversity and is committed to building an inclusive workplace that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills. We encourage Black, Indigenous or People of Color, immigrants, LGBTQ+ individuals, people with disabilities, people without college degrees, and anyone part of a group that has been historically discriminated against, to apply.

• Maintain a portfolio of 20-30 major donors, leading all cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship activities
• In collaboration with the Executive Director, lead strategy for gifts $25,000+ and collaborate with the Development Manager to grow donors in the $1,000-$24,999 range
• Serve as the primary solicitor for special campaigns, creative sector initiatives, and programmatic or policy-related fundraising
• Engage the Board Fund Development Committee in identifying, cultivating, and soliciting major donor prospects
• Lead prospecting for new individual, foundation, corporate, and government supporters
• Conduct regular outreach to broaden the donor pipeline and deepen relationships with program officers, philanthropic partners, and civic leaders
• Act as a public representative of the Alliance at donor, partner, and sector events

• Develop and implement a comprehensive multi-year fundraising strategy, including major gifts, annual fund, membership, foundation/government grants, and event revenue (including the annual benefit)
• Oversee the annual benefit and other donor events:
• Partner with the Executive Director and Board on strategy
• Lead revenue planning, sponsorship strategy, and invitation pipeline development
• Collaborate with the Development Manager and external vendors to ensure strong project management and execution
• Supervise the Development Manager (FT), Grant Writer (PT), Membership Manager (PT), and Data & Technology Manager (PT)
• Oversee creation and maintenance of fundraising materials, including case statements, program overviews, annual/impact reports, and donor communications
• Partner with Communications to develop and execute year-round donor and member engagement strategies
• Optimize Salesforce and other tools to strengthen prospecting, donor stewardship, reporting, and pipeline management
• Ensure timely and accurate grant reporting, compliance, and stewardship across all funding areas
• Manage fiscal sponsorship relationships, including communication, documentation, and administrative oversight
• Partner with the Senior Director of Finance and our external accounting partner on reconciliation, forecasting, reporting, and budgeting
• Manage and support Board Development Committee work, including identification of prospective board members and governance-related processes

• 7+ years of nonprofit fundraising experience, including 3+ years in a donor-facing role
• A track record of securing five- to six-figure gifts
• Experience leading or managing a high-functioning development team
• Experience in multiple areas of giving: major gifts, annual fund, campaigns, events, foundation/corporate giving, and/or government grants
• Strong project management, organizational, and strategic planning skills
• Ability to self-direct while working collaboratively in a remote environment
• Strong communication skills with a donor-centered, relationship-based approach

• Ability to analyze and translate data into actionable fundraising insights
• Commitment to cultural competence and inclusive stakeholder engagement
• Proficiency with Salesforce or other fundraising CRMs
• Familiarity with nonprofit accounting principles
• Proficiency with Google Suite, Zoom, and project management tools
• CFRE or similar certification
• Knowledge of Chicago and Illinois philanthropic landscapes
• Experience with fundraising in the arts, culture, or creative sector

This is a full-time exempt position with a salary range of $102,000 - $113,500 commensurate…