Chicago Community Director
Job Title: Community Director
Location: Chicago, IL
POSITION OVERVIEW
Avodah seeks an engaging, passionate and entrepreneurial individual to join the team as the Chicago Community Director. The Community Director will collaborate closely with the Chicago Program Director and will be responsible for stewarding existing Chicago-area major donors and foundation funders, growing Avodah’s base of support in the Chicago-region and leading the Chicago Advisory Council. This position reports to the Director of Individual Giving in New York.
We’re looking for an entrepreneurial, creative self-starter who ideally is already part of the Chicago community. This position may be structured as either a full time or part-time (3-4 days) job.
RESPONSIBILITIES
- In consultation with the Director of Individual Giving, set fiscal year revenue targets and individual donor and foundation strategies for the Chicago region.
- Steward and solicit Chicago-area individual major donors, and support Avodah’s Executive Director’s efforts regarding same.
- In consultation with the Director of Foundation Relations, identify prospective foundation funders and ambassadors thereto, steward Chicago-area foundation funders, and assist in the preparation of local foundation grants and reports.
- Execute local elements of national fundraising campaigns, including the year-end campaign and the incoming corps member campaign.
- Plan fundraising events, possibly including but not limited to gala dinners, ticketed major donor events, dinners and parlor meetings.
- Conduct prospect research in support of regional fundraising efforts.
- Build meaningful relationships with Chicago-area Corps Members, Fellows and alumni in order to share their stories with and connect them to our funders and prospective funders.
- Assist in devising and work closely with the Chicago Program Director to execute local community engagement strategies designed to raise Avodah’s profile, meaningfully engage the local community in our work and connect our donors and the community to our program participants.
- Draft communications to and reports for individual donors.
- Help recruit for and work in partnership with the Chicago Advisory Council to increase Avodah’s visibility in the region, cultivate Avodah’s major donors and attract new major donors.
- Prepare and send to the national office donations received in the Chicago office.
- Maintain and update Avodah’s donor CRM records as appropriate.
QUALIFICATIONS
- At least three (3) years nonprofit development experience, including work with major donors.
- Ability to identify and cultivate relationships with and solicit gifts from new and existing stakeholders.
- Ability to work with lay leaders and engage them in organizational mission and goals.
- Strong interpersonal and conversational skills.
- Relentless drive to implement strategies and achieve goals.
- Collaborative work style coupled with ability to work autonomously at a high level.
- Creativity and appetite for a fast-paced work environment.
- Broad familiarity with domestic poverty issues, Jewish leadership and the Jewish community.
- Familiarity with Salesforce preferred.
TO APPLY
Please send cover letter and resume to Steve Bocknek, Senior Director of External Relations, at sbocknek@avodah.net. Please use the subject line: “Chicago Community Director.”
The cover letter will be used as a writing sample. Resumes without a cover letter will not be considered. No phone calls, please. Due to the volume of applications, we are able only to respond to those applicants granted an interview. Applications will be accepted until we hire, but we strongly encourage interested candidates to submit their applications by the beginning of June. Interviews will be set up on a rolling basis.
Avodah is an equal opportunity employer and provides competitive salaries and generous benefits.
AVODAH OVERVIEW
Avodah develops Jewish leaders who are lifelong agents for social change. We offer exceptional Jewish leadership programs for young adults that integrate Jewish identity and social justice. Avodah’s Jewish Service Corps, Fellowship, Alumni Network and Community Engagement programs have sparked close to a thousand Jewish leaders, added millions of dollars in critical staff capacity to antipoverty organizations, and transformed Jewish life in America.
