Location: Chicago, IL

Department: Advancement & Partnerships

Reports To: Chief Advancement & Partnerships Officer 

About The CAFE Group 

The CAFE Group is a nonprofit organization reimagining the architecture of philanthropy to support the people and institutions claiming a just future. 

We invest in leaders and organizations building a more equitable society, backing visionary talent through The 1954 Project and early-career changemakers through the LEAD Internship Program. Across generations and roles, we build networks that move with trust and shared purpose, fueled by our core belief that love is a strategy for lasting change. 

Position Overview 

The CAFE Group is building its first in-house development operation, and we are seeking a Senior Development Manager who is energized by creating something new—systems, structures, rhythms, and culture—from the ground up. This role blends development operations, donor stewardship, frontline fundraising, relationship support, and event strategy and execution, and will play a pivotal role in shaping how The CAFE Group engages stakeholders and tells its story. 

You will work closely with The CAFE Group’s CEO Liz Thompson, the Chief Advancement & Partnerships Officer (CAPO), the Impact and Communications teams, Board members, and external donors. Because The CAFE Group is a small, growing organization, working in an ambiguous, fast-paced, “all-hands-on-deck” environment should be exciting to you. At the same time, you should be eager to embed love and care in every interaction. 

The ideal candidate is someone motivated by racial equity and systems change in education and philanthropy, inspired by vision and radical imagination, and fundamentally an operator who loves building systems, staying organized, and ensuring things get done with excellence. 

We’re Looking for Someone Who: 

Leads with love and radical imagination and has the heart of an operator. 

You ground your work in love, possibility, and systems change—and you also thrive on execution, structure, and getting things done with excellence. 

Curious and eager to implement new systems. 

You want to help create the first in-house development operation at The CAFE Group—designing workflows, refining tools, and forging new relationships and partnerships. 

Collaborates fluidly in a small, nimble team. 

You enjoy ambiguity, adapt quickly, and embrace the shared-lift nature of early-stage organizational building. 

Communicates with warmth and precision. 

In particular, you are a very clear and compelling writer. You can adopt the voice of different leaders with ease and write in The CAFE Group’s distinctive voice – bold, visionary, and joyful. 

Cares deeply about racial equity and systems change in education and philanthropy. 

You see fundraising not as transactional work, but as movement-building. 

 

Responsibilities 

Frontline Fundraising, Proposal, and Report Writing (40%) 

  • Manage a portfolio of institutional and individual funders, including execution of campaigns and stewardship vehicles, proposal and report writing, and management of grant deliverables. 
  • Conduct prospecting and qualification for new institutional opportunities. 
  • Prepare briefings, decks, and materials for donor conversations with the CEO, Chief Advancement and Partnerships Officer, and Chief Impact Officer. 
  • Partner closely with the Impact team to surface program outcomes and stories that animate fundraising narratives with clarity, joy, and love. 

Development Operations and Moves Management (30%) 

  • Own The CAFE Group’s moves management system, ensuring that donor strategies, next steps, and touchpoints are clear, timely, and actionable. 
  • Build and maintain streamlined advancement systems across Salesforce, Asana, and SharePoint. 
  • Produce dashboards, reports, and analyses that support decision-making across the enterprise. 
  • Create and refine workflows, SOPs, and infrastructure for a growing revenue operation. 

Events, Stewardship, and Donor Engagement (20%) 

  • Partner closely with the Communications team to co-own and implement The CAFE Group’s annual events and stewardship strategy, including written updates, in-person engagements and collateral. 
  • Support stakeholder engagement at major The CAFE Group's events such as the Network Summit, LEAD Internship Showcase, Douglass Dinners events (friend-raising and field-building events), and others. 
  • Ensure all donor experiences reflect The CAFE Group’s values of love, joy, proximity, and relational care. 

Cross-Departmental Collaboration (10%) 

  • Partner closely with Finance on gift processing, acknowledgments, compliance, and financial reporting to ensure accurate and timely donor stewardship. 
  • Help build and reinforce a culture of philanthropy across the enterprise—supporting staff in understanding their role in donor stewardship, relationship-building, and communicating impact. 
  • Serve as a relational and cultural bridge across teams, modeling love-centered communication, transparency, shared ownership, and joyful collaboration. 

What does success look like in your first year? 

  • You will deeply understand The CAFE Group’s vision, programs and strategic direction, and The CAFE Group’s position in the larger ecosystem of organizations working towards systems change in philanthropy and education. 
  • You will have close relationships with fellow staff at The CAFE Group as well as the members of the 1954 Luminary Network, the members of the LEAD internship network, and most of The CAFE Group’s donors and partners. 
  • Alongside the Chief Advancement and Partnerships Officer, you will have achieved an ambitious goal of securing $6M in pledges from institutional partners and individual investors. 
  • You will have a clear point of view about how to improve The CAFE Group’s prospecting, moves management, data and knowledge management and donor engagement practices in the upcoming year. 
  • You will have contributed meaningfully to the execution of The CAFE Group’s core programs (1954 Project and the LEAD internship) and will have helped build the capacity of every member of The CAFE Group’s team to think and act like organizational stewards. 

 

Qualifications 

Required 

  • At least 6 years of nonprofit development and/or partnerships experience, with significant exposure to institutional fundraising 
  • Demonstrated success drafting proposals, reports, and donor communications 
  • Strong proficiency with Salesforce (or demonstrated aptitude to learn it quickly) 
  • Demonstrated excellence in project management and operational execution 
  • Experience managing projects independently 
  • Ability to thrive in an ambiguous, entrepreneurial, small-team environment 
  • Comfort working collaboratively with senior leaders, Board members, donors, and partners 
  • Deep motivation to advance racial equity and systems change in education and philanthropy 
  • Alignment with The CAFE Group’s values of love, proximity, joy, equity, and radical imagination 

 

Preferred 

  • Experience working in nonprofits that are national in scope, focused on education and/or a philanthropic intermediary 
  • Experience with Asana or other project management systems 
  • Experience supporting fundraising events and/or stewardship programs 
  • Experience working with or supporting BIPOC-led organizations 

 

Compensation & Benefits 

The successful candidate will earn $95,000 - $110,000 depending on experience. The CAFE Group offers a generous benefits package including medical, dental, vision, matched 401(k), 15 PTO days, hybrid work environment, a $1,500 annual professional development allowance, a cell phone stipend, and 11 paid holidays. 

The CAFE Group is a safe space for all, regardless of race, gender, sexuality, country of origin, religion, or ability. Candidates from diverse backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply. We are a 501(c)(3) and an Equal Opportunity Employer.