Associate Director of Development

About iMentor

In a world where talent is equally distributed, but opportunity is not, iMentor is fighting to rebalance the odds and give every young person a chance to realize their dreams. iMentor builds mentoring relationships that empower students in low-income communities to graduate high school, succeed in college, and achieve their ambitions. Students work with their mentors one-on-one, in-person and online, to develop strong personal relationships, nurture a college aspiration, navigate the college application process, and build critical skills that lead to college success. iMentor partners with public schools to ensure every student in the schools receives a mentor.

Since 1999, iMentor has connected more than 25,000 students with mentors, and this year iMentor is serving nearly 9,000 students across the country. iMentor Chicago launched in 2015 with 207 pairs, and has grown to serving 1025 students at 4 schools in 2017-18.

iMentor has been recognized through funding from many of the leading education funders in the country, including the Ballmer Group, the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation, the Robin Hood Foundation, the Bezos Family Foundation, New Profit Inc., and the Kresge Foundation. As a team, we are collaborative, fun, bring passion and joy to our work, and deeply believe in human potential. iMentor was recently named one of the Best Nonprofits to Work For by Opportunity Knocks and The Nonprofit Times. Read more about our work and values at: http://www.imentor.org.

Position Overview

iMentor Chicago is seeking an Associate Director of Development to build and sustain strategic relationships and cultivate new sources of funding in Chicago during a rapid period of growth for the organization. The Associate Director will be responsible for raising unrestricted funds through individual gifts, foundation proposals and special events. Reporting directly to the Senior Director of Development and working closely with the Executive Director, the Associate Director will co-design and drive a fundraising strategy to support an ambitious five-year strategic growth plan in Chicago. This is an exciting opportunity for a driven professional with strong philanthropic networks, demonstrated success in reaching ambitious fundraising goals, and an interest in helping drive system-wide improvements in education. This role will be critical to iMentor's ability to raise essential support that will sustain the organization and expand its impact over the long-term. The ideal candidate will bring five to seven (5 to 7) years of work experience with at least three (3) years of individual giving or institutional fundraising experience, demonstrated analytical skills and a track record of developing strong partnerships and relationships in a philanthropic landscape.

Responsibilities

Research new prospects to strengthen iMentor's pipeline across revenue streams: foundations, corporations and invidual funders
Lead iMentor Chicago’s Associate Board consisting of 10 emerging leaders working at our corporate partners to raise $15,000 annually
Support the development of cultivation strategies for both new and current foundation funders utilizing Salesforce, LinkedIn Wealth Engine, Charity Navigator and Foundation Center
Plan and executive targeted cultivation events, smaller fundraising events and campaigns and two annual fundraising events to raise over $100,000
Write and edit grant proposals and reports for institutional funders, letters of inquiry, internal briefing documents and memos, and other communications and materials, as needed, effectively and succinctly capturing iMentor’s work and impact
Work closely with Sr. Director of Development to leverage grant templates, report on and renew existing grants and prepare for five-figure grant proposals
Build relationships with key departments within iMentor – e.g., program, finance, and research and evaluation – to aggregate data and information that will help inform and tailor grant requests to strongly align with the grant-making priorities of each foundation
Devise a stewardship and communications plan that engages supporters with the stories of mentor-mentee pairs, iMentor national impact, and the broader organizational development of iMentor
Lead donor communication and stewardship by creating mailing list(s), draft End of Year (EOY) appeal letters and lead the iMentor Challenge peer-to-peer fundraiser
Manage internal grants calendar and schedule to ensure proposals are submitted on time
Ensure data entry and gift processing by updating and maintaining iMentor’s Salesforce database of foundation funders & prospects
Support organization-wide and development team initiatives and events. Includes some weeknight evenings

Qualifications

Five to seven (5-7) years of professional experience with at least three (3) years of fundraising experience
Enthusiastic and eager to refine fundraising pitches, solicit donations and approach high-level contacts
Displays a passion and track record for relationship building, creating buy-in and inspiring others to engage in mission-driven work
Strong writing skills with ability to demonstrate persuasive writing and articulate clear and concise thoughts
Sharp analytical skills to figure out the inputs that lead to desired outputs, figure out what’s missing, what’s superfluous, and how to do it better with a strong focus on systems and process
Strong contributor in team environments to help strengthen internal communications, collaborations, and organizational culture
Understanding of local fundraising landscape and development cycle
Proven track record of relationship development with ability to balance mutually beneficial relationships and work collaboratively toward outcomes
Exceptional project management skills and ability to balance multiple, complex projects in a highly deadline-driven environment
Displays resiliency and realistic optimism when articulating challenges in their work and ability to use a solutions-based, collaborative approach to drive change
Quick learner who demonstrates an eagerness to continually strengthen their understanding of iMentor’s work, impact, successes, and challenges. Continually seeks constructive feedback and leverages input to move work forward
Flexible and adaptive to effectively manage changing priorities and new opportunities.
Aligned in thought and action with iMentor's values (http://www.imentor.org/values)
Views differences between individuals (race, gender, age, cultural heritage, physical ability, education and lifestyle) as an asset and demonstrates an appreciation of the diversity within iMentor
Bachelor’s degree required
Employment is contingent upon the completion of a satisfactory fingerprinting and criminal background check

Compensation & Benefits

Salary commensurate with experience
Up to 100% employer funded comprehensive medical and dental coverage
18 days paid annual vacation and 13 paid holidays + most iMentor functions closed between Christmas and New Year’s Day
401K match up to 4%
Significant opportunities for professional development and growth

How to Apply

Visitwww.imentor.org/jobs to submit a resume and detailed cover letter describing your interest in and qualifications for the position. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis, so it is in candidates’ best interest to apply as soon as possible. No phone, email, mail, or fax inquiries will receive a response.

iMentor is an Equal Opportunity Employer