Job Description

Who Are We?

Chicago Food Policy Action Council (CFPAC) was founded in 2002 as a coalition and became a 501c3 nonprofit in 2011, and added full-time staff in 2017. CFPAC connects people across Chicago’s food system to build equitable networks and to advance food justice and food sovereignty.

Our Mission & Vision

We envision a food system where residents of all races, gender, and social identities have the right to produce and access food through community-driven, ecologically regenerative, and economically resilient processes. We address gaps in today’s food system using an incubator model to initiate solutions that build an equitable future for systematically marginalized, local farms and food businesses. We specifically focus on dismantling structural racism in the food system and lifting up food policies that support Black, Indigenous, and People of Color. We champion food leaders who equitably represent Chicago’s tapestry (race, class, gender, social identity) by connecting them within our network to take leadership roles, lead policy conversations, and establish greater capacity for equitable solutions. We prompt grassroots action for food system equity by creating space for leaders to connect, facilitating conversations around policy and solutions, and addressing systemic barriers to food equity and food access. To that end, please visit www.chicagofoodpolicy.com to learn more.

Position Overview

The Senior Development Manager will create and drive annual growth strategies; identify, build, and manage relationships with investment-level donors; and strengthen CFPAC’s fundraising operations, creating a solid foundation for future departmental growth. This is a new position at CFPAC, designed for an individual interested in joining a meaningful mission, creating and building effective systems from the ground up, and cultivating transformational relationships to build sustainable funding for the organization.  This role reports to the Director of Operations and works in close coordination with the Executive Director. This role supports the organization’s goal of diversifying revenue as currently, CFPAC secures the majority of its funding from foundations, program revenue, and the government.

Primary Responsibilities and Expectations

Drive Private Funding Strategy and Planning (25%) 

• Design, oversee, and execute fund development strategy vision and planning measures for securing investment-level donations with attention to long-term sustainability.
• Build organizational capacity for fundraising and development and develop the necessary systems, processes, and tools to ensure an integrated fundraising strategy.
• Identify tactics and strategies to effectively identify, engage, and convert prospects to donors.
• Set and achieve ambitious annual and multi-year targets for support from family foundations, individuals, and corporations; develop new relationships and proposals for unrestricted and general operating support.
• Lead efforts to identify, evaluate, and cultivate high-potential prospective supporters; be attuned to funder priorities to match with CFPAC’s strategic initiatives.

Manage Donor and Funder Relations (60%) 

• Advance fund development strategy and activities to reflect significant growth to support CFPAC’s five-year plan. In 2024, the organization has a $3.0M budgeted need.
• Prepare, manage, and implement donor cultivation and solicitation activities for the Executive Director that support their major-gift portfolio of donors ($5K–$1M+).
• Grow and manage a personal portfolio of major- and mid-level gift donors ($1–$5K+). Guide and support the board’s development efforts.
• Develop and deepen transformational relationships with donors.
• Transform contacts into new relationships and make strategic asks according to donors’ potential. Develop and support robust, meaningful donor cultivation, stewardship, and recognition activities.
• Develop a new, large community of donors and prospects to raise funds through relationship-building and deep engagement.
• Provide meticulous attention to detail through timely follow up with donors, funders, and supporters.
• Create policies that ensure donor data integrity through detailed donor experience documentation.

Oversee Select Fundraising Operations and External Development Messaging (15%) 

• Support cohesive external messaging in collaboration with the Executive Director and Communications team.
• Ensure all messaging is consistent with the case for support for CFPAC and shape compelling proposals and pitches for philanthropic support.
• Lead regular analysis of fundraising efforts to inform strategy and direction, and coordinate data reporting on fundraising efforts.
• Maintain current knowledge of important development trends in the relevant regional and national fundraising landscapes.
• Represent CFPAC at select external meetings and events.

What You’ll Bring

• An entrepreneurial, collaborative, and positive spirit
• Demonstrated fundraising experience of 5-7 years with positive outcomes in relational giving with individuals, foundations, and corporations
• Proven ability to achieve annual revenue targets in nonprofit sector or comparable sales role
• A strategic, collaborative, creative mindset: as an organized self-starter, you shine when no task is too big or too small
• A solutions-oriented ability to prioritize multiple tasks, and adapt to new projects and timelines: you work well in a dynamic, high-autonomy environment
• Strong attention to detail and accuracy in donor record management and donor communications
• Strong interpersonal and relationship-building skills, to establish and maintain effective donor relationships: you’re excited to communicate with and on behalf of all our organization to external partners and prospective donors, a population composed of diverse cultures and age groups
• A belief in re-imagining a community-driven and led food system to build a more equitable food system

Bonus If…

• Development experience in local, regional, state, and/or national level food system change and advocacy

Desired Competencies

• Metrics-driven: Highly self-motivated with an ability to find efficient and innovative ways to reach revenue goals, overcome challenges, optimize resources to improve or create, and present solutions to every obstacle.
• Judgment/Decision Making: Ability to intuitively make sound decisions when all the information is not available. Knowing when to engage and when to listen, and how to combine knowledge and context.
• Organization/Planning: Excellent time management ability; able to effectively balance and prioritize multiple projects and initiatives with various stakeholders
• Oral and Written Communication: Ability to develop and convey interesting and compelling communications to educate, build awareness, and solicit to advance CFPAC’s mission and vision.
• Adaptability: Ability to react positively to change and remain productive in a changing environment. The capacity to change one’s actions, approach, or decisions based on new information or a new situation.

Total Rewards Package

Salary range is $80,000 – $88,000 based on experience and qualifications for the role. CFPAC is proud to offer a premium benefits package starting day 1, with 100% employer-covered health care through Blue Cross Blue Shield for employee, fully covered vision and dental insurance for employee, a generous annual professional development allowance, approximately 30 accrued PTO days in addition to over a dozen paid holidays, and more.

Chicago Food Policy Action Council is a semi-distributed team, providing an office and collaborative work space in the Loop. We host mostly hybrid meetings for staff to attend in-person and virtually.  However, we do expect staff to live in relative proximity to near downtown Chicago for the availability of in-person partner meetings, events, and staff gatherings.

How to Apply

How to Apply: Please submit your resume and a one-page cover letter tying your experience to specifics in the job description to [email protected] with the subject line “Senior Development Manager application.” Please note, as a small, people-centered organization, our communication in response to you may be slow while we carefully and thoughtfully evaluate each candidate.

Priority will be given to applicants who submit materials by January 29, 2024.

Job Categories: Sustainable Agriculture / Food. Job Types: Full-Time. Job Tags: Communications, Database Administration, development, donor relations, and fundraising. Salaries: 80,000 - 100,000.

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