Director of Advancement - 2025813

POSITION SUMMARY:

World Relief seeks a Director of Advancement for the Chicagoland Region that will lead local office fundraising, communications and external engagement strategies. This role provides strategic leadership for all advancement functions in Chicagoland, ensuring alignment with broader World Relief priorities and organizational goals. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in fundraising, a history of compelling communications, a collaborative leadership approach, and a strong results orientation.

ROLE & RESPONSIBILITIES:

• This role is responsible for supervising others and includes responsibilities consistent with supervising employees, including but not limited to monitoring daily work activities, tracking and approving timesheets including approving time off, monitoring performance including entering goals, progress check-ins, and weekly or bi-weekly check-ins, documenting performance concerns, entering staff promotions, transitions, and separations in HRIS within required time frame. Managers at World Relief are also considered spiritual leaders and are expected to lead staff in a manner consistent with our Christian values, including but not limited to praying with staff, leading devotionals, and fostering a Christian environment in interactions with staff throughout World Relief.

Strategic Leadership

• Provide leadership and strategic guidance related to World Relief's mission, fundraising strategy, and external engagement efforts in Chicagoland
• Develop and implement annual private fundraising plans, including goals, key performance metrics, timelines, and accountability measures, in collaboration with Executive Director and US Advancement Team
• Ensure coordinated strategy and execution across church engagement, development, communications, and volunteer engagement teams, ensuring strong integration with national directions
• Work closely with Program Directors and Executive Director on strategies for funding opportunities tied to specific programs, grants, initiatives, or donor interests
• Actively serve on Chicagoland’s Leadership Team, providing input into regional vision and strategy, and aligning local direction with World Relief’s overall strategy

Team Leadership and Administration

• Lead and coach the Director of Church Engagement, Development Team, and Communications Team, ensuring alignment with organizational priorities and goals
• Provide functional leadership and strategic guidance for volunteer engagement goals through a matrixed relationship to the Director of Volunteer Engagement
• Foster strong vision, collaboration, and accountability toward goals among church, volunteer, development, and communications staff
• Ensure effective fundraising systems (including Raiser’s Edge NXT usage), donor management processes, reporting, and stewardship practices that support achievement of fundraising goals
• Maintain an environment where all team members can bring their ideas to the table, ensuring the best solutions to challenges

Strategic Donor Engagement and Growth

• Lead strategies to identify, cultivate, and acquire new major and mid-level donor prospects
• Grow and manage a portfolio of 50 major donors through personalized engagement, consistent communication, and meaningful recognition of their impact
• Engage in donor meetings and speak at churches/ with church partners on a regular basis
• Partner with positions that report nationally, including Portfolio Development Manager and Strategic Partnership Director to ensure coordinated strategy and relationship management
• Collaborate with program teams and communications staff to connect donors with mission outcomes, and create opportunities for shared learning and deeper partnership in advancing organizational goals

Communications

• Oversee the planning and implementation of a communications plan and calendar for World Relief Chicagoland, coordinating closely with national Communications Support Officer
• Ensure branding, messaging, tone, and voice are consistent with World Relief’s values and posture
• As needed, write and/or edit fundraising and communications content, including appeals, campaigns, and donor communications
• Lead alignment across external channels of World Relief Chicagoland including Church Mobilization and Volunteer Mobilization
• Represent World Relief Chicagoland in media opportunities and ensure staff are well-prepared and effectively positioned as subject matter experts when serving as organizational spokespersons
• Oversee the cultivation of stories to ensure impactful and ethical storytelling

Advisory Board Development

• Work alongside Executive Director to develop and launch an advisory board for World Relief Chicagoland
• Work with Executive Director to strategically engage advisory board members to increase the effectiveness and reach of World Relief Chicagoland
• Other duties as assigned

JOB REQUIREMENTS:

• Mature and personal Christian faith
• Committed to the mission, vision, and values of World Relief
• Desire to serve and empower the Church to impact vulnerable communities
• Able to affirm and/or acknowledge World Reliefs , , and
• Valid drivers license, access to reliable vehicle and ability to pass MVR standards
• Bachelor’s degree with minimum of 7 years of progressively responsible fundraising experience, including 3-5 years managing major donor portfolios
• Experience managing others to do effective fundraising
• Demonstrated ability to build trust-based, collaborative relationships with donors, partners and cross-functional teams
• Strong background in strategic communications and ethical storytelling; skilled at coaching teams to ensure consistent messaging and representing the organization effectively in digital communications platforms and media
• History of positive contributions to organizational culture
• Ability to use with fluency all Microsoft programs such as Word, PowerPoint, Excel and Outlook

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Ability to articulate a personal philosophy of giving and stewardship
• Thrives in taking initiative and pursuing challenging goals
• Strong results orientation with a proven history of increasing giving
• Strategic acumen and an ability to shape plans and activities to align with strategic goals
• Empathetic communicator and relationship-builder, skilled at listening, fostering trust, and engaging donors, partners and staff with care and authenticity
• Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional teams, leverage personal influence to reach goals, and foster strong collaboration
• Well organized with the ability to navigate competing priorities and meet concurrent objectives
• Familiarity with CRM (Raiser’s Edge NXT preferred) and Project Management Tools
• Strong familiarity with digital communications platforms (social media, web, email)
• Excellent problem-solving abilities with an ability to “think outside the box” on a frequent basis
• Demonstrated resilience and leadership in the face of frequent change
• Experience in faith-based, international or community development organizations, with sensitivity to diverse cultural contexts
• Advanced education or training, or experience in nonprofit management, fundraising, communications, or a related field

$105,000 - $115,000 a yearWorld Relief offers a competitive benefits package and employee discount program for full-time, Regular, employees.World Relief is honored to be recognized with the Gold-level Cigna Healthy Workforce Designation for exceeding the core components of our well-being program including leadership and culture, program foundations and execution, and whole person health.***Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.