Manager of Individual Giving

OVERVIEW OF CURE EPILEPSY

One in 26 Americans will develop epilepsy in their lifetime. For many of them, that means uncontrollable seizures, stigma and discrimination in their communities, and sharply increased risks of health complications and death. They need much more than efforts to manage their seizures – they need a cure.

For more than 20 years, CURE Epilepsy (formerly known as Citizens United for Research in Epilepsy or CURE) has been on an unrelenting search for that cure. Founded in 1998 by Susan Axelrod and a small group of fellow parents, CURE Epilepsy was born out of their shared frustration over the current state of epilepsy treatment. While the focus at that time centered on treating seizures and symptoms, that approach offered little relief for the 30% of epilepsy patients who don’t respond to treatment. Axelrod and her fellow founders knew it was time to change the conversation from treating to curing epilepsy – and they dared to believe a cure was possible.  

As the nonprofit leader in epilepsy research and the only organization solely dedicated to finding a cure for epilepsy, we’ve worked to shift the focus from merely managing symptoms to understanding the causes of this complex condition. With 3.4 million Americans and 65 million people worldwide living with epilepsy, CURE Epilepsy is committed to furthering patient-focused research that can ultimately deliver the answers they need.

POSITION OVERVIEW

The Manager of Individual Giving reports to the Director of Major Gifts and will be responsible for growing leadership annual giving ($1,000-$10,000) donors through appeals, personal contact, and other strategic activities. They will also provide support to CURE Epilepsy’s Champions program, our third-party peer-to-peer fundraisers, as well as be part of a dedicated development team that is collaborative and goal driven.

BASIC RESPONSIBILITIES AND TIME ALLOCATION

Appeals/Annual Giving - 35%

• Supervise the development of 2-3 fundraising appeal letters per year and manage the logistics of successful mailings along with other Development Team members, as appropriate.
• Work with the Sr. Development Associate, Operations to develop a strategy for data segmentation in appeals for mail and email.
• Develop the strategy and execution for Giving Tuesday and other online appeals through social channels in partnership with the Marketing and Communications Team.
• Provide specific stewardship and assistance for Memorial donors.

 Individual Donor Development - 35%

• Manage a portfolio of leadership annual donors and major gift prospects of about 50-75.
• Identify prospects and conduct major gift qualification calls and visits.
• Assist with Major gift pipeline activities (e.g., Virtual Salons, regional donor events, visits with leadership).
• Assist with launching Giving Society and upgrading donors to that level.
• Develop stewardship strategies for individual donors in portfolio and for groups of like donors (e.g., memorial donors, donors interested in genetics, event donors, etc.)

Champions and volunteers - 25%

• Provide fundraising tools and advise Champions in their activities. Help keep them engaged with our work.
• Work with Chicago teammates to identify local and remote volunteer opportunities.

Fundraising Events - 5%

• Be a key team member in our signature fundraising events including the Annual Chicago Benefit, a 500+ guest in-person event.
• Occasional evening and weekend work required.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Three to five years of fundraising experience specifically with individual giving.
• Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to build relationships with donors.
• Ability to collaborate with colleagues to achieve shared goals.
• Ability to motivate volunteers.
• Experience working in a fast-paced environment while maintaining high personal standards for the quality of output.
• Strong critical-thinking skills, with the ability to understand high-level strategic objectives, as well as the tactical details critical for their success.
• Proficient technology skills including some experience with Raiser’s Edge or a comparable donor management system.
• Passion for CURE Epilepsy’s mission and the ability to promote and communicate the philosophy, values and impact of the organization to external and internal stakeholders.
• Special consideration will be given to persons with work experience fundraising for scientific research.

COMPENSATION

The salary range for this position is $60,000-$70,000 commensurate with relevant experience. CURE Epilepsy has an attractive and competitive benefits package that includes medical and dental insurance, long term disability, life insurance, 403(b) retirement plan with a match, and vacation, sick and personal days. Full benefit details will be shared with candidates.

CURE Epilepsy is an Equal Opportunity Employer. CURE Epilepsy is committed to recruiting and maintaining a diverse staff; individuals from all backgrounds are encouraged to apply. CURE Epilepsy does not discriminate based on race, color, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, age, marital status, veteran status, pregnancy, parenthood, or any other basis prohibited by applicable law.

CURE Epilepsy has an attractive and competitive benefits package that includes medical and dental insurance, long term disability, life insurance, 403(b) retirement plan with a match, and vacation, sick and personal days. Full benefit details will be shared with candidates.