Development Manager

About Free Spirit Media

Free Spirit Media (FSM) partners with young storytellers to transform media and society. We do this through our holistic programming which focuses on community-building, skill-sharing and career and education pathways that support young people to envision and build their futures within the media industry and beyond.

FSM’s goal is to support young storytellers as they form robust and sustainable support systems, gain the skills needed to pursue employment in their creative fields, and understand the powerful and important gifts they bring to the world. FSM’s media arts education and creative workforce investment programs are designed to break down barriers to access, success and leadership for emerging media makers and storytellers from Chicago’s West and South sides.

Located on the West Side of Chicago for 24 years, FSM is located at BUILD, Inc. in the Austin neighborhood. Our collectively realized organizational values are: Young Artist Leadership, Creativity, Belonging, Transformation & Intergenerational Collaboration.

Position Overview

Are you a passionate, equity-driven storyteller and fundraiser who deeply believes in the power of young people to drive social change? Free Spirit Media seeks a Development Manager to lead our fundraising efforts with a truly community-centric approach. This pivotal role is about more than just securing resources; it’s about authentically uplifting the narratives of young people, staff, families, and partners, ensuring that the voices most central to our organization resonate at the heart of our mission. You’ll collaborate closely with the Executive Director, our contracted grant writer, the Operations & Communications Manager, the Program team and young people, to cultivate values-driven initiatives that amplify our impact. This is an ideal opportunity for an individual committed to arts, social justice, and equitable fundraising, eager to contribute to a dynamic organization dedicated to transformation.

Responsibilities

The Development Manager reports to the Executive Director, collaborates strategically with our staff and contracted grant writer, and directly mentors seasonal development interns. This role is central to managing FSM’s development, ensuring our strategies and content are deeply rooted in our mission and core values.

You will serve as the primary architect and manager for both individual and institutional giving. In partnership with the Executive Director, you will oversee the planning and implementation of a comprehensive fundraising program aiming to raise $1.5 million annually from a diverse array of individual, corporate, foundation, and institutional partners. Importantly, you will partner with the Operations & Communications Manager and Program staff to co-lead the development of communication strategies, ensuring our external voice authentically reflects the perspectives of our young people and our community. Collaborate with the Program team to develop the evaluation tracking, data collection, survey feedback and implementation of intergenerational community input in our philanthropic approach (fundraising gala, events, screenings, etc.).

Other responsibilities include:

• Cultivating Authentic Individual Donor Relationships:
  • Lead and manage fundraising campaigns, working hand-in-hand with the Executive Director to set and achieve annual revenue goals. Our approach is multi-faceted, utilizing direct mail, email, authentic in-person engagement, peer-to-peer initiatives, and thoughtful major donor cultivation tactics.
  • Engage actively with our Board of Directors and fundraising committee, fostering their participation in fundraising activities and year-round major donor stewardship that reflects shared values.
  • Oversee the development budget with integrity, diligently tracking actuals against the budget monthly and ensuring accurate reconciliation of donation records with our accounting team.
  • Champion timely and heartfelt recognition of individual donations, honoring the generosity and partnership of our supporters.
  • Plan and lead our yearly fundraiser and create a culture of fundraising around our programmatic events (film screening, panels, culminating events)
• Nurturing Impactful Institutional Partnerships:
  • Develop and execute thoughtful strategies for cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding gifts from institutional donors, building genuine, long-term partnerships aligned with our mission and community impact.
  • Assess funding opportunities for deep program alignment, proactively identify new aligned funding sources, and champion innovative ideas to authentically expand our base of support.
  • Oversee grant writing and proposal preparation, serving as the primary grant writer, ensuring our applications powerfully convey our impact, values, and the voices of those we serve.
  • Create and manage a strategic annual grants calendar, oversee data collection and reporting with transparency, and maintain organized files and tracking systems for our institutional giving program.
• Collaborating on Communications to Amplify Our Collective Story:
  • Partner with the Operations & Communications Manager to strategically guide external communication channels, including annual and impact reports, newsletters, website, social media, and Google Adwords campaigns, ensuring they authentically reflect our mission, values, and the vibrant stories of our community members.
  • Support staff in developing engaging funder collateral and solicitation letters that tell compelling, human-centered stories and inspire meaningful connection.
• Empowering Our Team & Future Leaders:
  • Directly supervise and champion the professional development of seasonal interns, fostering a collaborative, supportive, and growth-oriented environment that embodies our value of Intergenerational Collaboration.

Qualifications & Requirements

• Demonstrated fundraising experience (social justice non-profit experience preferred)
• A deeply-rooted equity mindset—an awareness of systemic inequities and a demonstrated commitment to the values of diversity, equity, and inclusion in all aspects of work, from strategy to daily interactions
• A truly collaborative spirit, with a demonstrated ability to thrive in a team environment where shared leadership, mutual respect, feedback and accountability are cultivated and practiced
• Highly organized, detail-oriented, and adept at managing a high volume of work, consistently meeting funder deadlines, and achieving goals with integrity and a focus on impact
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, capable of conveying our mission with passion, clarity, and authenticity
• Proficiency with Excel, Adobe Creative Suite, Salesforce, and CRM systems is a plus
• An unwavering belief in the power of young people to lead social change, embodying our value of Young Artist Leadership
• A commitment to leadership rooted in mentorship, compassion, an understanding of power dynamics and profound respect for the inherent power and agency of young people
• Ability to work a flexible schedule, including some evenings and weekends, understanding the nature of authentic community engagement
• Ability to prioritize tasks efficiently with strong attention to detail, excellent time management, and the capacity to navigate multi-layered procedures and complexity with grace
• A steadfast commitment to building collaboration through reciprocity and active communication with staff, families, young people, and partners, embodying our value of Intergenerational Collaboration
• Experience in event planning (galas, donor engagement, etc.) and execution, including logistical coordination, vendor management, and promotion, preferably for fundraising or cultivation purposes
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience required