Regional Director

Position:  Regional Director 

Department:  Development 

Office Location: Chicago, IL 

Work Type Designation: Hybrid. This role must report to the office at least 3 days per week.  

Reports to:  National Director of Individual Philanthropy 

Union Status: This is not a union position.

Annual Salary Range: $120,000 – 145,000. The salary for this role will be determined by a candidate's years of relevant experience related to the position as well as the geographic region.  

Travel: Estimated 30-40% across region

FLSA Status:  Full-time/Exempt 

Supervisory Responsibilities: Major Gifts Officer and Office Manager & Regional Program Coordinator

Who We Are  

Lambda Legal is a national advocacy organization committed to achieving full recognition of the civil rights for the LGBTQ+ community and everyone living with HIV through impact litigation, education, and public policy work. Since 1973, Lambda Legal has used impact litigation and other advocacy tools to decriminalize same-sex relationships; challenge discrimination against LGBTQ+ people and people living with HIV in the workplace, in the home, in schools, in health care, and in the military; and protect LGBTQ+ families, including by winning and defending marriage equality. Our clients are not charged for legal representation or advocacy and Lambda Legal receives no government funding. Headquartered in New York City, Lambda Legal also has regional offices in Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta, Dallas, and Washington, DC.     We believe that serving the full breadth of the LGBTQ+ and HIV communities requires cultural competency and enthusiasm for diversity of all kinds. To be successful, we must approach our work with an understanding that discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity, or HIV status is not the only obstacle to achieving full formal and lived equality for LGBTQ+ people and everyone living with HIV; rather, we recognize the intersectional nature of discrimination, specifically including biases based on race, religion, national origin, gender, disability, education, and class. Considering this reality, we prioritize a proactive commitment to counteracting these biases and their compounding effects in the work we do, but also in how we work together as an organization.  

Regional Director 

The Regional Director (RD) is the fundraising team lead of the Midwest region based in Chicago, our Midwest Regional Office (MRO). Overseeing a Major Gifts Officer and an Office Manager &  Regional Program Coordinator, the RD will develop and implement a comprehensive major gifts strategy to grow and manage a portfolio of major donors across the Midwest region. This role will be a visible representative of Lambda Legal both internally and externally and will partner with the National Director of Individual Philanthropy to identify planned giving and major gifts prospects and achieve strategic revenue growth by leading a team-driven effort in coordination with their peer RDs and colleagues across the Development department. The RD will be responsible for guiding and coaching an MGO in effective moves management while also managing a portfolio of high-level donors. This role will report to the National Director of Individual Philanthropy. 

What you’ll do:  

(40%) Donor Portfolio Management & Strategy 

• Manage and grow a targeted portfolio of current and prospective major gifts donors through best practice cultivation and stewardship to achieve strategic revenue growth across the region while working closely with regional Board, NLC, local Leadership Committees and other regional volunteers to coordinate development efforts and involvement throughout the region. 
• Develop and steward local Leadership Committees as well as other volunteer or event leadership committees in emerging regional markets.  
• In partnership with the National Director and Chief Development Officer (CDO), proactively identify principal giving prospects and strategies to engage and grow revenue across the midwestern region, leveraging data analytics. 
• Achieve and surpass annual revenue and engagement targets for self and team. 
• Assist the National Director and CDO on all facets of moves management ensuring timely follow-up, stewardship, and strategic engagement to expand portfolio of Major Gifts donors in the region. 
• Create and implement Major Gift pipeline strategies using research and targeted donor communications. 
• Partner with National Director to identify planned giving prospects across the regional major gifts team, within all assigned portfolios to ensure that the team is prioritizing and proactively assessing Planned Giving opportunities within their respective portfolios. 
• Work with the Development staff to identify potential regional foundation funders and corporate and law firm sponsors while cultivating, soliciting, and serving as liaison to these supporters as needed. 

(25%) Events Fundraising and Management 

• Play a key fundraising leadership role—through collaboration with project leads for prospecting, solicitations, and post-event follow-up—for Lambda Legal fundraising events, such as the Bon Foster event based in Chicago and the Indiana Benefit in Indianapolis. 
• Collaborate with the Director of National Events to design tactics and long-term engagement strategies for events to deepen donor commitment, increase giving, broaden the donor base, and manage the stewardship of Lambda Legal’s philanthropy. 
• Provide event logistics and staffing support including on-site presence at events, with availability for evening and weekend work as needed. 

(20%) Management of the Regional Team 

• Supervise and mentor a Major Gifts Officer and an Office Manager & Regional Programs Coordinator, including hiring, onboarding, coaching, performance management, and professional development. 
• Lead and coordinate relevant trainings and professional development opportunities for the Major Gifts team in the region on moves management, relationship building, industry trends, and goal setting. 
• Lead the team in the enhancement and expansion of the individual giving donor base across the Midwest region. 
• Develop and implement a strategy to increase individual giving revenue at the $10,000 level and above.  
• Supervise the content creation and deployment of targeted correspondence – including regional newsletters, solicitations, proposals, appeals, and stewardship materials – to engage donors and prospects. 
• Oversee regional team budget. 

(15%) Additional Responsibilities 

• Manage operations for the regional office, including mail handling procedures, lease renewals, space logistics, and other facility needs in coordination with the Chief Operating Officer 
• Perform administrative tasks including entering action notes from donor interactions, documenting relationships with new prospects, tracking board member gift activity, and processing expense reports, pledge submissions, and reconciliations. 
• Support, and lead as needed, office culture-building activities and affairs in the MRO. 
• Stay current with industry best practices for fundraising and donor relationship management. 
• Work closely with the Communications and Events teams to promote Lambda Legal throughout the region - including serving as the Lambda Legal representative at Pride and other local community events (i.e. peer organization galas)- and provide support as needed. 
• Additional duties as assigned. 

Who you are 

Requirements:  

• 7+ years of demonstrated success in a major gift or planned gift fundraising function, and at least 3-4 years of people management experience. 
• Experience soliciting and closing six figure gifts from individual donors. 
• Proven experience having expanded and cultivated existing donor relationships over time. 
• Experience planning and/or staffing LGBTQ+ fundraising efforts and events in the Midwest region. 
• Excellent written and interpersonal communications skills, with the ability to influence and engage a wide range of donors and build authentic, long-term relationships. 
• Experience engaging racially and gender diverse groups, volunteers, and boards, with knowledge of and network within LGBTQ+ and/or social justice philanthropic communities. 
• High emotional intelligence and sound judgment in developing donor strategies and navigating complex internal and external relationships. 
• Flexible, adaptive, and collaborative work style; able to contribute to both strategic and tactical fundraising initiatives. 
• Demonstrated comfort with administrative tasks and flexibility to shift between high-level strategy and day-to-day operational needs. 
• Ability to inspire and motivate a diverse team of fundraising professionals. 
• Self-directed and accountable, with the ability to thrive both independently and in highly collaborative team environments.  
• Strong organizational, time management, and critical thinking skills, with sharp attention to detail. 
• High proficiency in Microsoft Office applications and Raiser’s Edge (or a similar CRM database).   
• Experience with data analytics including but not limited to pulling reports and translating findings into clear, tailored insights based on audience needs. 
• High energy and passion for Lambda Legal’s mission. 

Nice-to-haves: 

• Comprehensive campaign experience. 
• Experience working as a manager in a unionized workplace. 
• Experience working with other historically marginalized communities in a professional or volunteer capacity. 
• Prior work on behalf of the LGBTQ+ community and/or people living with HIV. 

Our Values 

Integrity at Heart: We center integrity in everything we do. We must model what we seek in the world, which begins with all of us, extends to each other, and reaches the entire organization. We recognize we are imperfect in an imperfect world, and we value progress over perfection. We continually strive to unpack and do what is right, in our public advocacy and with our colleagues - even more so when things are challenging. We strive to be honest, respectful, and accountable for our actions. When we stumble, we work to course correct and support each other. We owe it to ourselves, to each other, and to those most marginalized in our society, to be the change we wish to see in the world.  

A Just Future: United by a collective commitment to a just world. We are One Lambda Legal, united by a collective commitment to creating a just future for LGBTQ+ people and everyone living with HIV. We believe in the rule of law and the ability to use our legal system to achieve justice and equity for the communities we serve. Daily, we engage in policy advocacy, litigation, and public education, to fight for a society in which legal and societal barriers to equality are eliminated. Justice animates our commitment to making the world a better place and enhancing our internal working environment. Within our community and beyond, we strive to create new paths that uplift, honor, and affirm the dignity of all.   

Shared Humanity: We find humanity in each and all of us. Preserving, expanding, and nurturing our shared humanity is essential for achieving collective liberation and freedom, especially in a world where differences often create division. We understand that our common passion for this work binds us together and that investing in our shared humanity is critical. Kindness, care, and compassion strengthen these connections. By striving to understand one another and actively engaging in difficult conversations we become stronger. In our fight against injustice, we commit to treating others with decency and to inviting those who oppose us to do the same.  

Excellence through Growth: We commit to continuous growth and improvement. We strive for excellence and recognize that achieving this requires a culture of learning that emphasizes both individual and collective growth. Excellence also requires a bold willingness to take calculated risks, risks that sometimes produce different outcomes than expected. We therefore view both successes and disappointing results as valuable opportunities for new learning, improvement, and more creative and expansive thinking, all of which are essential to our progress. By embracing a growth mindset, we cultivate resilience and adaptability, allowing us to navigate challenges more effectively. Our commitment to becoming better versions of ourselves today and tomorrow drives our ongoing efforts to enhance our skills, deepen our understanding, and strengthen our connections with one another. This journey toward excellence is a continuous process, and we are dedicated to supporting each other every step of the way.  

Rooted in Community: We hold each other as a beloved community. Building a world for all people to live happy, healthy lives that are free from discrimination starts by fostering relationships that are rooted in respect, joy, authentic participation, and belonging. We continually strive to recognize and honor the depth and breadth of the life experiences we have, upholding each individual’s dignity, and uplifting the strengths in our differences to build a greater whole.  7 As with our DEIB philosophy, we center authentic connection with our staff, board, volunteers, and clients, where each person feels acknowledged and can be a fully energized participant in a beloved community.  

Transformational Impact: Impact guides us, possibility inspires us. We create success by driving impactful change for our communities and transforming lives. To measure our success, we commit to ongoing evaluation of our efforts, using these insights to demonstrate progress and sustain trust across our communities. Our focus on life-changing impact informs the necessary tradeoffs and prioritizations we must make in a world of limited resources and imperfect choices. A bold, strategic vision inspires and motivates us, and guides the assessment of our progress and successes, and our understanding of the wisdom behind our decisions.  

DEIB Philosophy Statement  

To fulfill the mission of Lambda Legal, we commit to developing, implementing, and maintaining a culture of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB). This means we dedicate ourselves to becoming a diverse organization across staff, board, volunteers, and clients that reflects the full spectrum of backgrounds and experiences of the communities we serve, including the LGBTQ+ community, its allies, and everyone living with HIV.  We strive to build a workplace culture of inclusivity that attracts and retains talent, and supports LGBTQ+ people, people living with HIV, and our allies. We hold that racial, gender, disability, economic, and social justice is LGBTQ+ justice and that LGBTQ+ justice is inherently intersectional. Our challenges are interconnected.  

Living this philosophy requires that we make a commitment to our collective liberation. We must treat each other with compassion, mutual respect, and humility to center our shared humanity, our ability to bring our full and authentic selves to this work, and to feel joy while doing it. We strive to recognize that we have more in common than not. We will hold ourselves accountable, as individuals, and in relationship with each other, to deepen equity by removing systemic barriers in our processes, policies, and programs. This will enable the full participation of staff and people in the communities we serve. We strive to create opportunities for collaboration with one another to strengthen our relationships. We recognize that leadership can come from all levels of the organization, and we respect the expertise, skills, and lived experience we each bring to Lambda. We are all responsible for upholding this philosophy both internally in our work with each other, and externally across our programming. We approach this philosophy with a continual growth mindset and are committed to working together.   

Diversity at Lambda Legal is about reflecting and representing the full diversity of the LGBTQ+ community, its allies, and everyone living with HIV across our staff, board, volunteers, and clients. Achieving diversity requires an intersectional approach that acknowledges the full breadth of everyone, especially historically disenfranchised populations, which involves intentional recruitment and retention, the removal of systemic barriers to access and equity, and leveraging data to inform our decisions.    

Equity at Lambda Legal means acknowledging and addressing the diverse needs resulting from historical and present-day disparities across people and communities. Equity is achieved by eliminating structural barriers, meeting unique needs across all stakeholder populations at Lambda Legal, and measuring the experiences of individual, interpersonal, and organizational success and wellbeing.   

Inclusion at Lambda Legal means inviting and creating opportunities for participation, with the understanding that leadership comes from all levels. It involves open, honest, and direct communication, creating opportunities for growth, and embedding policies and practices that seek and incorporate meaningful input from those directly impacted.   

Belonging at Lambda Legal means feeling welcomed as part of One Lambda Legal. It means ensuring everyone feels seen and valued in their full humanity, which requires building mutual trust and taking responsibility for treating each other respectfully. It involves fostering a sense of community that embraces the strengths in our differences and maximizes opportunities for connection. We each play a role in creating a culture where you can find community and envision a future for yourself at Lambda Legal. 

Why Work at Lambda Legal? 

You get to do meaningful, life-changing work at a national level for LGBTQ+ people and everyone living with HIV. We understand that our staff’s dedication and effort are instrumental in achieving our mission. Lambda Legal also proudly offers competitive benefits for our team. A highlight of the benefits we offer include: 

• Medical benefits that begin on your start date 
• Dental, Vision, and Life insurance (effective 30 days from your start date) 
• Short & Long-Term Disability plans (effective 30 days from your start date) 
• 403(b) Retirement Plan (employer contribution and matching program begins after 90 days of employment) 
• Paid Time Off: 
  • Paid Vacation (15 Days) 
  • Sick Leave (12 Days) 
  • Personal Leave (3 Days) 
  • Religious Observance Leave (3 Days) 
  • Bereavement and Bereavement Anniversary Leave 
  • Floating Holiday (1 Day) 
• 12 paid holidays and 5 early office closures 
• Flexible Spending Account (FSA/DC FSA) and Commuter Benefits 
• Health Reimbursement Account 
• Premium subscription to the Calm App
• Annual professional development funds
• $50 monthly mobile phone reimbursement 
• Summer Fridays from Memorial Day to Labor Day 
• Paid sabbatical after 7 years of service at Lambda Legal (4 weeks for non-exempt positions and 8 weeks for exempt positions) 

________

Read more about Lambda Legal's work on our blog and Instagram.

Lambda Legal believes in creating a more equitable playing field for applicants and values the depth of relevant skills built through successful education, work, and life experiences. If your background and skills are a close match for this position, you are strongly encouraged to apply.

Lambda Legal is committed to further building and maintaining a staff that reflects the full range of LGBTQ+, HIV-affected and allied communities, and is an equal opportunity employer. We value a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture. Lambda Legal encourages applications from all qualified individuals without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship or immigration status, disability, veteran status, record of arrest or conviction, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. Black people, Indigenous people, people of color, lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer, transgender and gender-diverse people, women, people with abilities in multiple languages, immigrants, people living with disabilities, protected veterans, and formerly incarcerated individuals and individuals living with HIV are all encouraged to apply.

Powered by JazzHR