Director of Development

Full-time | Chicago | Hybrid | Reports to the Executive Director

Employee through the Hopewell Fund (fiscal sponsor) | Salary: $110,000 - $120,000 plus benefits

About ALL Chicago

Academy for Local Leadership (ALL Chicago) is a nonpartisan governance capacity-building organization that is building the civic infrastructure for effective school board governance in Chicago. We prepare leaders, equip communities, and develop tools that strengthen the governance of public education systems.

Our work includes the ALL Chicago Fellowship, our Community Governance Workshop, our Governance Compass Framework, and the Board Insight Report.

Chicago's first fully elected school board will be seated January 2027, creating a consequential opportunity to strengthen how the city governs public education. ALL Chicago exists to help the board, and the broader ecosystem around it, govern effectively on behalf of students.

The Opportunity

ALL Chicago has raised more than $3 million over three years and built strong funder relationships and a clear case for support. Our next stage requires something different: a durable development function.

The inaugural Director of Development will build that function: strategy, pipeline, systems, and execution. This role is not for someone who wants to inherit a mature fundraising operation. It is for a fundraiser who knows how to build one while actively raising money.

You will work closely with the Executive Director, who will continue to hold several of ALL's anchor funder relationships and play a role in major asks. Your job is to make that involvement strategic by knowing which opportunities need the ED, preparing those conversations well, and moving the work forward with autonomy.

What you will own

• The multi-year fundraising strategy supporting ALL Chicago's strategic plan
• The institutional funder portfolio, including renewals, upgrades, cultivation, solicitation, and new funder acquisition
• Fundraising systems, including CRM, pipeline management, renewal calendars, stewardship, and forecasting
• Prospect strategy, including sizing, sequencing, cultivation, and follow-up
• Grant proposals, reports, funder communications, and other development materials
• Assessment and development of new revenue channels, including individual donors and small giving campaigns
• Accurate revenue forecasting and clear analysis of secured revenue, active pipeline, and the remaining gap
• Leadership of staff and contractors supporting development execution
• Preparation and follow-through for major ED and funder engagement
• Fundraising and donor-engagement events as part of the fundraising strategy

Your revenue mandate

In 2027, ALL Chicago anticipates raising approximately $1.5M in contributed operating revenue and a total of $5M across the three-year strategic plan. A significant share of the annual target will come from renewing and upgrading existing relationships. The Director will be responsible for building and converting a pipeline capable of generating approximately $500,000–$600,000 annually in new or expanded revenue.

Your first year: build while running

From day one, you will manage active fundraising while building the infrastructure ALL Chicago needs for long-term growth.

Within your first six months, you will:

• Establish a CRM and pipeline system designed for decision-making, forecasting, and follow-through
• Build renewal, upgrade, and stewardship strategies for every current funder
• Develop a qualified prospect pipeline organized by likelihood, potential value, relationship strength, and next action
• Translate ALL Chicago's three-year revenue goals into an actionable fundraising plan with targets, owners, deadlines, and probabilities
• Establish clear stewardship and cultivation rhythms
• Assume ownership of active proposals, reports, renewals, and prospect movement
• Create a clear dashboard that allows leadership to understand the full revenue picture at a glance

Partner with the Executive Director and operations team on annual revenue planning, cash-flow assumptions, and scenario planning so fundraising forecasts inform organizational decisions

Then you will run it. Renewals begin early. Straightforward opportunities move efficiently. High-value opportunities receive the attention they deserve. Prospects do not stall because no one follows up. Leadership knows where revenue is likely to come from and where the remaining risk sits.

Who you are

You are an experienced fundraiser who combines strategic judgment with excellent execution. You likely bring:

7+ years of progressively responsible nonprofit fundraising experience. You have substantial responsibility for institutional philanthropy, major gifts, or both.

A demonstrated record of closing meaningful gifts. You have closed six-figure institutional or major-gift opportunities.

Experience building or significantly strengthening a development function. You have worked across pipeline management, forecasting, systems, and fundraising strategy.

Strong fundraising judgment. You know which opportunities deserve deep investment, which should move quickly, when an ask is ready, and when it is not.

Exceptional writing and communication skills. You can explain complex work clearly and persuasively to funders.

Strong relationship instincts. You understand that fundraising is both revenue generation and long-term relationship management.

Operational discipline. You follow through reliably, keep commitments visible, surface risks early, and make sure important work does not stall between meetings.

Autonomy and ownership. You move work forward independently, bring recommendations rather than simply identifying problems, and know when a decision genuinely requires the Executive Director.

Excellent judgment under ambiguity. When information is incomplete, you ask the right question rather than filling the gap with an assumption.

Commitment to ALL Chicago's mission and independence. You understand why credibility, nonpartisanship, and trust are central to the organization's effectiveness.

You do not need to have worked in education or Chicago philanthropy. You do need to be an excellent fundraiser who can learn a complex issue area quickly and represent it with precision.

What great looks like in year one

By the end of your first year:

• ALL Chicago has clear renewal, upgrade, and stewardship strategies for every current funder
• A qualified pipeline is consistently generating new and expanded funding opportunities
• Leadership has an accurate, one-page view of secured, likely, possible, and outstanding revenue
• Renewals, proposals, reporting, and cultivation move reliably without Executive Director oversight

The Executive Director's fundraising time is concentrated on the relationships and moments where their involvement creates the greatest value

The development function operates as a durable organizational system rather than an extension of the Executive Director's memory

Most importantly, ALL Chicago can see where its next dollars are coming from before it urgently needs them.

How we will work together

This role reports directly to the Executive Director and is designed for a high degree of autonomy. You should expect a focused weekly development meeting to review the revenue picture, major opportunities, decisions, and places where Executive Director involvement is needed. Outside of that meeting, you will be trusted to run the function.

The goal is not for the Executive Director to direct every fundraising action. The Director of Development brings the expertise, judgment, and systems that allow the Executive Director to focus on the moments where their involvement adds the most value.

How to Apply

Please submit your application here. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, and the position may close early if a strong candidate pool is identified. The application will close on October 9, 2026.

Benefits

Comprehensive benefits package that includes 100% employer-paid health, dental, and vision insurance for employees (and their families). Employees are able to enroll in 401k retirement plan and are eligible for a 3% automatic contribution and up to a 3% employer match on 401k contributions. Employees are also eligible for pre-tax transportation benefits. Employees will receive 200 hours of vacation time, 80 hours of health leave, up to 2 days of casual leave, and 20 hours of volunteer leave annually. Employees will also receive 13 paid holidays throughout the calendar year. Employees are eligible for 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave after 90 days of employment.

Hiring Statement

Academy for Local Leadership is a project of Hopewell Fund, a 501(c)(3) public charity that incubates new and innovative public-interest projects and grant-making programs. Hopewell Fund is committed to attracting, developing and retaining exceptional people, and to creating a work environment that is dynamic, rewarding and enables each of us to realize our potential. Hopewell Fund’s work environment is safe and open to all employees and partners, respecting the full spectrum of race, color, religious creed, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, political affiliation, ancestry, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, and all other classifications protected by law in the locality and/or state in which you are working.

E-Verify Statement

Hopewell participates in E-Verify and will provide the federal government with employees’ Form I-9 information to confirm authorization to work in the United States. Job candidates and employees authorized to work may not be discriminated against on the basis of national origin or citizenship status.

Benefits

Comprehensive benefits package that includes 100% employer-paid health, dental, and vision insurance for employees (and their families). Employees are able to enroll in 401k retirement plan and are eligible for a 3% automatic contribution and up to a 3% employer match on 401k contributions. Employees are also eligible for pre-tax transportation benefits. Employees will receive 200 hours of vacation time, 80 hours of health leave, up to 2 days of casual leave, and 20 hours of volunteer leave annually. Employees will also receive 13 paid holidays throughout the calendar year. Employees are eligible for 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave after 90 days of employment.