Manager of Individual Giving and Development Events

Title: Manager of Individual Giving and Development Events

Supervised by: Director of Development

Status: Exempt, Salaried, Full-Time

Date: January 2026

ORGANIZATION

VOCEL is a nonprofit early childhood education organization dedicated to equipping and supporting parents, teachers, and school leaders to strengthen early learning in homes and schools. With a core focus on brain-building playful learning, VOCEL designs innovative programs across Chicago communities facing economic hardship. Our mission is to ensure every child has the foundation to learn, grow, and lead — and every fundraising effort brings us one step closer to that goal.

THE OPPORTUNITY

We’re seeking a driven, strategic, personable, and creative Manager of Individual Giving and Development Events to grow and strengthen VOCEL’s individual and corporate giving portfolios and our annual calendar of fundraising events. Reporting directly to the Director of Development, you’ll leverage quantitative and qualitative donor data to build strategic engagement plans, craft compelling donor and marketing communications, and orchestrate our marquee events — most notably our Annual Fall Benefit Dinner and Spring Associate Board fundraiser.

In this capacity, you’ll help build our people-first, innovative development operation, enabling significant growth of VOCEL’s vision of early childhood excellence in Chicago and beyond. You’ll also play a critical role in executing VOCEL’s strategic plan – aiming to triple our program reach and grow our budget from $2.5 million to $5 million by 2029.

It’s important you know VOCEL’s Development Team is collaborative, innovative, and building a dynamic, highly-effective, and anti-racist development operation, rooted in partnership, compassion, and joy. You won’t walk into an environment with all the kinks worked out and systems built — but you’ll have the opportunity to help build it with stellar, dedicated team members.

WHAT YOU’LL DO: ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES

Donor Stewardship, Strategy & Outreach - 25-30%

• Manage VOCEL’s individual and corporate giving strategy, collaborating closely with the Director of Development and Executive Director to create and execute compelling donor journeys that inspire new supporters and strengthens our relationships with current supporters
• Lead execution of the Development Team’s marketing and mass outreach, driving donor engagement through compelling newsletter emails and inspiring social media posts that resonate with our diverse audience of stakeholders
• Craft new annual campaigns and seasonal giving opportunities to continuously help expand, refine, and strengthen our annual giving strategy
• Collaborate with the Executive Director to refresh and execute a fulfilling, impactful experience for members of Parents for VOCEL and Grandparents for VOCEL, our first donor circles for parents and grandparents who give a minimum of $1,000 annually
• Collaborate with the Development and Program teams to plan and execute individual and corporate volunteer opportunities that connect supporters with VOCEL’s mission, such as our annual Gift of Joy holiday drive

Portfolio Management & Donor Research - 25-30%

• Work closely with the Director of Development to manage and inform VOCEL’s individual giving and corporate giving portfolios, tracking their engagement to inform solicitation strategy and requests for new, renewed, and increased giving
• Collaborate with the Manager of Institutional Giving and Development Operations to document clear and accurate donor/prospect information, constituent communications and interactions, and all donation details in our CRM, including inputting notes following any staff members’ interactions with individual or corporate donors.
• Work closely with the Manager of Institutional Giving and Development Operations to ensure timely sending of personalized notes of gratitude and tax acknowledgment letters to donors in your portfolios
• Support the Director of Development in crafting compelling solicitation letters informed by detailed research and a responsive, relationship-driven approach to fundraising
• Conduct ongoing, in-depth prospect research to propose new engagement and solicitation opportunities to grow VOCEL’s individual giving and corporate giving portfolios

Event Planning & Execution - 20-25%

• Lead the planning and execution of the entire Development Events portfolio — most notably the Annual Fall Benefit Dinner and Associate Board Spring Fundraiser — managing every detail from vendor selection and collaboration, crafting an impactful event program, ticketing and registration, budgeting and revenue tracking, volunteer management, and all post-event communications and campaign reporting
• Collaborate closely with the full Development Team to craft an exceptional Annual Fall Benefit Dinner vision and program that centers VOCEL’s joyful, people-first approach to fundraising events (this event historically raises 20% of VOCEL’s annual budget)
• Develop, and implement new fundraising and stewardship events to engage and nurture VOCEL’s growing donor base across all giving portfolios (individual, corporate, and foundation)

Manage the VOCEL Associate Board - 10-15%

• Serve as the staff liaison for the Associate Board, managing a board of 10-20 smart, curious young professionals committed to deepening their support of VOCEL and understanding of the early education landscape in Chicago
• Support the Associate Board to achieve their annual fundraising and recruitment goals, including the planning and execution of their annual spring fundraiser
• Collaborate closely with the Associate Board Leadership to design and implement a strong board experience for all members that helps create lifelong champions of VOCEL

Board & Administrative Support - 5-10%

• Participate in and serve as the primary note taker for quarterly Board of Directors meetings — providing support with meeting set-up, board member welcomes, and as needed, supporting meeting facilitation
• Draft the meeting minutes for the Board of Directors, working with the Director of Development to ensure they’re finalized and signed in a timely manner
• Provide hands-on support for Development and VOCEL Team meetings, events, and engagement opportunities as needed

Team Collaboration & Organizational Culture - 5-10%

• Provide ad hoc project and administrative support to the Development Team
• Support internal tracking tools, quarterly reporting, document management systems, and team calendars
• Collaborate across departments – Development, Operations, and Program – as needed to support organization-wide processes that nurture a team-oriented workplace
• Actively serve on a VOCEL Team Culture Committee, attend staff meetings, and participate in other organizational activities and duties as assigned
• Other responsibilities as assigned

WHAT YOU BRING

This is an extraordinary opportunity for an individual who is interested in working in an entrepreneurial and collaborative organization that is highly focused on its mission. Please know that candidates rarely meet 100% of the preferred qualifications. If much of this describes you and you’re interested in the role, we encourage you to apply.

Background and experience we’d like to see:

• At least 3 years of nonprofit fundraising experience
• A passion for early childhood education and a deep alignment with VOCEL’s core values: Put People First, Welcome All, Embrace the Child Within, Innovate with Intention, Promote Equity, and Build a Better Tomorrow
• Bachelor’s degree

The ideal candidate demonstrates:

• Compelling, Donor-Centric Communication: You leverage excellent writing and interpersonal skills to create engaging, impact-driven appeals and communications, building relationships with donors and stakeholders that inspire confidence, openness, and shared vision
• Event & Campaign Management: You have a proven track record in planning and executing successful high-profile events and donor campaigns — with an eye for detail, exceptional donor stewardship, and effective budgeting
• Project Management: You’re highly organized, take ownership, and are able to manage multiple complex timelines and deliverables across teams
• Technical Proficiency: You’re comfortable navigating CRMs, spreadsheets, and data analysis tools to track donor data, monitor fundraising performance, and inform strategic decisions
• Data & Research Mastery: You have a sharp eye for trends and connections with experience in donor research, leveraging the ability to translate data into insights

OUR WORK ENVIRONMENT

• The daily schedule will be set in conjunction with the Director of Development.
• This position is based in Chicago and requires regular in-person work at VOCEL’s office and event venues across Chicago and the surrounding area. The role requires 3 days of work from VOCEL’s office each week and flexibility to work from home on a weekly basis. This role will occasionally involve evening or weekend work for events.
• You will routinely use standard office equipment (laptops, photocopiers, scanners, filing cabinets, and common office supplies) and a reliable cell phone with apps for communication (e.g., Slack, BambooHR).
• The role involves frequent talking, hearing, and visual interaction; you may be required to stand, walk, and use hands to operate office equipment, and there may be long periods of sitting. Occasional lifting of objects up to 50 pounds (with assistance if needed) may be required.
• VOCEL offers a smoke- and drug-free environment.
• Documentation of U.S. citizenship or eligibility to work in the U.S. is required.

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS

VOCEL offers a competitive compensation package including:

• Annual salary of approximately $62,500, commensurate with experience and qualifications
• Health, dental, and vision insurance (50-60% covered by VOCEL)
• IRA with employer matching
• Technology reimbursement
• Mileage reimbursement
• Generous paid time including:
  • Paid holidays with opportunity to swap holidays for personal/religious observance
  • 20 days of elective paid time off per year
  • Up to 5 paid sick days
  • Up to 5 paid self, family, and community care days
• Flexible “VOCEL Fridays” with most staff finishing their work day by 1:00 pm

DON’T CHECK EVERY BOX?

We understand that candidates often hesitate to apply unless they meet every single requirement. Research shows that many highly capable individuals—especially candidates from historically excluded groups—apply only when they meet 100% of the qualifications. If you believe your unique experiences and passion for our mission make you a great fit, even if you don’t check every box, we encourage you to apply and share in your cover letter why you’d excel in this role.

WE WELCOME ALL

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

All decisions and criteria governing the employment relationship with all employees are made in a non-discriminatory manner, without regard to race, ethnicity, creed, religion, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, age, national origin, marital status, pregnancy, military service, order of protection status, physical, mental, or neuro disability, or any other factor determined to be unlawful by federal, state, or local statutes.

TO APPLY:

• Follow instructions at this link
• Incomplete applications will not be accepted
• No phone calls please
• Deadline is January 29, 2026

VOCEL offers a competitive compensation package including:

• Annual salary of approximately $62,500, commensurate with experience and qualifications
• Health, dental, and vision insurance (50-60% covered by VOCEL)
• IRA with employer matching
• Technology reimbursement
• Mileage reimbursement
• Generous paid time including:
  • Paid holidays with opportunity to swap holidays for personal/religious observance
  • 20 days of elective paid time off per year
  • Up to 5 paid sick days
  • Up to 5 paid self, family, and community care days
• Flexible “VOCEL Fridays” with most staff finishing their work day by 1:00 pm