Description

Equal Hope is re-envisioning the Director of Development & External Relations role as the strategic and operational leader for all fundraising, revenue strategy, and philanthropy activities across the organization. This position will oversee and integrate grants, individual giving, corporate philanthropy, and institutional partnerships into a cohesive, data-informed development program that sustains and grows Equal Hope’s diverse funding portfolio.

The Director of Development & External Relations will manage and mentor a development team (Social Media Coordinator, Grants Manager, Individual/Corporate Giving Manager) and will be responsible for building systems, strategy, and culture around fundraising, including effective CRM use, analytics, and cross-functional collaboration. The ideal candidate is an experienced nonprofit development leader with strong healthcare/philanthropy experience, exceptional strategic and writing skills, high technology and CRM fluency, and a track record of innovation and growth. This is a contract-to-hire position.

Key Responsibilities

Development Strategy and Revenue Leadership (30%)

Design, lead, and execute a multi-year development strategy and annual fundraising plan to grow Equal Hope’s 4 million dollar operating budget, in alignment with the organization’s strategic plan and growth goals.
Develop clear revenue targets and channel strategies across government grants, foundation/pharmaceutical funding, corporate partnerships, individual giving (annual, mid-level, and major gifts), and events.
Use data, trends, and CRM insights to monitor progress, understand donor behavior, and refine strategies in real time.
Serve as the primary development advisor to the Executive Director and Board Development Committee, providing clear recommendations, dashboards, and forecasts.
Partner with the Executive Director and Board to leverage their networks, prepare them for donor meetings, and ensure consistent, strategic outreach and stewardship.

Portfolio Management: Grants, Institutional, and Individual Giving (30%)

Provide strategic oversight of Equal Hope’s full funding portfolio, including state of Illinois contracts, government grants, pharmaceutical and hospital system funding, local and family foundations, corporate partners, and individual donors.
Ensure strong coordination among the Grants Manager, Individual/Corporate Giving Manager, and Social Media Coordinator so that campaigns, proposals, and stewardship efforts are aligned and mutually reinforcing.
Personally manage a select portfolio of high-value institutional funders and major donors, including identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.
Work closely with the Grants Manager to ensure Equal Hope maintains and grows a robust grant pipeline, with clear strategies for renewals, expansions, and new opportunities in the healthcare and health equity space.
Guide the Individual/Corporate Giving Manager in designing and executing segmented campaigns, corporate sponsorship strategies, and donor journeys that deepen engagement and increase lifetime value.

CRM, Data, and Technology-Enabled Fundraising (15%)

Own and champion the effective use of Equal Hope’s CRM to support strategy, decision-making, and accountability.
Ensure accurate and timely tracking of all donor and prospect information, including interactions, proposals, moves management, appeals, events, and outcomes.
Develop and maintain standard development reports and dashboards (pipeline, retention, acquisition, upgrade, channel performance) and train staff to use them.
Partner with the Business Operations & Finance Manager to align financial and development data, reconcile revenue, and ensure consistent reporting to leadership and the Board.

Team Leadership and Management (15%)

Directly supervise the Grants Manager, Social Media Coordinator, and Individual/Corporate Giving Manager, providing clear goals, coaching, and regular feedback.
Establish a culture of accountability, collaboration, creativity, and continuous learning within the development team.
Coordinate workflows and calendars to manage multiple concurrent campaigns, proposals, and events.
Support professional development and cross-training so that development staff deepen expertise in philanthropy, healthcare fundraising, and technology.

Donor Communications, Brand, and Events (10%)

Oversee an integrated donor communications strategy (digital, print, events) that tells compelling stories about Equal Hope’s impact, particularly around health equity and women’s health.
Ensure that appeals, newsletters, impact reports, and digital campaigns are aligned with development priorities and tailored to specific donor segments.
Provide strategic direction for fundraising events (for example, annual gala, cultivation events), working with staff and external consultants as needed.
Collaborate with the Social Media Coordinator to ensure that social channels support fundraising goals, highlight funders appropriately, and expand Equal Hope’s reach among prospective supporters.

Requirements

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; master’s degree in nonprofit management, public health, public administration, business, or related field strongly preferred.
• Minimum 8–10 years of progressive experience in nonprofit development, with a significant portion spent in leadership or director-level roles overseeing multiple fundraising channels.
• Demonstrated success designing and executing comprehensive development strategies that include grants, individual giving, corporate partnerships, and events, with measurable revenue growth.
• Strong understanding of nonprofit philanthropy and fundraising best practices, including major gifts, annual giving, corporate giving, and institutional fundraising.
• Direct experience in healthcare, public health, or health equity-focused organizations, with comfort working with healthcare partners, hospital systems, and health-related foundations.
• Excellent writing skills, including experience reviewing and contributing to high-quality grant proposals, donor communications, and leadership-level materials.
• High CRM and technology fluency: hands-on experience managing and optimizing donor databases and using data to drive decisions.
• Strong project management skills with the ability to manage a complex workload, meet multiple deadlines, and maintain quality while leading a team.
• Demonstrated experience supervising, coaching, and holding staff accountable to goals and metrics.

Preferred Qualifications

Experience working in or with hospital systems, academic medical centers, community health centers, or health-focused coalitions.
Familiarity with Chicago and Illinois philanthropic landscapes, including public agencies, health systems, foundations, and corporate funders.
Experience with multi-year, multi-stakeholder campaigns and/or significant growth phases in nonprofit organizations.

Core Competencies

Strategic and innovative thinker who can connect vision to executable plans and adapt to a changing funding environment.
Deep commitment to health equity, racial justice, and community-centered approaches.
Strong relationship builder, able to engage donors, partners, Board members, and staff across differences.
Data-informed decision maker comfortable with metrics, dashboards, and experimentation.
High integrity, discretion, and professionalism, with strong follow-through and ownership.