Senior Development and Community Engagement Officer

Description

THE ORGANIZATION: PAWS Chicago is a national leader in the No Kill animal welfare movement, committed to building No Kill communities, starting with Chicago. Founded in 1997 when more than 42,000 pets were killed in Chicago, PAWS’s robust programs have reduced the homeless pet euthanasia rate in Chicago by more than 90%. In 2023, PAWS saved 98.62% of the animals in our programs. 

PAWS’ mission is to build No Kill communities that respect and value the life of every cat and dog; to end the overpopulation of stray and at-risk animals through solutions, practices, and education; and to transform animal welfare by setting higher standards in the way animals are treated and by developing a sustainable, solutions-based model. PAWS’s innovative Adoption Center, state-of-the-art Medical Center, and high-volume spay/neuter clinic work synchronously to address the needs of stray and at-risk pets citywide.

JOB DESCRIPTION: PAWS Chicago seeks a Senior Development & Community Engagement Officer with experience managing annual fund campaigns and major gifts, creating written proposals and reports for major donors, managing a portfolio of five-to-seven-figure donors, leading team projects, managing donor stewardship events, and researching, cultivating, and stewarding individual and family foundation funders, who is passionate about animal welfare and supporting PAWS Chicago’s mission. This role will require strong interpersonal, written, and oral communication skills, with a high level of emotional intelligence, self-awareness, and a team player mentality. A successful candidate will have sharp attention to detail and be a self-starter adept at proactively managing team projects to meet multiple deadlines. They will report to the Vice President of Development & Community Engagement and work closely with the Development, Communications, Data, Finance, and Operations Teams.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES: The crucial role of the Senior Development & Community Engagement Officer will support PAWS mission and help us reach our fundraising goals by leading the Individual Giving Team’s annual fund, planned giving, and donor stewardship events along with managing their own portfolio of major donors. This person will support the Vice President of Development & Community Engagement in strategically managing major individual and family foundation funders, identifying and researching donors with the capacity to increase their support, and developing compelling proposals and reports for donors that align their interests with PAWS mission and organizational needs. Special projects and tasks as expected include, but are not limited to:

Annual Fund Management & Development Team Support

• Lead the Individual Giving Team in annual fund project management for our two main campaigns – June Giving Day and Holiday Giving: coordinate with Database and Communications Teams to pull lists, and align messaging and timing with our donor communications
• In collaboration with the VPs, create the annual Individual Giving Team calendar and deadlines: annual campaigns, stewardship touchpoints, major gift proposals/reporting, etc. Manage calendar and deadlines.
• Manage the Lifeline Giving Program of monthly donors, including quarterly newsletters, cultivation, and stewardship
• Manage one direct report, the Development Office Assistant, who oversees our monthly giving program, acknowledgement letters and thank you calls, front desk, general donor inquiries, and general development team support tasks
• Lead the Individual Giving Team in managing our two flagship donor stewardship events, our Guardian Angel Luncheon for Planned Givers and our Holiday Open House, along with other smaller stewardship events for major donors and prospects throughout the year: coordinate with Database and Communications Teams to pull lists, and align messaging and timing with our donor communications, oversee event logistics such as catering, rentals, project timeline, etc.
• Oversee updating annual donor recognition signage at all facilities in collaboration with Database  and Communications Teams 
• Team Liaison to Marketing & Database Teams for Direct Mailings, responsible for strategy for all list pulls, getting leadership approvals, and coordinating between departments
• Support the Development Team at community engagement and fundraising events

Portfolio Management

• Manage a portfolio of five-to-seven-figure donors through moves management, ensuring regular stewardship and communication touchpoints via phone, email, and in-person meetings/tours
• Collaborate with Senior Relationship Managers and VP of Development & Community Engagement to strategically manage and grow $10k donors, provide prospects for multi-year and major gifts
• Responsible for creating major gift proposals and reports that are well-written, mission-centric, and align the donor's interests with PAWS needs
• Responsible for meeting with funders to discuss proposals prior to submission to ensure success
• Acquire and maintain sound knowledge and understanding of PAWS Chicago to ensure proposals are aligned with organizational needs
• Ability to capture the nuance of our programming and tell the PAWS story in compelling narratives
• Manage detailed annual calendar of major gift opportunities, submissions, and reports; ensure all deadlines are met
• Coordinate with Operations, Data, and Finance Teams in creation of corresponding budgets and required reporting
• Responsible for using Raiser’s Edge database, Candid, iWave, and other resources to identify new funding opportunities that align with PAWS mission and organizational needs
• Maintain donor records in Raiser’s Edge database, add research/background/relationships, track actions, touchpoints, and follow-ups needed

Planned Giving and Estates

• Manage inquiries of PAWS Chicago's Guardian Angels program, answering basic questions regarding the program and inquiries about the Guardian Angels Pet Care Program

• Manage all welcome and prospect packets to donors, tracking updates in Raiser’s Edge and on the server

• Manage the tracking document for the current list of open estate gifts and pets enrolled in the Pet Care Program

• Work closely with Finance, CEO to ensure all documentation and paperwork is received, prepared, executed, and submitted in a timely matter and filed appropriately

• Manage the Guardian Angels recognition sign: update it twice annually and coordinate with the Communications Team and Database Team to ensure its accuracy

• Work with Development Team members to plan annual Guardian Angels stewardship event 

• Contact Guardian Angel prospects to determine if they have finalized their plans to include PAWS in their will. 

• Manage relationship with FreeWill. 

• Manage the Trust and Estate Advisory Board. 

Qualifications

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree required
• Minimum of 5-7 years of non-profit development experience, 2-3 years of which being in major gift and portfolio management with a proven track record of securing funding
• Ability to occasionally work outside of normal business hours as needed
• Strong attention to detail, hyper-organized, proactive planner, ability to manage multiple projects and complete tasks in a timely manner
• Strong project and team management skills, able to prioritize appropriately, work collaboratively across departments and manage up to VP and CEO to keep projects on track
• Strong interpersonal and relationship management skills, collaborative mindset, diplomatic, strong verbal and written communicator
• Deadline-driven, self-motivated and an enthusiastic approach to one’s work
• Knowledge of Chicago institutional funders, research tools, and tactics
• Experience using Raiser’s Edge preferred
• Knowledgeable in Microsoft Office products (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint) 
• Able to process, protect, and exercise discretion in handling confidential information and materials
• Demonstrates growth mindset and ability to think creatively and problem solve; willing and eager to learn from others; takes an active role in own professional development and stays informed of changes in funding landscape; interested in researching and learning more about key stakeholders and prospects

• Commitment to animal welfare, the mission of PAWS Chicago, and helping the organization grow and serve more animals and pet owners in need

PAWS Chicago Values-in-Action  

• Respect: for each and every life. 
• Community: of people and organizations committed to helping homeless pets. 
• Innovation: to constantly improve best practices and seek out new ideas and strategies to save more lives.  To be a Learning Center that evolves and grows. 
• Pro-activity: to solve difficult problems and to be prepared to offer emergency and crisis support. 
• Transparency: that informs the public about the fate of homeless animals. 
• Education: that raises awareness about the realities that homeless animals face in the community and across the nations, providing a forum for people to get involved in effecting change.  Promotes and support reasonable pet ownership. 
• Sustainability: through financial management practices that maximize the impact and reach of our resources and endure that PAWS Chicago will always be a resource for homeless animals. 
• Compassion: towards all people and animals.