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.
