Application Instructions
Click Apply to submit your online application. Please attach a resume and thoughtful cover letter on the "My Experience" page in the "Resume/CV" field.
Active City Year Staff members must login to Workday to apply internally.
Number of Positions: 1Compensation: $75,000.00 - $85,000.00 Commensurate with Experience and LocationWork Location: 100% On-Site
Position Overview
Reporting to the Managing Director of Development as part of the team responsible for raising $3.5M annually, the Director of Foundations & Grants will work closely with the entire City Year Chicago (CYC) development team, staff, corps, and board to expand our revenue base with foundation partners. As a member of the Development team, the Director of Foundations & Grants will lead stewardship of current grants and foundations as well as identify and secure new partnership funding to drive student impact through national service.
The ideal candidate is an effective relationship builder and storyteller who can bring our student impact work to life through strong presentations, communication, and grant proposals that inspire transformational investment from current and future foundation partners. They will be a creative fundraiser passionate about social justice that leverages their networks, knowledge of local and national foundations, City Year relationships, and targeted prospecting to build a robust pipeline of champions. They will develop tailored prospect engagement that builds genuine connection in advancing this important work, which includes prioritizing time and resources to ensure maximum return.
-Starting salary range for this role is $75,000 - $85,000.
-Anticipated start date for this role is summer 2026.
-This is a primarily in-person role with flexibility to periodically work remotely.
Job Description
Responsibilities
Grants & Foundation Relations
Working closely with the Managing Director of Development and knowledge of organizational initiatives to identify, research, and set strategies for grants and foundations that are prospects for CYC’s initiatives.
Strategy & Revenue Leadership
Own and lead the overall strategy for the foundation's revenue stream, including goal-setting, forecasting, and performance tracking to ensure sustained growth.
Continuously evaluate and refine approach to foundation engagement using data insights, sector trends, and partner feedback to ensure CYC remains competitive and compelling in a shifting philanthropic landscape.
Cultivation and Stewardship
Work with staff and key stakeholders to develop, execute and evaluate strategies to engage institutional partners through outreach, education, invitations to special events, and personal contacts; support implementation of funded programs and initiatives.
Partner with the Senior Manager of Development Operations and other team members to hold regular prospecting, pipeline, revenue forecasting, and moves management meetings.
Work with the development team to leverage events to increase giving, such as City Year’s Ripples of Hope fundraiser, service days (school beautification projects), and school visits for potential donors.
COMPETENCIES -To succeed in this role, an applicant must have the following competencies:
Decision Making/Judgment: understands and manages organizational decision-making, including integration across network/departments; effectively communicates, manages, owns, and champions decisions being implemented.
Strategic Thinking and Planning: develops and translates strategies into objectives, action plans, and measurements, whichbuildthe capacity of the site/department.
Required Applications Documents
A cover letter and resume must be submitted to be considered for this position. Preferred resume formats will depict not only a candidate’s responsibilities and job functions in previous work, but will include specific, quantitative results where applicable. Additional quantitative context around specific budget sizes, team sizes, or other work environment information will help City Year compare the scale of your work environment with our operations.
Benefits
Full-time employees will be eligible for all benefits including vacation, sick days and organization holidays. You may participate in all benefit programs that City Year establishes and makes available to eligible employees, under (and subject to all provisions of) the plan documents that govern those programs. Currently, City Year offers medical, dental, vision, life, accidental death and dismemberment and disability coverage, Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA), and other benefits including 401(k) plan(s) pursuant to the terms and conditions of company policy and the 401(k) plan document. For more information, click here.
Employment at City Year is at-will.
City Year does not sponsor work authorization visas.
