Development Director

Position Description:  The Development Director serves on ILAO’s management team and works closely with the Executive Director and the Board of Directors to develop a sustainable financial plan for the organization. The Development Director is responsible for the strategy, planning, and execution of all aspects of fundraising.

Development Strategy and Planning

• Create the strategies and infrastructure necessary to fulfill ILAO’s potential for organizational and revenue growth.
• Develop and execute a yearly strategic fundraising plan and budget to maintain existing support and broaden the base of support with foundations, individual donors, corporate donors, and other sources.
• Set and meet yearly financial and non-financial goals for fundraising, in conjunction with the Executive Director and the Board of Directors.
• Research and cultivate new potential funding sources and new project/program ideas.
• Develop and execute strategies for raising funds through fee-for-service, contracts, revenue sharing agreements, and other new sources.

Individual Donors

• Grow individual donor program to meet fundraising goals.
• Create and execute major giving plan that includes prospect identification and qualification, relationship building, solicitation, and stewardship of donors.
• Support Executive Director and Board of Directors in their efforts to raise money from individuals, including scheduling and participating in donor meetings.
• Design and execute 2-4 individual fundraising appeals per year.
• Develop and maintain annual individual fundraising calendar, including all donor cultivation and solicitation activities.

Grants

• Cultivate new funding relationships with private and corporate foundations.
• Responsible for and manages all grant writing and grant reporting.
• Ensure quality proposals and reports are prepared and submitted on time.
• Develop strong relationships with current and new foundations.
• Manage grants through entire duration of grant. Knows grant and contract obligations and requirements, and collaborates with management and program team to ensure obligations and reporting requirements are met.
• Oversee grant calendar and timelines to ensure an efficient and timely process for submitting proposals and reports.

Events

• Oversee all planning, fundraising, and execution of annual signature fundraising benefit.
• Oversee planning, fundraising, and execution of several smaller fundraising events each year.

Board of Directors

• Attend and participate in quarterly board meetings.
• Serve as staff liaison to board fund development committee, coordinating and advancing the work of the committee.
• Create reports and dashboards for Board of Directors.
• Motivate and engage the board in fundraising activities.
• Communicate board giving requirements and obtain pledges to ensure 100% board contributions each year.

Communications

• Represent ILAO at community and networking events.
• Collaborate with other staff members to produce newsletters, website and blog content, social media posts, marketing materials, and press releases.
• Oversee publication of annual report.

Management

• Manage, supervise, and mentor fundraising staff.
• Oversee management of Young Professionals Board.
• Delegate responsibilities and tasks to program and administrative staff as needed.
• Manage electronic donor database to ensure it is accurate and up to date.
• Strengthen fundraising department’s systems and processes.

About Illinois Legal Aid Online
The legal system is complex, expensive and designed for trained attorneys. Many people can’t afford alawyer, but they must still try to navigate the legal system to solve critical problems like domestic violence, mortgage foreclosure, unemployment, child custody, and many other issues. Illinois Legal Aid Online (ILAO) is a non-profit organization that uses technology to lower barriers to the law so that people can understand their legal options, make informed decisions, and when necessary represent themselves in court. ILAO puts the law within reach for those who can’t afford a lawyer by simplifying a complex legal system. We help even the playing field for millions of Illinois residents with legal problems through our award-winning websites. ILAO serves as the central nervous system for legal aid in Illinois, connecting people in need of legal help to the best available resources for their problem and location. Illinois Legal Aid Online’s staff consists of 17 people, including lawyers, techies, and non-profit professionals, who have a vision of making the law accessible for everyone. ILAO serves the people of Illinois from offices located in the Chicago loop