ORGANIZATION

Chicago Humanities connects people to the ideas that shape and define us and promotes the lifelong exploration of what it means to be human. Chicago Humanities fosters curiosity, celebrates creativity, explores the boundaries of contemporary knowledge and culture, and challenges us to see ourselves and the world anew. Collaborating with nearly 40 of Chicago’s major cultural and educational institutions, Chicago Humanities produces roughly100 events annually and partners with nearly 40 venues around Chicago, as well as stewards a vibrant online home for the humanities. Chicago Humanities has an international reputation for innovation and creativity, featuring an exceptional roster of writers, scholars, performers, and visual artists in its programs and online.

POSITION OVERVIEW

Chicago Humanities seeks an experienced, relationship-oriented Individual and Major Gifts Officer to join its Development team. This position will play a key role in cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding individual donors whose philanthropic support advances the organization’s mission and programs.

The Individual and Major Gifts Officer will manage a portfolio of approximately 125 households currently giving $3,000+, with a focus on donors and prospects capable of making gifts of $25,000 or more. The Officer will develop and execute individualized cultivation and solicitation strategies, deepen relationships with existing supporters, identify new major-gift prospects, and work closely with organizational leadership and colleagues across Development to increase philanthropic revenue.

The ideal candidate is a confident fundraiser and thoughtful relationship manager who can balance strategic portfolio management with personal, high-touch donor engagement. They will bring strong writing, communication, organizational, and interpersonal skills, as well as an enthusiasm for Chicago Humanities’ mission and programming.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Portfolio Management & Major Gifts

• Manage a portfolio of approximately 125 individual and household donors and prospects, prioritizing those with capacity and inclination to make gifts of $25,000+.
• Develop and execute individualized moves-management strategies for donors at varying stages of the giving cycle.
• Build meaningful, long-term relationships with donors through personal meetings, calls, correspondence, events, and other forms of engagement.
• Qualify new prospects and develop strategies for moving them into the major-gift pipeline.
• Develop and present compelling proposals for major gifts, including multi-year and program-specific opportunities.
• Personally solicit major gifts and partner with senior leadership, board members, and other staff on solicitations when appropriate.
• Maintain consistent and thoughtful stewardship of donors following their gifts, ensuring that supporters understand the impact of their philanthropy.
• Track portfolio activity, next steps, solicitations, and results in the organization’s CRM.

Annual & Individual Giving

• Contribute to strategies designed to increase retention, renewal, upgrading, and acquisition of individual donors.
• Identify opportunities to move annual donors into higher levels of support.
• Collaborate with colleagues on donor communications, appeals, events, and other engagement opportunities that support individual giving.
• Analyze giving history, engagement, and prospect information to identify opportunities for increased support.

Collaboration & Events

• Work collaboratively across the Development team to coordinate donor cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship efforts.
• Partner with program and events staff to create meaningful opportunities for donors to engage with Chicago Humanities’ work.
• Attend Chicago Humanities programs and donor events, representing the organization and engaging with current and prospective supporters.
• Collaborate with the Executive Director, senior leadership, board members, and other key stakeholders on donor relationships and major-gift strategies.
• Prepare donor briefings, meeting materials, proposals, reports, and other materials as needed.

Data, Planning & Reporting

• Maintain accurate and timely records of donor interactions, strategies, solicitations, and outcomes in the CRM.
• Monitor portfolio performance against annual fundraising goals and provide regular updates to Development leadership.
• Conduct prospect research and use available philanthropic and wealth-indicator information to inform cultivation and solicitation strategies.
• Contribute to annual fundraising planning, revenue forecasting, and portfolio reviews.
• Ensure that donor communications and stewardship activities are timely, accurate, personalized, and aligned with organizational priorities.

QUALIFICATIONS

• 4–6+ years of professional fundraising experience, with demonstrated success in individual giving and/or major gifts.
• Experience managing a portfolio of individual donors and prospects and personally cultivating and soliciting gifts of $25,000 or more.
• Demonstrated ability to build authentic, productive relationships with donors and prospective donors.
• Experience developing and executing moves-management strategies and closing major gifts.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to craft persuasive donor correspondence and proposals.
• Strong organizational and project-management skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines.
• Experience using a donor database/CRM (experience with Tessitura is preferred) and maintaining accurate portfolio records.
• Sound judgment and discretion when working with confidential donor information.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with colleagues, senior leaders, board members, and external stakeholders.
• Enthusiasm for Chicago Humanities’ mission and for engaging audiences around ideas, culture, and public life.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience working in arts, culture, humanities, media, education, or another mission-driven nonprofit environment.
• Experience securing multi-year, six-figure, or other transformational gifts.
• Familiarity with the Chicago philanthropic community.
• Experience partnering with board members and senior executives on major-gift solicitations.

WORK LOCATION

Chicago Humanities maintains a collaborative and congenial environment. We work in a hybrid model, requiring in-person Tuesdays and Thursdays at our River North office. Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays allow remote work; exceptions might occur based on organizational and/or departmental needs. While working remotely, you can access a laptop computer and a $50 per month stipend to offset home internet and personal phone expenses. This role is required to work select night and weekend hours to support aspects of our in-person events across the city.

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

This is a full-time position with a salary of $80,000-$85,000. Benefits currently include fully-covered health insurance (with an option to upgrade), dental, vision, 403(b) with 7% employer match, equitable parental leave, tax-free commuter spending plan, life insurance, short and long-term disability, and 17 days of accrued paid time off. In addition, we offset busy seasons with additional paid office closures during the summer and a communal winter break (December 25 through New Year’s Day). Chicago Humanities observes ten holidays and provides one floating holiday and one volunteer day.

COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY, EQUITY, ACCESS, AND INCLUSION

Chicago Humanities is committed to providing a diverse, equitable, accessible, and inclusive workplace where all employees and volunteers, whatever their gender, race, religion, ethnicity, national origin, age, sexual orientation or identity, education, or disability, feel valued and respected. We are committed to a nondiscriminatory approach and provide equal employment and advancement opportunities in our departments, programs, and policies. We respect and value diverse life experiences and heritages and ensure that all voices are valued and heard.

TO APPLY

Please submit your application here, including resume and cover letter (submit as PDFs). Applications are due by Friday, September 18, 2026.

If you need any accommodations completing this application, please email our Director of People and Culture, John Rooney at jrooney@chicagohumanities.org.

Candidates who are selected for an interview will be notified via email. No phone calls, please. We look forward to reviewing your materials.