Senior Development Officer

Turn relationships into impact.

What if your next donor conversation could help put more food on the table for thousands of neighbors across Northern Illinois?

Northern Illinois Food Bank is looking for an experienced Senior Development Officer, Major Gifts who knows that great fundraising starts with great relationships. In this role, youll build meaningful connections with donors, learn what inspires their generosity, and connect their passions with opportunities to make a lasting difference in our communities.

Youll manage a portfolio of major donors and prospects, generally at the $10,000+ level, and lead thoughtful strategies to cultivate relationships, make meaningful asks, and deepen long-term support. Youll also work closely with our Chief Philanthropy Officer, CEO, organizational leaders, volunteers, and philanthropy team to bring the Food Banks mission and impact to life for our supporters.

This is a great opportunity for an accomplished fundraiser who enjoys both the strategy and the human side of major gifts: getting to know people, telling compelling stories, making the ask, and seeing a relationship grow into meaningful impact.

In this role, youll:

- Build and manage relationships with a portfolio of current and prospective major donors.

- Create personalized strategies to move relationships from introduction to engagement, solicitation, and long-term partnership.

- Meet with donors in person, virtually, and by phone to understand what matters to them and connect them with opportunities for impact.

- Make major-gift asks independently and alongside our Chief Philanthropy Officer, CEO, board members, volunteers, and other leaders.

- Develop compelling proposals, donor briefings, stewardship reports, and cases for support.

- Partner across the Food Bank to translate our programs and priorities into meaningful philanthropic opportunities.

- Keep a healthy, active pipeline and use moves management to keep relationships moving forward.

- Create memorable stewardship experiences that show donors the difference their generosity makes.

- Identify opportunities for larger and more complex gifts, including planned, campaign, blended, and principal gifts.

- Share your expertise with fellow gift officers and help strengthen a collaborative, donor-centered philanthropy team.

- Represent the Food Bank at donor meetings, tours, community gatherings, and special events.

Qualifications

Who You Are

Youre an experienced fundraiser who genuinely enjoys connecting with people. Youre comfortable making the ask, but you also know when to listen. You bring good judgment, curiosity, follow-through, and the ability to turn a donors interests into a relationship that advances a mission you believe in.

Youll bring:

- A bachelors degree or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.

- 7+ years of progressively responsible fundraising experience with a demonstrated record of securing significant individual gifts.

- Experience managing a major-gift portfolio and working within a moves-management or prospect-review process.

- Confidence developing cultivation and solicitation strategies and directly asking for and closing gifts.

- Excellent relationship-building, listening, writing, presentation, and interpersonal skills.

- Strong organization, project management, judgment, and follow-through.

- The ability to work independently while partnering effectively across teams and with senior leaders.

- Experience using donor relationship management systems and data to guide fundraising strategy.

Even better if you have experience with: six-figure+ gifts; planned, principal, campaign, or other complex gifts; or fundraising within hunger relief, human services, healthcare, or another mission-driven organization.