New Job Development Associate In Illinois

ORGANIZATION

Skills for Chicagoland’s Future (Skills) is a nonprofit organization focused on increasing economic mobility of under and unemployed by connecting them to quality jobs through its deep partnership and understanding of the unique human capital needs of its network of engaged employers. Skills is driven to meet the talent demands of businesses, and to be a catalyst for systemic change and innovation. The force behind this drive is centered on our mission to get the unemployed and underemployed back to work. By focusing on the hiring demand of employers, Skills has created a paradigm shift in the general supply-driven approach to workforce development. The impact of this demand-driven approach can be seen through both the employers’ skilled and diverse workforce, and the economic mobility provided to the job seekers who are no longer unemployed/underemployed. Launched in 2012, Skills’ foundation is built on its strong employer partnerships, engaged Board of Directors, and funding support from both the City of Chicago and private donors. To date, Skills has directly impacted the lives of 9,000+ job seekers who were connected to jobs and career pathways leveraging Skills’ network of over 60 employer partners.

For more information on Skills’ impact on the local business and economic landscape, and national thought leadership, please visit www.skillsforchicagolandsfuture.com.

POSITION

The Development Associate will be reporting to the Vice President of Development & Sustainability and work closely with the VP and two other Development team members. This position is responsible for critical support of Skills’ annual fundraising event, donor communications, donor research and prospecting, and grant writing and proposal submission to persuasively communicate Skills’ mission and programs to foundation and corporate funders.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Write, edit a portion of Skills’ grant proposals and reports; communicate with VP and internal teams in order to meet all deadlines and fundraising goals
• Monitor websites, emails, etc. regularly for funding opportunities and provide recommendations on eligibility and alignment of opportunities with needs and priorities
• Support Skills’ annual fundraising event by supporting milestones and activities throughout the year (solicitation mailings, event announcements and materials, meeting support, phone calls to secure sponsor information and materials, event logistics and day-of event support)
• Support donor communications (e-news, mailings) including updating mailing lists, preparing materials, sending and tracking mailings and response. Includes mailings to Board of Directors, event sponsors, individual donors, etc.
• Support of donor acknowledgements and tracking in Salesforce, including data entry and producing reports.
• Support other donor events, meetings and fundraising campaigns throughout the year as opportunities emerge.

CANDIDATE PROFILE

• Excellent writing and oral communication skills
• Ability to work effectively independently as well as in a team environment
• Experience writing grant proposals with knowledge of basic fundraising sources, strategies and techniques
• Ability to work on multiple deadline-driven projects simultaneously

REQUIREMENTS

• Bachelor’s degree preffered
• Minimum 1-2 years of fundraising experience with proven success
• Submission of a brief writing sample