SENIOR INSTITUTIONAL GIVING LEAD
About Cara Collective
Cara Collective seeks to fuel a courageous national movement to eradicate relational and financial poverty. Our Mission is
to build an inclusive economy by developing employment pathways to advance transformative individual and community success. Through our four entities – Cara, Cleanslate, Cara Connects, and Cara Plus – we engage job seekers, employers, and other organizations across the country to break the cycle of poverty through the power and purpose of employment.
We believe that there is an incredible and untapped talent pool in our country, one comprised of people often experiencing homelessness and poverty. Our job is to unlock the strengths they already have and showcase them anew to the world. Today, we take the insights gained over the past 30 years to equip other organizations and employers with practices to help build a more inclusive economy.
To ensure that we are centering our work around the individuals and communities we serve, Cara Collective commits to taking an inclusive and equitably approach in all we do: in our program design, diverse representation in our staff, partnerships we choose to enter, and our external and internal communications and policies. We leverage our individuality and differences as a way of deepening community and expanding opportunity in and around our organization.
Discover the impact we are making and explore the impressive numbers behind our success by clicking here: www.caracollective.org.
About the Cara Collective’s External Affairs Department
The External Affairs Department aims to advance Cara Collective’s mission by amplifying our brand, building partnerships, attracting resources and investments, sharing proven techniques, and driving practice change.
About the Role
The Senior Institutional Giving Lead will work closely with the Director of Institutional Giving to help strategically lead and grow Cara’s portfolio of grant funded partners to raise $4M - $5M annually. The individual will focus on securing five-figure and six-figure grants. The Senior Institutional Giving Lead will initiate and maintain regular communications with active and prospective funders through in-person meetings (i.e. site visits), virtual and electronic communications, and other methods of communication such as written correspondence via letters of inquiry, formal proposals, and stewardship reports. The Senior Institutional Giving Lead will work with staff members at all levels to ensure that proposals are of the highest quality, application deadlines are met, and that grantors’ expectations are fulfilled. This includes collaboration with members of the Leadership Team to ensure prospective opportunities are advancing the priorities of the organizations’ strategic growth, with program staff to gather programmatic information to support grant applications, with finance to assist in developing budgets associated with the grant, and with the data & technology team to ensure Cara is accurately representing metrics and outcomes in communications with prospects and funders. This individual shares responsibility with the Institutional Giving team for the continued growth of annual fundraising, conceiving and implementing new strategies for growth.
Qualifications
We are excited to offer this opportunity for a mission-driven professional to join our team as Senior Institutional Giving Lead. This role is ideal for a strategic thinker passionate about fostering relationships with funders to support an organization committed to advancing racial equity and breaking the cycle of poverty.
The Senior Institutional Giving Lead will play a critical role in helping to strategically grow Cara’s portfolio of institutional donors and partners. The individual will focus on securing significant gifts at the five-figure and six-figure levels, building and nurturing strong relationships with donors.
The ideal candidate will be inspired by Cara Collective's mission, and thrives in an environment committed to advancing social impact. They should be a forward-thinking individual with a collaborative mindset that possess excellent analytical and problem-solving skills, and approach challenges with a solutions-oriented perspective.
Qualifications:
This is an incredible opportunity for a passionate fundraising professional to make a meaningful impact by advancing Cara Collective’s mission and expanding its reach.
The Responsibilities of the Senior Institutional Giving Lead
Fundraising - Grants Management & Strategy (85%)
Government Grants (10%)
Special Events / General (5%)
The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of the work being performed by people assigned to this job. They are not an exhaustive list of all duties and responsibilities associated with it.
Reports To
Director of Institutional Giving
Workplace Type & Team Culture
Cara Collective has a strong team culture that values collaboration, communication, and camaraderie. We believe in the power of working together in person, which is why we expect our employees to be onsite at one of our Chicago-based locations multiple days each week. The exact number of onsite days per week may vary by role, employee tenure, and other factors. This commitment to in-person collaboration fosters a sense of belonging and teamwork among our employees, creating a supportive and dynamic work environment.
We consistently measure staff satisfaction through employee surveys and have found that year over year, the vast majority of staff agree that Cara Collective is a great place to work and grow. This high level of employee satisfaction reflects our dedication to creating a positive and fulfilling workplace for all members of our team.
Starting Pay Range
We take budget and starting salary very seriously. We market our roles and use a salary analysis tool called Payscale and offer competitive, market-based compensation to all employees.
This position’s expected starting pay range is $71,000 - $74.000.
Benefits
Our comprehensive benefit package include:
Employee Paid Benefits
As of this posting, we annually review our benefit offerings to meet our employees' needs and be competitive in the market. All listed benefits offerings a at the discretion of the employer.
Equal Opportunity Employer
Cara Collective is committed to creating a diverse work environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. Cara Collective does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, gender identity, religion, sexual orientation, age, disability, parental status, veteran status, or any other protected status under applicable laws. We encourage individuals of all backgrounds to apply. If you are a qualified candidate with a disability, please email us at kboelkens@carachicago.org if you require reasonable accommodation to complete this application.