Manager of Foundation and Corporate Relations

About One Million Degrees

Although half of Illinois’ public college students attend community college, only one in four of them will graduate with a degree within three years. One Million Degrees (OMD) changes that by providing comprehensive supports to community college students, accelerating their progress on career pathways to economic mobility.

OMD’s model, which combines academic, personal, professional, and financial supports, is changing the education landscape. OMD’s community college scholars are 47% more likely than their counterparts to continue from one semester to the next as a full-time student. 

After more than a decade of programming, OMD continues to expand the number of scholars it supports to be a catalyst for change in Chicago. OMD partners with 10 Chicago-area community colleges, and will serve over 900 scholars and apprentices across the region in the 2019-2020 academic year.

Position Summary

One Million Degrees is seeking a talented and energetic Manager of Corporate and Foundation Relations to join an innovative organization dedicated to accelerating community college students’ progress on career pathways to economic mobility. Reporting to the Director of Development and Communications, the Manager of Corporate and Foundation Relations will play a key role in advancing OMD’s mission through expert execution and management of the development strategy, including grants management; event planning and execution; funder (corporate, foundation, and public) cultivation, stewardship, and tracking; and sustained engagement of public officials. 

The successful candidate has at least 2-3 years of non-profit development experience and is an entrepreneurial self-starter. The candidate exhibits a high degree of attention to detail and demonstrates an ability to simultaneously see the big picture and break down and flawlessly execute all the components of a complex project. 

The Manager of Corporate and Foundation Relations (MCFR) works closely with the Director of Development and Communications and OMD’s leadership team to design, implement, and grow development and communications initiatives. The MCFR takes the lead role in grant writing and reporting, fundraising events, managing, stewarding, and growing relationships in OMD’s portfolio of corporate and foundation funders, and all tracking and analysis of information related to the corporate and foundation portfolio. 

OMD values team players with a passion for people and the transformative power of education and opportunity.  

Specific duties and responsibilities include

Foundation and Corporate Relations, Grant-Writing, and Reporting (approximately 60% of time)

• Work closely with the Director of Development and Communications to research and identify new corporate and foundation prospects, cultivate relationships with current and new partners, and design strategic partnerships and proposals
• Write detailed, compelling, well-reasoned, data-driven grant proposals, letters of inquiry, and grant reports 
• Collaborate with internal teams (program and finance teams) to ensure alignment on grant requests and fund allocation
• Carefully track all due dates and progress toward milestones in the submission pipeline utilizing OMD’s Salesforce CRM
• Develop compelling, data-driven, timely reports of use of funds
• Build first-hand knowledge of the OMD model and impact by getting to know scholars and alumni, participating in relevant program team discussions and activities, and being present for key programming in order to build content knowledge

Event Planning and Execution (approximately 30% of time)

• Collaborate with Board members and staff in all aspects of planning and executing special events such as the Degrees of Impact Gala, Corporate Leaders Breakfast, Visionaries Circle events, and other donor cultivation events
• Work closely with Board members to solicit donations and table/ticket sales and to invite guests to events
• Act as the staff point person for Degrees of Impact by managing ticket sales; tracking all income with event and Salesforce databases; working with sponsors and ad space buyers to obtain logos, copy, and payment
• Recruit, train, and manage volunteers for event
• Manage check-in process prior to and at the event
• Prepare all event income and expenditures for accountant

Marketing and Communications

• Work closely with Development and Communications Specialist to design and execute compelling communications campaigns and strategies with all donor types 
• Ensure donors and supporters are consistently and accurately recognized on the OMD website and all event materials

Other Duties as Needed 

• Attend program-related events and help where needed
• Support general office operations as needed

Qualifications and Requirements:  

Qualified candidates must have excellent communication skills, both verbal and written, and the desire to work collaboratively in a fast-paced environment. This position is ideal for a highly-motivated, energetic team player who thrives when presented with challenges. 

Education – A.A./A.S. required; B.A./B.S. preferred

Experience

• 2-3 years of non-profit development experience required
• Superb writing skills required; grant-writing experience preferred
• Experience with event planning, training and managing event volunteers 
• Experience working in a fast-paced environment and prioritizing multiple tasks with limited time, sometimes in high-pressure situations
• Experience working across teams or organizations to create a project or program

Skills

• Excellent project-management skills; ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines simultaneously
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills; a proven ability to effectively communicate with diverse audiences, including Board members, corporate sponsors, and major donors
• Highly proficient with technology; Salesforce and QuickBooks experience preferred
• Communication: strong interpersonal and communication skills; a proven ability to effectively communicate with diverse audiences and the ability to give and receive candid feedback
• Excellent attention to detail

Traits

• A self-starter who can operate independently and in teams to accomplish goals and objectives  
• Cultural humility and an ability to work effectively with diverse staff, clients, and community partners 
• A positive outlook and a total belief in the potential of all scholars to succeed and excel 
• Relentless drive to close equity gaps in education

Compensation and Benefits: 

• Salary – Commensurate with experience. 
• Health Benefits – Full health benefits provided for full-time employees, including medical, dental, and vision. 
• Retirement Benefits – For full-time employees, OMD offers a Simple IRA plan and matches retirement contributions up to 3% of total salary. 
• Professional Learning Opportunities – OMD supports employees’ continued learning in areas relevant to his or her professional growth and organizational goals and will pay for training such as workshops and conference, up to $500/year or as agreed to by employee and supervisor. 
• Paid Time Off – Up to 15 days PTO plus 9 paid holidays. 

One Million Degrees is an equal opportunity employer. We encourage applications from all individuals regardless of age, gender, race, ethnicity, religion, or sexual orientation, and evaluate all candidates based on merit.