Assistant Director, Fundraising Initiatives

Are you looking for a mission-driven non-profit where your skills can help people in need around the world? At the Jewish United Fund (JUF), we take pride in our mission and in having a work culture that fosters a sense of belonging and feels rewarding, supportive, and inclusive. We have a hybrid schedule and offer generous benefits including a 401(k) match, up to 22 days of paid time off (starting with 15), up to 11 sick days (starting with 7), and up to 21 paid holidays. The salary range for this role is $60,000-$65,000.

What you’ll be responsible for:

You will work with major donors, major gifts officers, and senior leadership to manage restricted giving through the JUF Annual Campaign and special fundraising initiatives, including creating written materials for major donors. You will supervise a Development Associate who is responsible for the back-end processes for the entire Integrated Fundraising team, therefore you will be familiar with the complete restricted giving and grants processes to ensure high quality execution.

What you’ll be doing:

• Prepare written materials for Donor Officers and individual donors about project-based funding opportunities: talking points, program summaries, proposals, reports, and acknowledgement letters. Work with the grants team (which is part of the broader Integrated Fundraising team) and prepare deliverables for foundations if asked.
• Communicate with donors and staff about gifts with professionalism and discretion.
• Develop and implement processes for special fundraising initiatives, including solicitation tracking and gift processing, and keep fundraisers on track.
• Conduct prospect research for project-driven fundraising.
• Oversee the processing of restricted gifts in Salesforce (pledges, billing, payments, disbursements), special billing statements, and acknowledgment letters.
• Supervise a Development Associate, who supports the Integrated Fundraising team with back-end processing of restricted giving and grants.
• Build and manipulate reports in Salesforce to execute the responsibilities listed above.
• Support JUF Campaign and mandatory campaign-related activities on an ongoing basis.

What you need to succeed:

• Bachelor’s degree from accredited institution
• 4 years of relevant work experience (non profit, fundraising, work with donors, Jewish communal work, etc.)
• Writing experience, preferably in a fundraising context
• Excellent written, interpersonal, organizational, and oral communication skills
• Ability to be a self-starter and handle multiple projects
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite
• Familiarity with Salesforce is preferred; ability to learn Salesforce and other necessary software programs is required
• Knowledge of Jewish community, culture, heritage, traditions and Jewish Communal Services is preferred

What you’ll love about us:

At JUF, you can be part of one of the largest non-profit social welfare institutions in Illinois. We provide food, refuge, healthcare, education, emergency assistance, and essential services to 500,000 Chicagoans of all faiths and millions of Jews around the world. We offer medical, dental, and vision insurance, 401(k) with base contribution and match, additional health and wellness benefits, financial benefits, professional training, tuition reimbursement, paid family leave, and much more. We have a flexible schedule with core hours and the ability to work from home / remote a few days per week (for most positions) on a hybrid basis.