About Project: VISION
Project: VISION is a nonprofit organization with a mission to help youth of Chicago’s Greater Chinatown community achieve their full potential by providing them with tools for educational, personal, and civic development. PV serves over 500 middle and high school youth each year out of its two Chinatown youth centers as well as three local school-based sites. We are seeking a mission-driven, creative, and energetic individual to join our team and serve as a Development Manager.
Position Summary
The Development Manager plays a key role in advancing Project: VISION’s (PV) fundraising and donor engagement goals. Reporting to the Director of Development, this position is responsible for managing donor cultivation and stewardship activities, coordinating fundraising events and campaigns, supporting corporate and foundation partnerships, and contributing to grant research and writing efforts.
The ideal candidate is a relationship-driven fundraising professional with 2–3 years of nonprofit development experience, strong communication skills, and the ability to manage multiple projects in a collaborative and fast-paced environment. This is an external-facing role that requires regular interaction with donors, sponsors, funders, and community stakeholders.
Key Responsibilities
Donor Relations & Portfolio Management
- Manage and grow a portfolio of mid-level individual donors through personalized cultivation, stewardship, and solicitation strategies.
- Build and maintain meaningful relationships with donors and prospective supporters through calls, meetings, written communications, and events.
- Maintain accurate donor records and track donor engagement activities within the organization’s CRM.
- Partner with the Director of Development to identify opportunities for donor upgrades and long-term engagement.
Event Planning & Fundraising Campaigns
- Support planning and execution of PV’s fundraising and donor engagement events, including the annual Chinatown 5K & Youth Run and Fall Soiree, coordinating various aspects including logistics, marketing, sponsorships, volunteer management, and post-event stewardship.
- Support the implementation of annual and end-of-year fundraising campaigns, including donor outreach, appeals, timelines, and campaign tracking.
- Coordinate event marketing communications and materials in collaboration with internal staff and contractors.
Corporate Sponsorships & Relations
- Cultivate and steward relationships with corporate and local business sponsors.
- Assist with sponsor outreach, proposal development, reporting, and recognition activities.
- Coordinate corporate partnership opportunities, such as volunteer engagement with PV programs, ensuring that these activities align with organizational priorities and fundraising goals.
Grant Research & Writing
- Conduct grant prospect research to identify new funding opportunities from foundations, corporations, and government sources.
- Draft and submit grant proposals, letters of inquiry, and reports in collaboration with program and leadership staff.
- Maintain grant calendars, deadlines, and supporting documentation to ensure timely submissions and reporting compliance.
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree or equivalent professional experience preferred.
- 2–3 years of nonprofit fundraising and development experience required.
- Demonstrated experience in donor relations, fundraising campaigns, event coordination, and grant writing.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to represent the organization professionally to external stakeholders.
- Highly organized with strong project management and multitasking abilities.
- Experience working with fundraising CRM platforms, Microsoft Office, and Google applications.
- Ability to work occasional evenings or weekends for events and donor activities.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience managing mid-level donor portfolios.
- Knowledge of corporate sponsorship and fundraising strategies.
- Familiarity with nonprofit fundraising best practices and donor stewardship principles.
- Values alignment with the organization, including commitment to PV’s mission and goals and the issues of AAPI and immigrant youth and families and the local Chinatown community
Core Competencies
- Relationship building
- Communication & storytelling
- Project management
- Strategic thinking
- Attention to detail
- Collaboration and initiative
- Creative problem solving
- Positive attitude with growth mindset
Compensation & Benefits
- Salary range: $60,000-65,000
- Medical and dental benefits 100% covered
- Paid time off
- Travel stipend
- 401k eligible
- Professional development allowance
Please submit a resume and cover letter to careers@projectvisionchicago.org. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled.