Description

General Description:  

The Senior Director of Corporate & Foundation Relations provides enterpriselevel leadership of institutional fundraising, aligning corporate partnerships, foundation relations, and grants strategy with the Food Depository’s growth plan to significantly increase higherlevel, multiyear revenue. The role partners closely with the CPO, CEO, Development leadership, and crossfunctional teams (Finance, REBA, MarCom, Community Impact, Volunteer Management, Events) to drive datainformed portfolio strategies, holistic corporate engagement, codesigned foundation partnerships, within a culture focused on relationships and sustainable growth. 

Core Responsibilities 

1) Strategic Leadership & Revenue Growth 

Colead (with the CPO) the multiyear institutional revenue strategy and annual plans to advance mission priorities; set directional targets that emphasize upgrading gift sizes and securing multiyear commitments.  

Translate organizational priorities into compelling institutional funding opportunities and ensure alignment with the overall fundraising growth model.  

Personally manage a select portfolio of highvalue corporate and foundation relationships to secure six and sevenfigure gifts. 

Identify emerging funding trends, opportunities, and partnership models to expand and diversify revenue streams. 

Prioritize and support strategies for top donors and prospects, engaging CPO and CEO intentionally to drive deeper relationships. 

Lead complex, multiyear proposal, sponsorship, and grant strategies; align solicitations with measurable impact, enterprise priorities, and budget needs.  

 2) Team Leadership & Talent Development 

Provide leadership, coaching, and performance management for the Director of Corporate Relations and the Director of Foundation Relations & Grants. 
Support organizationwide change management that embeds a shared performance culture and philanthropy mindset with shared accountability across Development teams.  
Foster a high-performing, data-driven, and relationship-centered team culture. 
Provide skip-level oversight to a team of eight, including relationship managers, a senior grants manager, and a grant writer. 
 

3) Data, Analytics & Pipeline Management 

Partner with Prospect Development to regularly review and rebalance portfolios, prioritize highpotential prospects, and drive pipeline health; use predictive analytics and BI insights (with REBA) for forecasting and strategy.  

Ensure StratusLIVE database is fully utilized for activity tracking, donor journeys, and performance dashboards; model excellent portfolio hygiene and data discipline across the team.  

Monitor KPIs, revenue projections, and portfolio performance to inform strategy and CPO-level reports 

Advise senior leadership and Finance staff on institutional revenue projections and budgeting based on pipeline and known opportunities 

4) Holistic Corporate & Foundation Engagement 

Partner with Donor Engagement to build 360° corporate strategies that integrate philanthropy with volunteerism, cause marketing, sponsorships, executive engagement/board service, pro bono support, procurement, and workplace giving in collaboration with Individual Giving and Volunteer Management.  

Create multiyear account plans for top corporate partners, with clear goals, engagement calendars, and crossteam roles; host partner briefings and convenings.  

Elevate foundation engagement by convening codesign sessions, site visits, advocacy briefings, and crosssector roundtables, continuing to position GCFD as a thought partner on systems change, equity, and outcomes.  

5) Case for Support & Donor Messaging 

Collaborate with CPO and Donor Engagement to apply materials to institutional audiences; ensure proposals, pitch decks, sponsorship menus, and stewardship collateral are modular, onbrand, and impactdriven.  

Maintain a shared library of customizable materials that reduce burden on frontline staff and accelerate time to ask.  

Requirements

Minimum requirements 

10+ years of progressive leadership in institutional fundraising and grants management with demonstrated success in securing and growing six and sevenfigure gifts.  
Proven experience leading highperforming teams and managing complex corporate/foundation partnerships, including multiyear, multistakeholder engagements.  
Strong fluency with fundraising analytics, CRM usage (preferably StratusLIVE or similar), pipeline management, and datainformed forecasting.  
Knowledge of and relationships within Chicago’s corporate and/or foundation community; familiarity with food security/human services preferred. 
Proven ability to collaborate effectively across departments and with executive leadership. 
Excellent written, verbal, and presentation skills, including the ability to effectively communicate complex qualitative and quantitative information. 
Proficiency in MS Office Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. 
Skills & Competencies 

Strategic, enterprise thinker; adept at crossfunctional influence and change leadership.  

Relationshipcentered fundraiser and coach; excellent communicator with strong proposal/storytelling skills.  

Datadriven operator with strong planning, prioritization, and performance management skills.  

Deep commitment to equity, inclusion, and communitycentered philanthropy.  

Other Requirements 

Ability to work occasional evenings/weekends for donor meetings and events; ability to travel locally for partner engagements.  

Leadership Competencies 

Strategic & Analytical: Integrates market trends, internal data, and program strategy to shape institutional plans.  

CrossFunctional Collaborator: Orchestrates work across Development, Finance, REBA, MarCom, Programs, Events, and Volunteer Management.  

Inclusive, Empowering Manager: Builds capacity, clarifies goals, and nurtures a highperformance, missionaligned culture.  

ResultsOriented: Holds teams accountable to KPIs; prioritizes highvalue activity and continuous improvement. 

Benefits

Health, dental, and vision insurance coverage
Employer-paid life and disability insurance
Employee Assistance Program
403(b) retirement plan with employer contribution
Generous paid time off
Parental leave
On-site gym
$3,000 annual employer-paid ThrivePass lifestyle and wellness benefit program
$250 employee referral bonus