Senior Philanthropy Manager

Job Description:

• Manage and actively grow an existing portfolio of high-net-worth donors, ensuring both strong retention and increased annual commitments.
• Identify, cultivate, and secure new major donors through strategic research, outreach, and personalized cultivation plans.
• Partner closely with the leadership team, marketing, operations and Board of Directors to secure high-impact contributions.
• Maintain the comprehensive major-donor forecast and pipeline, ensuring accuracy, strategic clarity, and board-ready reporting.
• Develop data-informed strategies to prioritize prospects, deepen engagement, and forecast revenue.
• Serve as the internal analytics expert, leveraging data to inform outreach strategy, predict donor behavior, and identify growth opportunities.
• Act as the Salesforce expert for the philanthropy function - building dashboards, optimizing workflows, maintaining data hygiene, and ensuring accurate reporting.
• Utilize wealth-screening platforms and prospect-research tools to identify, segment, and evaluate donor capacity and affinity.
• Lead the creation and continuous improvement of systems, processes, and analytic tools to increase fundraising efficiency.
• Develop individualized cultivation and stewardship plans for top donors and prospects.
• Coordinate with team members to ensure meaningful, timely, and coordinated donor engagement.
• Advocate for increased philanthropic investment in the organization’s mission, moving donors toward higher levels of impact.
• Cultivate and manage relationships with donors interested in legacy and planned giving.
• Work with legal and financial advisors to structure and secure planned giving commitments.
• Use donor-management, analytics, and wealth-screening tools to track donor profiles, giving histories, and engagement patterns.
• Leverage propensity-to-give data to optimize outreach, qualify prospects, and prioritize portfolios.
• Analyze trends to identify opportunities for stewardship, upgrades, and new donor acquisition.
• Cultivate philanthropic leadership among Board members, encouraging meaningful participation in giving and fundraising.
• Serve as a thought leader on philanthropy, guiding staff and Board leadership on trends, strategy, and best practices.
• Develop and actively grow a portfolio of corporate partners and sponsors, ensuring strong retention, increased annual support, and long-term strategic mission-aligned relationships.

Requirements:

• Proven track record in philanthropy and major donor engagement within the non-profit sector.
• Bachelor's degree in a related field or equivalent; advanced degree preferred.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to engage and inspire stakeholders.
• Technical proficiency in relevant research methodologies and development tools.
• Strong analytical skills and ability to leverage data to inform fundraising strategies.
• Strategic thinking and problem-solving abilities, with a focus on driving innovation and impact.
• Experience in developing and implementing systems and processes to enhance fundraising efficiency.
• Chicago based preferred, but not required.
• Ability to work collaboratively in a dynamic, fast-paced environment.
• Strong organizational skills and ability to prioritize and execute tasks effectively in unstructured or ambiguous situations.
• Passion for the mission of the MPN Research Foundation and a commitment to making a difference in the lives of those affected by MPNs.
• Familiarity with marketing principles and strategies is a plus.
• Ability to straddle the team environment and individual tasks to achieve common goals.

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