About North Park
Founded in 1891, North Park University is a Christian university affiliated with the Evangelical Covenant Church of over 3,200 students from around the country and the world. Located for over 130 years on the land of the Miami and Potawatomi tribes in what is today Chicago’s northside, NPU is a designated Hispanic Serving Institution and is committed to serving diverse populations. Elevating North Park University’s core distinctives of Christian, city-centered, and intercultural, NPU values diversity among its Faculty and is committed to building a racially and culturally diverse intellectual community, and strongly encourages the nomination and candidacies of persons who are Black, Indigenous, and People of Color regardless of gender.
North Park University is located in the Albany Park neighborhood of Chicago, one of the most ethnically diverse zip codes in the United States. It is nine miles from downtown Chicago. The North Park campus has often been referred to as an oasis in the heart of the city – a place where students from urban, rural, and suburban backgrounds alike can call home. And all of this within the major metropolitan backdrop of Chicago: one of the world’s largest and most diversified economies, renowned for its museums and music, and voted best large city in the U.S. for four years in a row by Condé Nast Traveler.
Mission
The mission of North Park University is to prepare students for lives of significance and service through education in the liberal arts, professional studies, and theology.
Vision
Building on our core institutional identity—Christian, city-centered, intercultural—our vision is to create a university of uncommon character and enduring excellence, where faith, learning, and service meet.
Position Summary
As a key member of North Park University’s Advancement and Alumni Engagement team, the Senior Manager leads the strategy, execution, and performance of the University’s annual giving program. This role is responsible for designing and implementing multi-channel fundraising strategies that grow participation, increase unrestricted support, and strengthen relationships with alumni, friends, and donors of the University and Seminary. The Senior Manager drives engagement across the donor pipeline—cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding everyday donors—while leveraging data, digital tools, and collaboration to expand philanthropic impact.
Duties and Responsibilities
Strategy & Program Management
- Develop and execute a comprehensive annual giving strategy aligned with institutional fundraising goals.
- Establish an annual plan for cultivation, solicitation, and general stewardship of everyday donors.
- Integrate annual giving efforts with major gifts, donor stewardship, and engagement strategies to strengthen the donor pipeline.
Campaign Execution & Performance
- Lead and project manage all annual giving campaigns, including digital, direct mail, email, phone, crowdfunding, and flash campaigns.
- Partner with Prospect Strategy Manager to track, analyze, and report on campaign performance, donor behavior, and key fundraising metrics to inform strategy.
- Continuously optimize campaigns using data-driven insights and best practices.
Donor Engagement & Experience
- Build and strengthen relationships with alumni, donors, and friends to increase philanthropic engagement and retention. Partner with Engagement team to align on strategy and maximize resources.
- Oversee strategies for donor segmentation, engagement, and marketing giving societies within annual giving.
- Partner with the Stewardship and Impact Manager to ensure meaningful and consistent donor stewardship.
- Manage a portfolio of 10-25 leadership-level donors, bridging annual and major gifts by identifying prospects for pipeline growth.
Collaboration & Leadership
- Partner with Advancement colleagues and campus collaborators to promote a culture of philanthropy and engagement.
- Serve as a strategic partner in an Engagement Center, supporting innovative approaches to constituent outreach and cultivation.
- Provide guidance and input on student worker roles and engagement strategies.
Operations & Coordination
- Collaborate with the Advancement Operations team to support database maintenance, reporting, and prospect data needs.
- Serve as a liaison to internal and external partners, including University Marketing & Communications, North Park Theological Seminary, business office and financial aid, athletics, and external vendors such as freelance creators and printers.
- Ensure accuracy, consistency, and effectiveness across all fundraising operations and communications.
The salary for this position is $67,000.
Requirements
Required
- Bachelor's degree
- Experience in non-profit development and annual giving, with preference for higher education.
- Strong interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills.
- Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects with strong attention to detail and organization.
- Proven ability to meet quantitative and qualitative goals.
- Experience with digital fundraising tools and platforms.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office 365
- Personal commitment to North Park’s mission of Christian higher education.
Preferred
- Experience with Raiser’s Edge NXT or a similar CRM system.
- Strong analytical and technical skills, including data querying, reporting, and performance analysis.
Benefits
- Medical Insurance
- Dental Insurance
- Prescription Coverage
- Flexible Spending Account
- Commuter Benefit
- Retirement Plan (403b)
- Life Insurance
- Paid Time Off (Vacation, Personal Days, Sick & Public Holidays)
- Parental Leave
- Training & Development
- Tuition Remission
- Helwig Recreation Center
