Associate Vice President Giving & Engagement

Title: Associate Vice President, Giving & Engagement

Exemption Status: Exempt

Department: Development

Reports to: Chief Development Officer

Year-Round Full-time

Supervises: Senior Director, Annual Giving, Stewardship & Engagement; Director, Principal Gifts; Director, Strategic Giving; Senior Philanthropic Advisor/Planned Giving; Development Coordinator & Researcher

Year-Round Full-time employees of the Chicago Botanic Garden are eligible for the following Benefits:

• 2025 Chicago Botanic Garden Benefit Guide - Year-Round Full-time

Compensation Philosophy:

At the Chicago Botanic Garden, our compensation philosophy is rooted in our core values: Growth, Understanding, Resilience, and Trust through Transparency. We are committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels respected, valued, and appreciated.

Our objective is to create compensation and growth opportunities for our employees that are highly competitive, internally equitable and transparent. The foundation of our efforts is a straightforward approach that can be easily communicated by managers with defined pay ranges for all positions. When posting job openings, we share the minimum salary up to the budgeted amount.

The starting salary for new staff members is determined by considering the salary range assigned to the position and by reviewing the candidate's qualifications for the job as compared with job responsibilities. Prior work experience should be considered in determining the salary offer, provided that it is relevant to the job. Additional factors such as secondary language proficiency or advanced degrees that enhance performance may also be considered. A candidate's salary may exceed the minimum amount based on factors such as experience, additional skills (e.g., secondary language proficiency), or pertinent degrees that enhance the individual's contribution to the role but are not required. Opportunities for increased compensation are provided through referral bonuses, shift differentials, Thank You Pay, promotions, and periodic pay increases based on the Garden's overall performance and financial budgets.

Our total compensation and benefits package is people centric. We prioritize employee wellness across three pillars: physical, mental, and financial. Our goal is to offer innovative total rewards that support continuous professional growth, personal development, and provide the flexibility needed to balance personal and professional commitments.

Associate Vice President, Giving & Engagement Position Overview

The Associate Vice President, Giving & Engagement is a key leadership role responsible for the Chicago Botanic Garden's comprehensive individual giving program. The person in this position will drive contributed revenue growth through activation and cultivation of the Garden's loyal members and donors. The AVP will work closely with the chief development officer and the senior leadership team to build a comprehensive strategy for individual giving from the annual fund through principal gifts, and will develop and lead the team of front-line fundraisers. This AVP will play a key role in the planning and implementation of the Garden's comprehensive campaign, partnering with the AVP of governance and campaign on the strategy and implementation of the campaign (currently in the planning phase, with a public launch slated for 2026). The person in this senior position serves as a critical member of the development leadership team and collaborates across the organization to ensure success of the full development team.

Responsibilities

In this role you will be responsible for the following:

Major and principal gifts:

• Oversee front-line fundraising team; track pipeline, revenue targets, and productivity metrics for team.
• Serve as a player-coach, demonstrating best practices in donor engagement and discipline in management process.
• Partner and align major gift strategy with membership and annual fund colleagues, with process to cultivate and engage high-potential members and donors.
• Ensure managed prospects have defined and thoughtful engagement strategies, with roles for the CDO, CEO, and Garden leadership as needed and as appropriate.
• Manage department policies around gift acceptance, recognition, and stewardship.
• Collaborate with CDO and other senior leaders to develop creative and meaningful gift opportunities, recognition, and stewardship.
• Ensure donor research and wealth screening data inform strategic decision-making.
• Contribute to the campaign planning and implementation.

Annual fund and events:

• Lead the annual fund program by defining and implementing a comprehensive plan using data-driven strategies and metrics to meet revenue and expense goals. Coordinate and align strategies with membership and overall individual giving plans.
• Guide the delivery of major fundraising events, targeting annual revenue of $1M+, and overseeing engagement activities, budgeting, and implementation.
• Mentor and manage direct reports, fostering a collaborative, team-oriented atmosphere.

Revenue tracking and budget management:

• Manage division budget, making investments as needed to meet goals.
• With the operations team, produce reports to monitor progress and make strategy adjustments along the way.

Leadership and innovation:

• Lead innovation and positive change within the team and across the organization.
• Create an environment that inspires a high level of commitment and performance.
• Maintain staff by recruiting, selecting, and training employees.

Qualifications

Our ideal candidate will have the following:

• Master's degree in nonprofit management or equivalent training and experience
• Minimum of 10 years of experience in nonprofit organizations
• Proven experience in strategic planning, nonprofit board management and governance, high-level program management, and annual giving
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines with excellent attention to detail
• Strong financial acumen with experience in budgeting, forecasting annual campaigns, and managing expenditures
• Proficiency in CRM and database systems, including Raiser's Edge or comparable software
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion, and access goals
• Ability to travel domestically and internationally if necessary
• Availability to attend evening and weekend donor events

Physical Demands:
Office setting. Frequent sitting, standing, walking, bending, listening, speaking, and keyboarding. Use of office equipment including computers, telephones, copiers, scanners, and fax machines. Some requirements for lifting, pushing, or pulling items less than 30 pounds.

Why Apply?
Come work in a setting that is like no other as you support our mission: We cultivate the power of plants to sustain and enrich life. Take the first step toward being one of the employees who make the Garden one of the treasures of the Forest Preserves of Cook County. Apply today. Please note that applicants who do not meet the required qualifications will not be considered.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and do not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, sex, age, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, status as a veteran, or basis of disability, or any other federal, state, or local protected class.

Disclaimer: The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this classification. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities and qualifications required of personnel so classified.

In accordance with Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972, the Chicago Botanic Garden does not discriminate on the basis of sex in its programs or activities, including in employment or admissions. Please call (847) 835-8264 to contact our Title IX Coordinator should you have questions or concerns. Please do not call this number to inquire about job postings or the status of your application, or with solicitations from companies or third-party recruiters.