The Associate Director of Development & Communications leads the integration of fundraising strategy and communications at Nonviolence Chicago. This role owns the fundraising and communications pipeline at a systems level, ensuring that donor engagement, campaigns, stewardship, and messaging are coordinated, measured, and aligned to revenue goals. This role ensures that marketing, storytelling, engagement campaigns, and donor communications operate as direct functions of development strategy. The Director translates programmatic impact into compelling narratives that drive revenue growth, strengthen donor retention, and expand Nonviolence Chicago’s philanthropic base.
Working cross-functionally with program leadership, finance, and data teams, the Associate Director aligns messaging, metrics, and engagement tactics with organizational fundraising priorities. This position is primarily “behind the scenes” internal-facing, focused on building systems, strengthening collaboration, and ensuring development-centric decision making across communications channels.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS/RESPONSIBILITIES:
Integrated Development & Communications Strategy
- Develop and lead an integrated annual development and communications strategy aligned with revenue goals.
- Oversee appeals calendar (major gifts, lapsed, acquisition, stewardship).
- Maintain visibility across the donor pipeline and ensure timely coordination of cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship activities in partnership with development staff.
- Ensure external messaging reinforces donor cultivation and fundraising objectives.
- Guide brand positioning to support philanthropic growth.
- Ensure site visits, convenings, events, and stewardship experiences are aligned with cultivation and solicitation objectives
Revenue-Focused Communications Leadership
- Serve as lead writer for donor appeals, stewardship reports, and campaign messaging.
- Translate impact data into donor-centered narratives.
- Oversee creative direction of marketing materials with a fundraising lens.
- Ensure alignment between grant messaging and individual donor communications.
Metrics, Analytics & Data-Informed Decision Making
- Establish KPIs linking communications performance to revenue outcomes.
- Oversee reporting dashboards tracking engagement and retention trends on communications channels.
- Analyze campaign performance and recommend strategic adjustments.
- Partner with Development Officer on CRM and Comms channel optimization and segmentation strategy.
Internal Partnership & Strategic Alignment
- Build strong relationships with program leadership to surface compelling impact stories.
- Collaborate with data team to ensure accurate reporting.
- Support leadership in advancing strategic priorities through donor communications.
- Serve as thought partner to Vice President of Development & Communications.
