Individual Giving Officer

Cristo Rey Jesuit High School•Chicago, IL

About The Position

Cristo Rey Jesuit High School seeks a motivated and relationship-driven Individual Giving Officer to serve as a mission-driven front-line fundraiser within the Advancement team. This role is responsible for the personal cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of individual donors, with an emphasis on strengthening annual giving participation. The Individual Giving Officer will manage a defined portfolio of donors and prospects, execute thoughtful engagement strategies, and contribute meaningfully to the growth of Cristo Rey’s individual giving pipeline. This position is well-suited for a professional with experience in fundraising or consultative sales who is comfortable building relationships, articulating value, and confidently asking for commitments. As the school celebrates its 30th anniversary, this role offers a meaningful opportunity to contribute to a growing culture of philanthropy, and directly impact students’ lives through the power of generosity.

Requirements

3-6 years of experience in fundraising, consultative sales, business development, or other relationship-based revenue roles.
Demonstrated success in meeting or exceeding revenue or sales goals.
Proven comfort with making direct asks and closing commitments.
Experience managing a portfolio of clients, customers, or donors.
Strong written and verbal communication skills
Excellent relationship-building, organizational, and time-management skills
Ability to work independently while maintaining consistent communication with colleagues and leadership
Commitment to and enthusiasm for the mission of Cristo Rey Jesuit High School
Bachelor’s degree
Valid driver’s license

Nice To Haves

Experience in nonprofit fundraising, mission-driven organizations or education
Experience using Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge NXT

Responsibilities

Manage a portfolio of approximately 150 individual donors and prospects, with a primary focus on broad-based annual giving execution focusing on renewal, re-engagement, and incremental upgrades within defined annual giving tiers.
Conduct high-volume, structured outreach, including qualification calls, renewal conversations, and upgrade solicitations to increase donor participation and consistency of giving.
Re-engage lapsed donors and reintroduce them to Cristo Rey’s mission through personalized but scalable communication strategies.
Identify and qualify donors with capacity or interest for deeper engagement and strategically elevate those prospects to the Director of Individual Giving when appropriate.
Execute defined solicitation messaging and outreach campaigns in alignment with overall Advancement priorities.
Maintain strong follow-through on all donor interactions to ensure timely asks, renewals, and stewardship touchpoints.
Identify and respond strategically to key donor behaviors (first-time, lapsed, upgraded, monthly, event-based, matching gift, and milestone donors).
Develop targeted outreach plans to increase renewal rates, deepen engagement, and strengthen long-term retention.
Analyze donor response trends and recommend adjustments to outreach strategies to improve retention and upgrade rates.
Track donor movement and engagement patterns using Raiser’s Edge NXT and recommend adjustments to improve participation and giving growth.
Work closely with the Director of Individual Giving to ensure coordinated portfolio strategy and clear donor movement.
Actively participate in the planning and execution of Advancement events and donor engagement opportunities, including alumni activities, cultivation events, and the VIVA! Gala.
Maintain consistent communication with the Vice President of Advancement regarding portfolio activity and progress toward goals.
Maintain accurate, detailed records of donor interactions in Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge NXT.
Track activity metrics and progress toward revenue and participation goals, ensuring consistent advancement toward individual portfolio targets.
Apply current trends and best practices in philanthropy while maintaining strong fundraising fundamentals.