The Organization
CMP was founded in 2014 with the mission of connecting communities who believe in the power of great storytelling to increase awareness and ignite social change. Originally launched as the Chicago Media Project, we now go by our acronym CMP because it nods to our roots and speaks to our deeper purpose: community, media, and philanthropy.
CMP’s member base, a diverse group of individuals across the country who share a passion for our mission, has been the backbone of our organization since our founding. We have fostered a creative, empathetic, and dynamic community of people who have propelled CMP’s growth and development. With our members’ support, we employ a Community Model of Philanthropy, using our collective resources to provide financial support to historically under-funded filmmakers; host community-gathering events that tap into the power of film to inspire change; and launch impact campaigns to amplify the efforts of partner social cause organizations.
CMP is at an exciting time in our growth and development. As our thinking has evolved about the impact that we can and should have, we have taken steps to grow the reach of our organization, and have put intensive focus on leveraging our platform even further to uplift under-represented films, filmmakers, and communities through dedicated programs and events. We have ambitious goals for programmatic growth in the years ahead, and are looking for a seasoned and motivated development professional with a passion for our mission to help lead the next stage of CMP’s growth and development.
To learn more about CMP, check out our website at wearecmp.org.
Position Overview
Reporting to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), the Chief Development Officer (CDO) serves as a key leadership team member and an active participant in making strategic decisions affecting the organization. In partnership with the CEO, this position is responsible for all fundraising and development activities. The successful candidate will help forge new relationships to build CMP’s visibility, impact and financial resources. The CDO also will design and implement a comprehensive plan for developing key external alliances by cultivating, soliciting and stewarding philanthropic support from foundations, corporations, and government agencies.
Responsibilities:
- Raise awareness of the organization and its primary goals through outreach efforts, events in the community, and other communications activities.
- Build a pipeline of support from corporations and foundations, and work with CEO and Board to identify and grow new funding prospects and revenue streams.
- Track revenue and fundraising trends relevant to CMP’s work, and use information to predict and pursue future funding opportunities.
- Cultivate and maintain relationships with foundation, corporate and foundation donors by responding to their inquiries, keeping them apprised of recent events with the organization and showing them the progress their gifts/grants have made possible.
- Oversee process for completing all proposals and reports for corporations and foundations
- For awarded grants, ensure CMP is in compliance with all grant and budget requirements and deliverables.
- Ensure that all corporate and foundation fundraising activities are compliant with state and federal regulations.
- Prepare ongoing financial and fund development reports on activities for CMP management and Board around corporate and foundation giving.
- Establish appropriate systems to maintain prospect and donor information and ensure that information is accurate and up-to-date.
Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree required. Master’s degree preferred in nonprofit management, business administration, public administration, community development, or public policy.
- Must have at least five years’ experience in fundraising, grant writing and/or donor cultivation.
- Passion for CMP’s mission and programming
- Demonstrated experience in implementing a foundation based grant funding program and producing charitable contributions.
- Knowledge and experience in the following areas is required:
- donor research and cultivation practices
- short- and long-term planning
- standard fundraising techniques including face-to-face solicitation, proposal writing, special events, telephone and social media solicitation
- development office functions including gift processing, prospect and donor histories, and fundraising reporting
- Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work with a wide variety of potential donors and supporters.
- Exceptional writing and communication skills.
- Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE) desired.
- Must be comfortable working in small teams and in start-up environments
Salary:
Commensurate with experience and marketplace for small non-profit institutions
CMP is an equal opportunity employer (EEO) and affords equal opportunity to all associates and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, physical or mental disability, veteran status, genetic data, or other legally protected status.
How To Apply
Please send resume, cover letter, and any additional materials you think would be helpful to: info@wearecmp.org