Founded in 1921, the Chicago Zoological Society manages the nationally renowned Brookfield Zoo which is widely recognized as one of the top five zoos in the United States. The mission of the Chicago Zoological Society is to inspire conservation leadership by connecting people to wildlife and nature. With a membership base comprised of 89,000 households and more than 2.1 million visitors annually, the Chicago Zoological Society is poised to demonstrate how powerful and relevant a zoological institution can be in today's urbanized environment.

The Director of Major Gifts is responsible for the development and execution of an integrated plan to secure philanthropic support from individuals and family foundations. Reporting to the Senior Director of Development, the Director of Major Gifts has the objective to maximize potential support, as well as further the ongoing efforts to build major philanthropic support for the Society.

We seek a proven major gifts development professional to contribute to the success of the Chicago Zoological Society by designing and directing efforts to help secure more than $30 million annually in philanthropic support.

The qualified candidate will be able to demonstrate successful experience in personally cultivating, stewarding and soliciting gifts of $50,000 or more. The person we seek should also show agility and creativity in doing original research and strategic moves management planning on new prospects and donors in order to grow the base, particularly in the public campaign phase. Prior work as a major gifts officer at a large, complex and relatively sophisticated development office within a major cultural or educational institution would be ideal.

We seek a person whose professional demeanor, adaptability to a fast-pace environment, ability to work both independently as well as in a team-oriented culture are characteristic of his or her personality and work style. The qualified candidate will be able to demonstrate a high level of comfort and poise working with people of wealth and at the same time a natural ability to mix with donors and prospects at all giving levels.

For more information or to submit credentials for consideration, please contact Kittleman & Associates, LLC, at czs-dev@kittleman.net. Please reference The Chronicle of Philanthropy in your correspondence.

The Chicago Zoological Society is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer-M/F/D/V.

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