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Special Olympics Illinois · 1 day ago

Director, Corporate Partnerships

Chicago, IL

Full-time

Hybrid

Director/Executive

$60K/yr - $90K/yr

7+ years exp

Special Olympics Illinois is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to offering year-round training and competition for athletes with intellectual disabilities. The Director, Corporate Partnerships is a strategic leader responsible for developing high-impact corporate partnerships that support the organization's mission and drive revenue through proactive engagement and relationship-building.

Non-profit Organization Management

Responsibilities

Securing and stewarding high-impact relationships

Maximizing unrestricted or lightly restricted revenue

Ensuring partnerships align with SOILL’s strategic priorities and deliver measurable outcomes

Leading new partnership acquisition and prospecting efforts

Support development of SOILL’s corporate strategy for its key mission pillars (e.g. Sports & Competition, Healthy Athletes, Athlete Leadership, and Youth & Education)

Partner on the design, launch and implementation of corporate volunteer engagement programs

Advance diversity, equity, and inclusion in all prospect and partnership activities, ensuring inclusive recruitment and engagement of corporate partners, volunteers, and board members

Support fundraising strategies anchored by corporate giving for major initiatives (e.g., Special Olympics USA Games, Unified Leadership)

Develop and execute a proactive prospecting strategy to identify, research, and engage new corporate partners aligned with SOILL’s mission and strategic priorities

Build and manage a robust pipeline of prospective partners, utilizing CRM tools and market research to track outreach, cultivation, and conversion

Set annual targets for new and existing partnerships and report regularly on progress to leadership

Lead outreach efforts through cold calls, networking events, conferences, LinkedIn, and warm introductions

Collaborate with grants, marketing, finance and program teams to develop integrated partnership solutions, create compelling pitch materials and customized proposals for prospects and partners

Steward existing corporate partners to maximize engagement and impact

Identify volunteer opportunities for corporations and coordinate with Program Services leads to execute engagements (e.g., Summer Games, volunteer trainings)

Write and develop comprehensive year-round partnership proposals, collaborating with internal program leaders for mission alignment

Ensure sponsorship deliverables are met and documented (e.g., signage, event invitations, fulfillment reports)

Create donor impact reports with key metrics and mission narratives (e.g., social media metrics, athlete stories, stats)

Identify volunteer leaders for committees and boards; cultivate Corporate Chairs for major events

Represent SOILL at Lunch & Learns and workplace giving events; present 'About Us' and other key presentations

Manage Leaders Council or other high-level volunteer boards, including strategy, recruitment, engagement, and stewardship

Plan and execute council meetings and initiatives; serve as main SOILL liaison

May supervise Assistant Director or Manager, Corporate Partnerships

Establish and report on key performance indicators (KPIs) for new business development, including number of new partners acquired, revenue generated, and pipeline growth

Maintain accurate records of prospecting activity and outcomes in Salesforce (or other CRM)

Regularly analyze market trends in corporate giving, CSR and partnership models and competitor activity to inform prospecting strategy

Additional responsibilities as assigned based on evolving corporate strategy

Qualification

Strategic Partnership DevelopmentConsultative SellingBusiness DevelopmentCRM SystemsData AnalysisImpact StorytellingStakeholder EngagementNonprofit Fundraising KnowledgeNegotiation SkillsPresentation SkillsInterpersonal SkillsVerbal CommunicationWritten Communication

Required

Bachelor's degree in business, nonprofit management, or related field

7+ years in nonprofit development, corporate relations, or consultative sales

Demonstrated success in strategic partnership building, consultative selling, and securing new corporate partnerships

Experience with CRM systems and prospect research tools

Strong business development, negotiation, and presentation skills

Superior relationship-building and interpersonal skills for rapport-building with internal and external stakeholders

Excellent verbal and written communication skills

Knowledge of nonprofit fundraising best practices and various forms of development solicitation practices, including events, corporate partnerships, cause marketing, and major gift solicitation

Commitment to SOILL's mission and values

A continuous learner who is interested in being a proactive, positive member of the team

First Aid/CPR Training and Certification required or willing to obtain within the first six months; must be able and willing to effectively administer First Aid/CPR on-site during events

Valid driver's license and proof of insurance is required

Offers of employment are contingent upon clear results of a background check