Chicago, IL or Milwaukee, WI, or St. Louis, MO

The Organization

Wheat Ridge Ministries (wheatridge.org) now invites nominations and applications for the position of Philanthropic Advisor. This position at Wheat Ridge represents a vital member of our Advancement team. Wheat Ridge Ministries is a fundraising grant maker, and the Philanthropic Advisor is responsible for creating key partnerships with donors who seek to utilize their philanthropic resources to make an impact on our nation’s most pressing issues, in communities across the country. This person will cultivate, solicit, and steward individuals for outright cash and planned gift commitments. Under the leadership of President Paul Miles, Wheat Ridge is repositioning itself for unbounded donor growth, where the successful candidate will thrive in a goal-oriented and team-focused environment.

Position Overview

Job Description

The position calls for a proven track record of personal solicitation experience, strong written and verbal skills, the ability to plan strategic moves with prospect management, and a strong appreciation for the merits of Wheat Ridge Ministries’ history and Christian heritage. Travel is required.

• Conduct 125 personal visits each year with gift prospects for the purposes of prospect identification, cultivation, stewardship, and solicitation.
• Effectively manage approximately 175 donor prospects through personal visits, correspondence, electronic, and telephonic communication.
• Utilize strong strategic planning skills to develop, implement, and track cultivation and solicitation plans for individual prospects.
• Assist the vice president for advancement in providing support for the president in the cultivation and solicitation of major and planned gifts.
• Possess a detailed understanding of Wheat Ridge’s key fundraising priorities and have the ability to articulate these in both written and verbal terms.
• Have a general understanding of commonly used planned gift vehicles.
• Display in word and action the highest possible ethical standards.
• Other duties as assigned.

Required Skills
• The position calls for a proven track record of personal solicitation experience, strong written and verbal skills.
• The ability to plan strategic moves with prospect management.
• Travel is required.

Required Experience
• Bachelors Degree required
• This position requires a minimum of three years of progressive development office experience with a proven track record of meeting established goals and effectively soliciting gifts.

Job Location
Candidates who reside in the Chicago, Illinois, area are preferred. However, a remote working opportunity is available for qualified candidates in the St. Louis, Missouri, or Milwaukee, Wisconsin, areas.

Position Type
This is a full-time, salaried position, offering a competitive salary and full benefits.