Job description
About One Million Degrees:
One Million Degrees accelerates community college students’ progress on career pathways to economic mobility.
Over 60% of students who start community college do not complete a degree or successfully transfer to a four-year institution. However, 84% of jobs in the US require skills training beyond high school. OMD’s holistic support model is designed to support community college students as they work toward degrees and careers. From tutors and coaches to financial assistance and professional development, OMD helps community college students succeed in school, work, and life, transforming their futures and the futures of those around them for generations.
The OMD student support model is rooted in evaluation and evidence: A randomized controlled trial conducted with the University of Chicago Inclusive Economy Lab shows that OMD scholars are 70% more likely to enroll, 94% more likely to persist, 73% more likely to earn a degree.
Currently, OMD serves scholars in all 7 of the City Colleges of Chicago (CCC) and is scaling to reach over 3,000 community college scholars by 2026. In addition to its unique partnership with CCC, OMD partners with employers across industries to build on-ramps to in-demand jobs through internships and apprenticeships. Alongside this direct service work in Chicago, OMD is also experiencing rapid growth working with higher education institutions and additional partners across Illinois and nationwide, supporting them to build holistic student support models.
Through this growing body of work, OMD continues to have a profound impact in Chicagoland while becoming a national model for sustainable, scalable, and systemic change.
OMD Values:
OMD is deeply committed to our core values, as demonstrated in the work we do, our approach to change and growth, and our commitment to our staff.
Equity: We address historical and existing systemic inequities by taking a holistic approach to supporting students on their path to economic mobility.
Excellence: We hold ourselves to a high bar and provide exceptional support so that students
are empowered to achieve their ambitions.
Community: We unite around putting students first, collaborating with partners, and celebrating our collective wins.
Learning: We each adapt to a changing world and refine our approach to support students, community members, staff, and stakeholders along the way.
Amplify: We advocate for our students and share what we’ve learned as leaders in the field.
Position Summary:
One Million Degrees seeks an experienced, entrepreneurial, and mission-driven Senior Development Director to architect and execute fundraising strategies to fuel OMD’s evolution—designing innovative approaches that blend traditional philanthropy with fee-for-service partnerships as we continue to shift our revenue model and scale our impact. In close partnership with the Chief Advancement Officer, this leader will be at the forefront of OMD’s transformation, building on strong revenue growth over the past five years, to secure new pathways to sustainability while maintaining the deep partnerships in Chicago with foundations, individuals, and employers that have been foundational to our success.
The ideal candidate brings sophisticated fundraising expertise paired with an enthusiasm for building and cultivating a strong, collaborative Development team. You will play a key role on the Advancement leadership team, partnering with MarCom, Workforce, and Partnerships teams to create career opportunities for scholars, elevate community college student voice, and evolve OMD’s economic model. You are excited to lean on your experience cultivating major gifts from national foundations while simultaneously stewarding OMD’s long-time individual donor base through meaningful, student-centered events. You’re a relationship architect who sees partnerships everywhere: in foundation program officers, community college leadership, workforce boards, and corporate partners alike.
You believe fiercely in the power of community college to change lives and create economic mobility, and you’re energized by the challenge of building a revenue model as innovative as the students we serve. Grounded in OMD’s commitment to social and racial justice, you design fundraising strategies that center equity and open doors for scholars. You’re a systems builder and team leader who can manage the day-to-day while keeping your eye on the horizon—ensuring grant deadlines are met while sketching out future philanthropic partnerships that are as yet defined.
Reporting to the Chief Advancement Officer, you’ll be a key voice at the Advancement leadership table during this pivotal moment, helping shape the future of how OMD sustains and scales its mission. This is a rare opportunity to do revenue development work that matters—building the financial foundation for an organization proving that investing in community college students changes everything.
Key Responsibilities:
Fundraising & External Relations (35% of time)
Serve as OMD’s lead fundraiser, leading the efforts to generate significant, diversified, and renewable funding streams.
Identify, cultivate, and solicit new major gifts, focusing on acquiring six- and seven-figure gifts from nationally scoped foundations.
Serve as a strategic relationship-builder to key foundation and corporate stakeholders.
Partner with Board members to engage their networks and expand organizational support.
Utilize Salesforce and data-driven approaches to identify prospects and refine cultivation strategies.
Team Leadership & Systems Management (30% of time)
Provide strategic direction, coaching, and accountability to development team members.
Ensure Advancement team systems and protocols are maintained with fidelity and continuously improved.
Oversee quality and timeliness of grant proposals, reports, and donor stewardship activities.
Ensure donor-facing events and stewardship activities are consistent and well run.
Manage cross-departmental systems including Case for Support materials and organizational alignment processes.
Build first-hand knowledge of the OMD model by engaging with scholars, alumni, and program activities.
Foster a culture of excellence, collaboration, and continuous learning within the team.
Strategic Revenue Development (15% of time)
Partner with Chief Advancement Officer to design OMD’s general operating fundraising strategy and objectives, devising key performance indicators and detailed fundraising and communications plans.
Support Chief Advancement Officer in developing strategic revenue plans that integrate both philanthropic and fee-for-service approaches for national expansion and workforce initiatives.
Create compelling collateral and case materials to drive partnership formation with community colleges and workforce partners.
Collaborate with CCC Foundation to envision and execute a sustainable role for philanthropy in OMD’s Campuswide program beyond FY26, particularly for scholar stipends.
Design data-driven fundraising strategies with clear KPIs and performance indicators.
Event Planning and Execution (approximately 20% of time)
Collaborate with Board members and staff in all aspects of planning and executing special events such as the Annual Degrees of Impact Gala, corporate partner events, and other donor cultivation events.
Work closely with Board members to solicit donations and table/ticket sales and to invite guests to events.
Manage successful execution of Degrees of Impact and other fundraising events by managing ticket sales; tracking all income with event and Salesforce databases; working with sponsors and ad space buyers to obtain logos, copy, and payment.
Required Qualifications:
At least 10 years of progressive fundraising experience with a successful track record managing strategic relationships to drive organizational growth, designing and executing fundraising campaigns, including developing comprehensive revenue strategies.
At least 5 years of staff management experience, including hiring and developing high-performing teams during periods of growth and change.
Experience cultivating and closing major gifts ($100,000+) from foundations and corporations.
Exceptional written and oral communication skills with the ability to articulate funding needs compellingly to diverse audiences.
Proficiency with CRM systems and data-driven decision making.
Bachelor’s degree required;
Preferred Qualifications:
Established relationships within Chicago’s nonprofit, education, and philanthropic communities.
Experience with fee-for-service or earned revenue models in nonprofit settings.
Background in organizations focused on higher education access, workforce development, or economic mobility.
Familiarity with workforce development funding streams and partnership structures.
Experience with Salesforce
Competencies:
Strategic thinker who can balance long-term vision with immediate execution needs.
Agile leader comfortable navigating ambiguity and organizational transformation.
Exceptional relationship-builder who can cultivate partnerships across sectors (philanthropic, public, corporate).
Systems builder who creates efficient workflows and maintains operational excellence.
Collaborative leader who influences across organizational levels and builds coalitions.
Lives the art and science of fundraising: balancing data-informed analytics with relationship intuition.
Cultural humility and ability to work effectively with diverse staff, students, and community partners.
Learning-oriented with openness to giving and receiving candid feedback.
Relentless drive to close equity gaps in education and deep belief in the potential of all scholars to succeed.
Compensation & Benefits:
Salary : $96,700-$118,400*
Full Health Benefits –Provided for all full-time employees, including medical, dental, and vision. OMD pays 100% of individual’s basic monthly health premium and 80% dependent coverage.
Employee assistance program, which offers confidential emotional support, work-life solutions, legal guidance, financial resources, and more.
Retirement Benefits – For full-time employees, OMD offers a 401(k) plan and matches retirement contributions up to 4% of total salary.
Generous Paid Time Off Policy– OMD has 12 paid holidays and offers up to 15 days PTO in year one; in addition to two weeks paid time off for winter break.
Compensatory time for designated duties performed outside of normal work hours**
Monthly cell phone and internet reimbursement up to $50/month.
12 weeks of paid parental leave for birthing and non-birthing parents.
Professional Learning Opportunities – OMD supports employee development in areas relevant to professional and organizational goals and will pay for training such as workshops and conferences as agreed upon by the employee and supervisor.
Hybrid Work Schedule – One in-office day required a week; other days can be remote (in-person day set by you and your manager).
\* To allow OMD to set salaries based on market data and internal equity, and to ensure fair and equal pay for every role, we offer our best offer first.
**All employees are expected to work a set number of Saturdays and evening hours per year due to organizational-wide events.
Location
Chicago, Illinois. Position is based at OMD headquarters with hybrid work flexibility. Occasional travel to conferences and partner sites may be required.
One Million Degrees is an equal opportunity employer committed to building a diverse team that reflects the students we serve. We strongly encourage applications from candidates with lived experience in community college settings or from communities we serve.
