As we celebrate our Centennial year, we invite you to join us in shaping the next century of impact. Be a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives as we remain devoted to a future of health and hope for everyone, everywhere. At the American Heart Association, your contribution matters, and so does your career.

The American Heart Association has an excellent opportunity for an Advisor, Individual Giving focused on fundraising in Chicago and other metro markets in the Midwest.

This position can be home-based within the Midwest Territory. Preferably in Chicago, IL

The Association offers many resources to help you maintain work-life harmonization through your changing needs and life situations. To help you be successful, you will have access to Heart U, our award-winning corporate university, as well as additional training and support, locally.

#TheAHALife is our company culture, our way of life, reflecting our diversity, equity & inclusion, our focus on work-life harmonization and our Guiding Values. Discover why you will Be Seen. Be Heard. Be Valued™ at the American Heart Association by following us on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and at heart.jobs.

This role is a critical member of the fundraising team, responsible for securing donations of $100,000 or more while moving donors to their highest level of engagement with the mission. Passionate about individuals, the Advisor cultivates relationships and solicits support alongside market staff, from current and past American Heart Association donors; and identifies, cultivates, and solicits an assigned portfolio of prospective donors toward their support of our mission. 

This individual is a highly collaborative position, providing leadership within their assigned area for major giving, serves as a connection point for charitable estate planning and provides subject matter expertise on specific needs and funding opportunities for the mission of the American Heart Association. Responsible for being a subject matter expert on the American Heart Association’s restricted fundraising programs and for securing donations of $100,000 or more while moving donors to their highest level of dedication and involvement.

• Complete minimum of 100 face-to-face donor and prospective donor visits each fiscal year to develop and own an individual portfolio of approximately 75 individual donors across the assigned region with the capacity to give six-figure gifts.  
• Make at least 24 qualified asks for six figure gifts annually for restricted and unrestricted purposes.
• Build and implement individual strategies for donors and prospects in portfolio to ensure growth of donor relationships.  Work with Mission Advancement operations team to secure appropriate project information, including budgets, and build offers, proposals and asks that will be used to secure gifts.
• Responsible for meeting personal fundraising goal of $1M annually, through a variety of giving mechanisms such as cash, gifts of stock, family foundation support, or other ways to give, as well as deferred giving with the support of the charitable estate planning team.
• Collaborate with Field Directors on strategies and opportunities to identify, cultivate and solicit major gift prospects to support field events and initiatives.  Serve as a resource and leader in building staff capabilities and redefining donor and volunteer relationships across field campaigns. Leverage customized strategic events in select markets to cultivate donor relationships. Attend and support region and market activities and social events, mission-centered health events, and other hallmark events that drive the Association’s overall unrestricted revenue campaign.
• Responsible to ensure timely documentation of plans, opportunities and interaction results, and to ensure donor information for assigned portfolio is current, accurate, and complete, in our CRM database. Using CRM information, report activity, trends, progress and results to Region SVP Mission Advancement and other various internal audiences on a monthly basis.
• Participate in training activities and work with other Team members to develop programs and strategies to advance the Major and Planned Gifts effort.

• Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent work experience.
• Minimum of three (3) years of experience:
• in fundraising or sales with at least one year focused on major gifts or large accounts, preferably supporting large scale research on health and/or community issues.
• in identifying and developing major giving and/or engagement opportunities that align with organizational mission, goals and strategies at national and local levels.
• with all areas of cultivation, solicitation and closing sales or fundraising.
• Minimum of two (2) years of previous experience working with complex donors or clients representing $100,000 or more in revenue or philanthropy with validated fundraising or sales results at the six- and seven-figure level.
• Collaborative skills with all levels of staff, prospects, volunteers and donors.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.    
• Must be able to travel overnight approx. 10% of the time with an additional 60% local/daily travel within your territory.

Preferred skills:

• Minimum of three (3) years knowledge of philanthropic landscape.
• Minimum of two (2) years of experience using donor relationship management software, such as BBCRM Blackbaud, Dynamics and/or Raiser’s Edge.

The American Heart Association invests in its people. Here are the main components of our total rewards package.  Visit Rewards & Benefits to see more details.

• Compensation – Our goal is to ensure you have a competitive base salary.  That’s why we regularly review the market value of jobs and make adjustments, as needed.
  
  
• Performance and Recognition – You are rewarded for achieving success by merit increases and incentive programs; this position is incentive eligible up to 25% of base salary, based on achieving certain targets. 
  
  
• Benefits – We offer a wide array of benefits including medical, dental, vision, disability, and life insurance, along with a robust retirement program that includes an employer match and automatic contribution.  As a mark of our commitment to employee well-being, we also offer an employee assistance program, employee wellness program and telemedicine, and medical consultation.
  
  
• Professional Development – You can join one of our many Employee Resource Groups (ERG) or be a mentor/mentee in our professional mentoring program.  HeartU is the Association’s national online university, with more than 100,000 resources designed to meet your needs and busy schedule.
  
  
• Work-Life Harmonization – The Association offers Paid Time Off (PTO) at a minimum of 16 days per year for new employees.  The number of days will increase based on seniority level.  You will also have a total of 12 paid holidays off each year, which includes several days off at the end of the year.
  
  
• Tuition Assistance - We support the career development of all employees.  This program provides financial assistance to employees who wish to further their education and career in relation to their current duties and responsibilities, or for potential future positions in the organization.

The American Heart Association’s 2028 Goal: Building on over 100 years of trusted leadership in cardiovascular and brain health, by 2028 the AHA will drive breakthroughs and implement proven solutions in science, policy, and care for healthier people and communities. The greatest discoveries in health must reach everyone where they are.

At American Heart Association | American Stroke Association, our mission is to be a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, religion, age, language, sexual orientation, national origin and physical or cognitive abilities. We're committed to ensuring our workforce, workplace culture and mission have a shared impact across a diverse set of backgrounds.

This position not a match with your skills?  Click here to see other opportunities.

In accordance with local and state laws where applicable, qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment.

EOE/Protected Veterans/Persons with Disabilities