Sandi Smith Email & Phone Number

Chicago, Il, Us

Responsible for strategic, data-informed decision-making, utilizing industry best practices to drive improvement and transparency; for building a high-functioning development infrastructure that drives sustainable growth in contributed revenue and balances fundraising strategy and execution, establishing a commitment to donor discovery and sustaining a robust donor pipeline, educating board members on their role in fundraising and fully incorporating such into board activities.

Building donor relationships while leading a cohesive, comprehensive fundraising program that successfully achieves the contributed revenue goals of the annual budget and a quality return on investment.Serve as a leader in strategic plan development and implementation, financial management, and team planning.Develop annual fiscal year budgets, prepare reports on revenue progress and expenditures related to individual fundraising and all development operations. Oversee donor recognition, individual stewardship, and special events.Strengthen long-term capacity of the foundation to ensure sustainable future while overseeing organization-wide communications, database operations, prospect research, and relationship building. Manage a team of 5+ full-time professionals, including goal setting, performance evaluation, and facilitating a collaborative team dynamic.

Greater Chicago Area

Greater Chicago Area

Greater Chicago Area

Directed the overall annual fund program at Northern Illinois University, including the development of a comprehensive strategic plan for each fiscal year, implementing and coordinating integrated plans for the Telefund, Direct Mail, Email, and Social Media, all with a focus on retaining donors, moving existing donors up the pyramid, and acquiring new donors.

• Directed the prospect development program at Northern Illinois University, which included prospect research; proactive prospecting; and prospect management, tracking, and reporting in relation to the general fundraising initiatives.• Oversaw the methodologies and quality of the research services, created a formalized process of identifying and qualifying new major and planned gift suspects and prospects, supported the gift officers through the facilitation of a systematized approach to prospect management and tracking.• Completed an entire database wealth screening utilizing Blackbaud, several smaller screenings using WealthEngine, and an entire database affinity score through DataDesk• Implemented the use of data visualization software to assist the Director of Major Gifts with staff performance and moves management, as well as identification of new prospects and gift officer travel.

• Researched and created prospect profiles, synthesized pertinent financial and biographical information into concise, easy to analyze documents. • Created and analyzed customized reports, templates and guidelines.• Analyzed and created new ways to track the progress of the research department.