March 24th, 2026
Rush University Medical Center
Associate Director Leadership Annual Giving
( Illinois | On-site )
About the Organization
Rush University Medical Center is an academic medical center that includes a 671-bed hospital serving adults and children, the 61-bed Johnston R. Bowman Health Center and Rush University. Rush University is home to one of the first medical colleges in the Midwest and one of the nation's top-ranked nursing colleges, as well as graduate programs in allied health, health systems management and biomedical research. The medical center also offers more than 70 highly selective residency and fellowship programs in medical and surgical specialties and subspecialties. For more than 170 years, Rush has been leading the way in developing innovative and often life-saving treatments. Today, Rush is a thriving center for basic and clinical research, with physicians and scientists involved in hundreds of research projects developing and testing the effectiveness and safety of new therapies and medical devices. In addition to its mission in patient care, education and research, Rush maintains a strong commitment to the community. Rush reaches out to the Chicago community through such offerings as the Rush Community Services Initiatives Program, an umbrella for several student-led outreach programs designed to address the social and health care needs of residents in neighboring communities.
Job Description
Position salary range: $32.00 - $52.08 per hour
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Business Unit: Rush Medical Center
Hospital: Rush University Medical Center
Department: Philanthropy
Work Type: Full Time (Total FTE between 0.9 and 1.0)
Shift: Shift 1
Work Schedule: 8 Hr (8:30:00 AM - 5:00:00 PM)
Rush offers exceptional rewards and benefits learn more at our Rush benefits page (https://www.rush.edu/rush-careers/employee-benefits).
Pay Range: $32.00 - $52.08 per hour
Rush salaries are determined by many factors including, but not limited to, education, job-related experience and skills, as well as internal equity and industry specific market data. The pay range for each role reflects Rush’s anticipated wage or salary reasonably expected to be offered for the position. Offers may vary depending on the circumstances of each case.
Summary:
The Associate Director of Leadership Annual Giving is responsible for developing and executing strategies to secure gifts of $1,000–$49,999, with a focus on identifying, cultivating, soliciting and stewarding prospects— and qualifying individuals for potential major gift assignments. The Associate Director works collaboratively across the department to ensure coordinated, strategic donor engagement and reports to the Senior Director Annual Giving. Exemplifies the Rush mission, vision and values and acts in accordance with Rush policies and procedures.
Other information:
Required Job Qualifications:
• Bachelor’s degree required
• Five or more years development experience, preferably in higher education or health care.
• Two or more years experience with direct fundraising
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, including presentation and interpersonal skills.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines.
Preferred Job Qualifications:
• Proficient with Microsoft Office, including Excel; familiarity with fundraising databases
• Experience in leadership annual giving or mid-level giving.
Physical Demands:
Ability to travel across the Chicago and/or Chicago Suburbs to meet with donors and prospects.
Competencies:
• Excellent written communication skills, with the ability to communicate effectively to diverse audiences with multiple interests.
• Strong organizational skills and the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously with excellent attention to detail.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Capacity to build consensus and lead collaborative initiatives across multiple teams
• Outstanding interpersonal skills and a collaborative work style, with the ability to engage a variety of constituencies and articulate the Rush mission.
Disclaimer:
The above is intended to describe the general content of and requirements for the performance of this job. It is not to be construed as an exhaustive statement of duties, responsibilities or requirements.
Responsibilities:
1. Achieve and track annual goals for visits, solicitations, and hand-offs to the Major Gift team.
2. Support goals around gift club membership, retention and upgrade rates and total dollars raised towards the annual giving dollar goal.
3. Maintain an active donor visit schedule with assigned prospects across Rush priorities.
4. Identify, cultivate and solicit prospects capable of making gifts of $10,000–$50,000, emphasizing retention and upgrades of existing donors and re-engagement of past donors.
5. Qualify prospects for potential major gift capacity and interest, providing thorough background for assignment to Major Gift portfolios.
6. Collaborate effectively with Major Gift subject matter experts to understand the priorities and opportunities across each area.
7. Collaborate with annual giving team members to develop integrated strategies between mass appeal work and individual donor communications.
8. Ensure timely and thorough contact report summaries in CRM, accurately documenting prospect interactions, next steps and any relevant background information.
Rush is an equal opportunity employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, and other legally protected characteristics.
Contact email for applicants Lauren_Zobel@rush.edu