Jobs › City Year

Director of Corporate Partnerships

City Year · Chicago, IL · $80,000–$95,000 a year · Full time

Posted Aug 26, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Oct 6, 2026

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Likely interview questions for this role

Written from this job description, not a generic list. Each one notes what the interviewer is really checking.

About your past

Tell me about the largest corporate gift you secured. How did it come together?

What they are checking: Whether they have closed significant corporate deals and understand the full cultivation process.

How do you manage a Senior Manager and a Civic Engagement Manager while carrying your own portfolio?

What they are checking: Whether they can lead a team and still hit their own goals.

Tell me about a time a partnership did not go as planned. What did you learn?

What they are checking: Whether they reflect honestly on setbacks and improve their approach.

What would you do

How would you reimagine stewardship for City Year's highest-level corporate donors?

What they are checking: Whether they can design stewardship that feels valuable to modern corporate partners.

How would you pitch City Year's AmeriCorps workforce development program to a company looking to hire young talent?

What they are checking: Whether they can connect a corporate partner's business goals to the organization's mission.

A long-time corporate sponsor says they are cutting their giving. What do you do?

What they are checking: Whether they can save or reshape a relationship under budget pressure.

How do you balance employee volunteer requests from companies with what schools actually need?

What they are checking: Whether they keep partner engagement useful to students and not just a photo opportunity.

About the work

You are responsible for about $1 million a year. How would you build a plan to get there?

What they are checking: Whether they think in pipelines, renewal rates and gift sizes rather than hoping for big wins.

How do you work with board members to open corporate doors?

What they are checking: Whether they know how to use board networks effectively and respectfully.

What do you track to know if your corporate program is healthy?

What they are checking: Whether they use metrics like retention, pipeline and upgrade rates to manage the program.

Practice this interview out loud.

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The full job description

As published by City Year.

Application Instructions Click Apply to submit your online application. Please attach a resume and thoughtful cover letter on the "My Experience" page in the "Resume/CV" field. Active City Year Staff members must login to Workday to apply internally. Number of Positions: 1 Work Location: 100% On-Site Position Overview Reporting to the Managing Director of Development as part of the team responsible for raising $3.5M annually, the Director of Corporate Partnerships will work closely with the entire City Year Chicago (CYC) development team, staff, corps, and board to expand our revenue base with corporate partners. The Director of Corporate Partnerships will be tasked with reimagining our corporate stewardship model for our highest level of donors in ways that are responsive to industry demand and leveraging the amazing new opportunities within our AmeriCorps workforce development program for corporate partners to engage, support, and recruit civic-minded young leaders.  The Director of Corporate Partnerships will be responsible for raising approximately $1 million annually. This position oversees the Senior Manager of Corporate Partnerships and the Civic Engagement Manager, in addition to shared supervision of the Civic Engagement Team. -Starting salary range for this role is $80,000 - $95,000. -Anticipated start date for this role is fall 2026. -This is a primarily in-person role with flexibility to periodically work remotely. Job Description Minimum Qualifications • Bachelor’s  degree  required . • A minimum of 10 years of non-profit fundraising experience or relationship management experience, and a minimum of 7 years of experience in a management and/or director-level role. We will consider candidates with corporate account sales experience. • Knowledge of all aspects of fundraising with emphasis on corporate giving. • Proven  track record  of funded proposals of $100,000+ and 25% increased revenue per year. • Strong interpersonal communications skills, verbal and written; ability to deliver inspiring and succinct presentations and conduct productive meetings. • Strong presentation,  negotiation  and liaison skills are  required . • Authorized documentation to work in the United States of America • Criminal background history clearance to work with school-age children Responsibilities The  Director of Corporate Partnerships   will perform the following roles and responsibilities as described below: Corporate Partnerships • Oversee a portfolio of corporations to   maintain   $1M+ funding annually with a goal of increasing funding by $100,000 or more within 12   months through active prospecting of new corporate funders. • Cultivate a pipeline of corporate prospects with the capacity to commit annual and multi-year investments at the $25,000+ level, with specific emphasis on cultivation of new, annual $100,000 level sponsors. • Develop and implement a corporate partnerships strategy to increase funding for CYC by at least 20% annually and position the organization as a premier workforce development partner within Chicago. • Working with City Year’s national   corporate   team, steward and develop relationships with national funders locally. • Working closely with the Managing Director of Development and   apply   knowledge of organizational initiatives to   identify , research, and set strategies for grants and foundations that are prospects for CYC’s initiatives. • Leverage existing City Year programs including team and program sponsorships, service projects and  special events  as well as  create  new initiatives and customized engagement opportunities to drive  additional  funding. • With support from the Marketing and Communications team, produce compelling digital and printed materials, including sponsor menus, program flyers, service briefings, invitations, as well as social campaigns to promote our work, elevate our existing partners, and demonstrate the impact of corporate partnership investments. Strategy and Revenue Leadership • Engage senior leadership, the Site Board of Directors, Advisory Board, and external champions to  identify , connect with, and secure new mutually beneficial partnerships. • Collaborate with colleagues at other City Year sites as well as headquarters staff on cross-site funding opportunities. • Strategize, oversee, and effectively manage the Corporate Partnerships Manager to develop and deliver stewardship plans for all existing corporate partners, tailored to their interests and needs, to drive increased engagement. • With the Managing Director of Development, create and implement strategies to  identify  and secure new corporate supporters,  leverage  existing relationships, and increase multi-year commitments. • Regularly  monitor  progress and follow up to ensure  timely  collection of gifts to meet quarterly goals. • Identify ,  cultivate  and steward new corporate partnerships to be presented to the Managing Director of Development and Executive Director for closing. Civic Engagement • Manage and support Civic Engagement Manager (and team of 8 to 10 AmeriCorps members) in a shared reporting structure to meet performance and civic engagement goals • Lead the development of our Civic Engagement (CE) strategy in collaboration with the CE Team and Managing Director of Development • Develop and cultivate partnerships with community leaders/organizations to deepen CYC's civic engagement impact in under-resourced neighborhoods • Identify and represent CYC at key community convenings, working groups, etc. that advance student outcomes and our impact in Chicago • Support the management of ACMs to meet City Year professional standards and to meet all hours and graduation requirements. Development Operations • Work with the Senior Manager of Development Operations to ensure   accurate   tracking and reporting of institutional gifts and engagement using City Year ’ s Salesforce CRM. • Partner with the Senior Manager of Development Operations and other team members to hold regular prospecting, pipeline, revenue forecasting, and   moves   management meetings. • Work closely with fellow Development team members to understand priorities and business goals and develop strategies to meet the organization’s needs. • Work with the development team to   leverage   events to increase giving, such as City Year ’ s Ripples of Hope fundraiser, service days (school beautification projects), and school visits for potential donors. • Represent City Year at external and partner functions to   establish   and deepen potential and current donor relationships. Benefits Full-time employees will be eligible for all benefits including vacation, sick days and organization holidays. You may participate in all benefit programs that City Year establishes and makes available to eligible employees, under (and subject to all provisions of) the plan documents that govern those programs. Currently, City Year offers medical, dental, vision, life, accidental death and dismemberment and disability coverage, Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA), and other benefits including 401(k) plan(s) pursuant to the terms and conditions of company policy and the 401(k) plan document. For more information, click here . Employment at City Year is at-will. City Year does not sponsor work authorization visas.

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