Ella Benoit
Chicago,IL
Summary
Strategic development professional with over six years of experience cultivating and stewarding donor relationships, managing major gift portfolios, and executing successful fundraising campaigns in nonprofit and educational settings. Passionate about mission-driven work, cross-functional collaboration, and ethical, relationship-centered fundraising practices. Skilled in grassroots operations that are driven by community involvement.
Overview
6
6
years of professional experience
Work History
Development Manager
Diaz Group LLC
Calumet Park, IL
06.2025 - Current
- Work closely with senior leadership to identify gaps in operations and growth efforts, turning observations into practical changes that improve workflows, decision-making, and regional readiness.
- Manage 5–10 concurrent projects, coordinating timelines, responsibilities, and follow-up across teams, including community-facing initiatives and events that support partnerships and constituent engagement.
- Track financial, program, and engagement activity, and share monthly and quarterly updates with leadership; maintain 4–6 dashboards to monitor performance, trends, and opportunities for improvement.
- Maintain accurate records in Salesforce and QuickBooks Online, tracking over $3M in profit and loss, and supporting clear visibility into relationships, partners, and organizational activity.
- Support organizational growth by recruiting and onboarding 10+ staff, volunteers, and collaborators, and coordinating internal and external communications for a seven-person team to strengthen engagement and follow-through.
Placement and Assessment Specialist
Peace Corps
REMOTE
12.2024 - 05.2025
- Coordinated high-volume administrative workflows supporting the screening, interviewing, and placement of over 500 candidates across multiple programs, ensuring accuracy, compliance, and timely progression.
- Maintained applicant tracking systems and produced daily and weekly reports to monitor volume, compliance, and timelines, using data to support informed decision-making.
- Scheduled interviews and coordinated communications across domestic teams, overseas staff, and medical and legal departments to ensure alignment and responsiveness.
- Contributed to internal SOPs, standardized communications, and technical writing to improve clarity and consistency across teams.
- Served as the Monthly Duty Officer, managing confidential communications, and coordinating time-sensitive responses with discretion and professionalism.
Development Manager
Haymarket Center
Chicago, IL
08.2024 - 12.2024
- Led comprehensive fundraising initiatives, including three direct mail appeals, bi-monthly newsletters, in-kind giving programs, and major events such as the annual Gala, serving as lead writer, content creator, and event strategist.
- Managed donor relations and giving programs, cultivating new donors, overseeing recurring, tribute, and matching gifts, and implementing stewardship strategies, such as personalized acknowledgments and coordinated follow-up communications.
- Oversaw CRM (Raiser's Edge NXT and Salesforce) and data operations, including database administration, report generation, online form development, and financial reconciliation, to support accurate tracking and reporting.
- Collaborated across teams to coordinate fundraising communications, donor engagement activities, and campaign execution in alignment with organizational goals and timelines by utilizing Asana.
Peace Corps Volunteer
Peace Corps
Sierra Leone
06.2022 - 08.2024
- Led instruction for class levels 1–9, teaching English Language Arts, Phonics, Composition, and Creative Writing to over 50 students per class; created and managed remedial exam classes for 54 students, and delivered health education programs to over 200 students across grades 4–8.
- Designed and facilitated professional development for local educators, leading monthly capacity-building sessions for 30 teachers, and training 20 staff on grant writing and management, while promoting gender equality through targeted initiatives.
- Managed school and infrastructure revitalization projects, restoring a water pump, 10 classrooms, a library, and 10 blackboards, positively impacting over 1,000 students and staff; developed and maintained the local school’s website to improve visibility and communication.
- Collaborated with Peace Corps Volunteers, local NGOs, and community stakeholders to implement over 30 educational and engagement activities, coordinate public events (e.g., spelling bees, debates), and lead more than 5 training sessions for volunteers and staff; monitored outcomes through the VRG database.
Development Associate
Casa Central
Chicago, IL
08.2021 - 05.2022
- Managed Raiser's Edge NXT database and gift processing, overseeing $600K+ in annual donations, reconciling gifts with Accounting, generating weekly to quarterly fundraising reports, and tracking department revenue.
- Managed talent acquisition and onboarding efforts of the Executive Donors Board, supporting recruitment processes, conducting interviews, and facilitating smooth integration of new members.
- Led agency-wide in-kind donation and volunteer programs, coordinating the receipt of 5,000+ annual donations and onboarding over 500 individual and group volunteers, while maintaining accurate records and policies.
- Directed the agency's annual Holiday Magic Program, securing gift sponsors, managing wish list fulfillment, and coordinating the distribution of 1,000+ gifts across 9 departmental programs.
- Supported fundraising and development efforts, preparing grant proposals and program reports, researching new funding opportunities, and assisting with event planning, registration, financial reporting, and donor communications.
Co-Founder
Southside Kids In the Neighborhood
Chicago, IL
04.2020 - 05.2022
- Led daily operations and budgeting across three organizational locations, managing purchasing needs, overseeing site logistics, and coordinating workflows to ensure smooth and efficient functioning.
- Directed volunteer and donor engagement, overseeing recruitment, training, and management of 40+ volunteers, maintaining strong donor relationships, and collaborating with local charities and businesses across Chicagoland to expand community support.
- Managed all media, marketing, and public relations, producing photo/video content for 15+ events, running daily social media pages, coordinating press communications, and ensuring brand consistency through visual and written releases.
Education
Bachelor of Arts - Communications
University of Illinois At Chicago
Chicago, IL05-2021
Associate of Arts - Communications
Moraine Valley Community College
Palos Hills, IL05-2019
Skills
- CRM databases (Raiser's Edge NXT, Salesforce, OneCause, QuickBooks)
- Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, Word, Outlook, SharePoint, PowerPoint)
- Major gift cultivation
- Donor stewardship
- Campaign management
- Ethical fundraising
- Financial management
- Grassroots operations
- Cross-cultural communication
- Time management
- Adaptability
- Multitasking
- Mission-driven
Languages
- Krio, Fluent
- Mende, Intermediate
- Spanish, Intermediate
- French, Elementary
- ASL, Elementary
Certifications & Courses
- Project Management Foundations, 07/01/25
- Blackbaud Raiser's Edge NXT Certification Course, 08/01/21
Timeline
Development Manager
Diaz Group LLC
06.2025 - Current
Placement and Assessment Specialist
Peace Corps
12.2024 - 05.2025
Development Manager
Haymarket Center
08.2024 - 12.2024
Peace Corps Volunteer
Peace Corps
06.2022 - 08.2024
Development Associate
Casa Central
08.2021 - 05.2022
Co-Founder
Southside Kids In the Neighborhood
04.2020 - 05.2022
Bachelor of Arts - Communications
University of Illinois At Chicago
Associate of Arts - Communications
Moraine Valley Community College