Erin Laumer
Chicago,IL
Summary
Experienced Director with over 10 years of experience in nonprofit fundraising, strategic planning, team leadership, and performance optimization. Known for driving company growth by developing efficient operational strategies and fostering professional relationships. Demonstrated abilities in problem solving, decision making, and communication skills to influence key stakeholders. Proven record of delivering innovative solutions and achieving organizational goals.
Overview
1
1
Language
11
11
years of professional experience
Work History
Director, Institutional Giving
YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago
Chicago, IL
09.2025 - 10.2026
- Managed $16 million grants portfolio across public and private funding partners.
- Created organization's first grants tracking system to improve grant monitoring.
- Built strong stakeholder and partner relationships across $90 million organization.
- Collaborated with senior leadership to set long-term objectives for the company.
- Supported culture-building activities through two organizational restructures to strengthen internal collaboration.
- Assessed employee performance against established benchmarks or targets.
Institutional Giving Senior Strategist
Roger Baldwin Foundation of ACLU, Inc.
Chicago, IL
12.2023 - 09.2025
- Secured first 7-figure gift for organization and doubled grant goal within first 2 years of employment.
- Built sustainable pipeline of 30+ institutional giving partners totaling $2.2 million annually, including corporations, private foundations, and major donors, to support wide range of 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) programs.
- Coordinated grants process for multiple national and local projects as sole grants professional in larger development department.
- Cultivated partnerships with advocates, organizers, and foundation collaborators to enhance program support.
Manager, Grant Writing & Partner Communications
YMCA of the USA
Chicago, IL
04.2020 - 11.2023
- Oversaw grant approval process for allocating $50 million in subgrants to local YMCAs annually, ensuring alignment with funding objectives and compliance.
- Managed $15 million portfolio of federal grants across 6 federally funded programs, facilitating subgrants to affiliate YMCAs to support their operational needs.
- Coordinated nationwide network of YMCA-affiliated foundation representatives, grant writers, and development staff to enhance collaboration and resource sharing.
- Co-chaired a learning cohort for the North American YMCA Development Organization.
Technical Advisor, Grant Writing
YMCA of the USA
10.2019 - 04.2020
- Developed and submitted grant applications to local and national funders, enhancing funding opportunities for YMCA programs.
- Coordinated with service delivery staff to manage subgrants for local YMCAs, ensuring compliance and effective resource allocation.
- Hosted grant writing training courses for 100+ attendees from local YMCAs, covering federal and private sector processes and techniques.
Associate Director of Financial Development
YMCA of Greater Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City, OK
02.2016 - 10.2019
- Doubled institutional giving portfolio to within first two years and secured multiple 5- and 6-figure foundation donors who remain active supporters.
- Supervised staff advisory board of 12 members to execute annual fundraising campaign, generating $30,000 across 15 facilities annually for three consecutive years.
- Coordinated logistics and registration for annual golf tournament, managing 25+ foursomes and raising $50,000 each year.
Education
Masters - Social Work
University of Arkansas
Little Rock, AR05-2015
Bachelors - Social Work
University of Arkansas - Fayetteville
12-2012
Skills
- Institutional Fundraising
- Proposal Development
- Partnership Building
- Donor Relations
- Foundations Relations
- Project Management
- Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Strategic Leadership
- Donor Database Software: OneCause, Classy, Salesforce, and Raisers Edge
SKILLS & INTERESTS
Yoga | Cooking | Dogs | Travel
Languages
Spanish
Professional
Timeline
Director, Institutional Giving
YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago
09.2025 - 10.2026
Institutional Giving Senior Strategist
Roger Baldwin Foundation of ACLU, Inc.
12.2023 - 09.2025
Manager, Grant Writing & Partner Communications
YMCA of the USA
04.2020 - 11.2023
Technical Advisor, Grant Writing
YMCA of the USA
10.2019 - 04.2020
Associate Director of Financial Development
YMCA of Greater Oklahoma City
02.2016 - 10.2019
Masters - Social Work
University of Arkansas
Bachelors - Social Work
University of Arkansas - Fayetteville