Deputy Director - Development
This position is a hybrid position: 90% remote for day-to-day work, but a requirement to attend occasional meetings at the Chicago office, annual staff retreats, and other Arts Alliance events, as well as in person donor meetings and stewardship and cultivation events. Due to the nature of our work, we require all employees to be residents of Illinois during their term of employment with AAI.
The Deputy Director - Development reports to the Executive Director to create the overall revenue growth strategy for Arts Alliance Illinois and oversee all fundraising activities for the organization across grants, individual giving, and event giving. The Deputy Director - Development not only works to achieve annual budget goals, but works closely with the Executive Director to develop an overarching vision for the long term viability and strength of the organization.
Our interview process includes the following steps, with selected candidates moving to each successive step:
Initial application1-way video interview - you will be presented with a series of questions similar to a traditional interview but you will have the opportunity to prepare and record your answers.Panel Interview with selected Alliance team members Skills and fit assessment (applicants will be compensated $250 for their time).Traditional interview with Executive Director and a board member.
Arts Alliance Illinois values diversity and is committed to building an inclusive workplace that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills. We encourage Black, Indigenous or People of Color, immigrants, LGTBQ individuals, people with disabilities, people without college degrees, and anyone part of a group that has been historically discriminated against, to apply.
Things to Know About Us
Advocacy work is fast-paced and remote work can be draining. That work is much harder if organizational culture is not a good fit. In order to ensure this is the right position for you, here are some things to know about us before you apply:
We believe access to arts & culture makes communities stronger and healthier, and therefore advocating for the arts is a common interest shared by all residents of Illinois regardless of background or political affiliation.We believe public funding for the arts is a good thing.We believe the biggest contribution a person can make to stop the spread of COVID is getting vaccinated – whenever there’s no medical or religious exemption.We encourage professional development, rest, and transparency about your capacity.We are a small organization where sometimes we need to help our co-workers during heavy workloads.We work hard, but we also support taking time away during the day to nap, run an errand, or do whatever you need to make remote environments work for you.We discourage working nights/weekends but understand that staff have different rhythms when they are most productive. Occasionally we need to adapt to urgent, politically-imposed, deadlines but we do our best to balance it with time off.We cultivate a professional yet collegial work environment where sharing personal anecdotes, playlists, jokes, etc, is welcome.We encourage staff members to assume good intentions from colleagues during moments of conflict or confusion but also are intentional about creating space for harm to be acknowledged and repaired.We acknowledge individuals and organizations can perpetuate environments where discrimination goes unchecked. To ensure we have a shared language to address these challenges, staff members attend an Introduction to Systemic Racism training.We celebrate diversity and don’t seek to assimilate anyone into a broader “work culture.” We make space for people from different cultural, social, political, and religious backgrounds to share and influence the work we do by being their true selves.
Finally, we realize we will always have work to do to improve our office culture and are looking for team members who will enjoy engaging in that process.
Requirements
Fundraising
Create a new multi-year fundraising strategy to meet and exceed forecasted income goals for the next four years, with targeted growth in Foundation and Government grants and individual giving.Work closely with the Executive Director to develop and implement a systematic Major Gifts growth strategy, participating in prospect identification, solicitation strategies, and regular stewardship of major donors, including personally maintaining a portfolio of 20-30 relationships.Direct the growth of the Development department, shaping the hire of a new Development Manager that will complement the skills of the Deputy Director - Development.Develop new strategies for Annual Fund donors, including updating and implementing a year-round donor stewardship plan to increase retention rate.Oversee a Grant Writer to manage foundation, government, and corporate grants for the organization, maintaining an up-to-date grants calendar and ensuring all deliverables are completed on time. Collaborate with the Executive Director and, eventually, the Development Manager to increase the pipeline of foundation and corporate grant prospects, researching new opportunities, cultivating new relationships, and stewarding existing relationships with program officers.Project manage special event fundraising, including working with the Executive Director and the Board of Directors to develop strategy and working with the Development Manager and external vendors to implement event logistics.Update and maintain all fundraising communications materials to reflect new organizational strategic goals, including comprehensive case statements, external-facing brochures/program overviews, and annual/impact reports.Partner with the Communications Director to develop a year-round donor communications strategy.Work with staff to ensure the ongoing collection of program data, statistics, and narrative. Promote and maintain a culture of philanthropy with staff, board, and constituents.Manage the Board Fund Development committee, engaging and strategizing with board members on important fundraising initiatives.Act as front-facing support for all financial contributions to the organization (which will transition to the Development Manager upon hire). Engage in consistent prospecting for new supporters, including individuals, foundations, government agencies, and corporations.“Manage up” by supporting the Executive Director, the Board Directors, and other volunteers in fundraising efforts.
Other Responsibilities
Manage the Board Development committee, helping to recruit potential board members and managing the governance of the organization.Review the donor acknowledgment process for the Development Manager to manage, from processing outgoing mail to updating Salesforce upon completion.Work with the Data and Technology Director to maintain an accurate income tracking system in Salesforce, requesting and maintaining financial reports and dashboards as needed.Partner with the Data and Technology Director to leverage Salesforce as a powerful tool for donor and member acquisition, stewardship, and ongoing engagement of board and staff around fundraising initiatives.Coordinate with the Deputy Director - Finance and Operations and external accounting partner to reconcile monthly financial reporting in a timely and accurate manner.Manage fiscal sponsorship relationships for the organization, including regular oversight of our fiscal partners and any necessary administrative work to support these relationships.Represent the Alliance publicly and serve as staff representative on volunteer committees.
Skills and Experience
In order to be considered for this position, candidates must demonstrate the following:
Minimum 5 years of experience working in nonprofit fundraising, at least 2 years of which is in a donor- or customer-facing role.CFRE or a similar certification is highly desirable but not required.Understanding of the Chicago and/or Illinois philanthropic landscape.Knowledge of fundraising in the creative sector is a plus.Demonstrated experience securing four to six figure individual gifts, including cultivation and stewardship initiatives.Demonstrated experience with multiple other areas of giving, including two or more of: Annual Fund, campaigns, events, foundation and corporate giving/sponsorship, government grants, and/or planned gifts.Interest and understanding of current trends in nonprofit fundraising.Ability to analyze data, develop, and implement strategies for successful donor engagement.Technical proficiency with a fundraising CRM, experience with Salesforce is a plus.Basic understanding or familiarity with nonprofit accounting principles.Proficiency with Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, PowerPoint), Google Suite (Gmail, Docs, Sheets, Slides), Zoom, and Asana (or other project management software).High level of critical thinking and problem solving skills.Ability to self-reflect and pivot based on feedback.Strong project management skills, high level of self-organization, deep care and attention to detail, and ability to manage competing deadlines.Strong understanding of the importance of cultural competence when working with diverse communities, Arts Alliance represents and works with individuals and organizations across the entire state of Illinois
A belief that arts and culture are vital to strong local communities and that it is necessary to invest in them.Ability to demonstrate grace and respect for themselves and others at all times, especially when under pressure.
Benefits
This is a full-time, exempt position with a salary ranging from $90,000-$110,000, commensurate with experience and expertise. Arts Alliance Illinois provides a suite of benefits to ensure an optimal work/life balance for our staff. This includes unlimited paid time off with a minimum of 15 days required plus federal holidays and an end-of-year break, 403(b) match after the first year, medical/dental/vision insurance, phone and internet stipend, and paid family leave. A comprehensive breakdown of these benefits is provided to all finalists.
