Institutional Giving Manager

Position Overview

The Institutional Giving Manager plays an active role in managing CST’s portfolio of corporate, foundation, and government partners. The position is a key member of the Development department and is responsible for supporting all activities associated with identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding current and prospective funders, including private and corporate foundations, other non-governmental grant making organizations, and select public funders. The Institutional Giving Manager also has primary responsibility for prospect research, relationship management, proposal writing and proposal submission.

Responsibilities

Strategy, Relationship Management, and Grant Writing

• Manages and supports engagement activities of a portfolio of 75 to 100 prospective and current funders.
• Prepares and edits customized letters of intent, concept notes, proposals, presentations, correspondence, supporting materials, budgets, reports, and funder briefings.
• Creates and manages a multi-year grants plan and calendar with a schedule for prospecting; deadlines for proposals, grant applications and reports; site visits; and funder stewardship.
• Helps maintain relationships with foundation and corporate officers by routine communication via phone, mail, email and personal and site visits.
• Works closely with the leadership team to identify program priorities for operating, capital, and special initiatives to support budgeted goals.
• Develops strategies and coordinates with program staff to develop content and integrate objectives and outcomes into grant proposals.
• Collaborates with program staff to identify the appropriate fit between funder guidelines and programmatic objectives.
• Coordinates with Finance department to develop budgets and budget narratives.

Prospect Research and Relationship Development

• Conducts research to qualify funders and build a robust pipeline.
• Develops and implements, or support other Development team members in implementation of, cultivation and stewardship strategies.
• Reaches out to potential funders to gauge program alignment and secure new sources of private and corporate foundation support.
• Develops gift table and prospect list to ensure a prospect-to-donor conversion rate to meet or exceed annual revenue targets.
• Participates in special fundraising events as needed.

Grant Reporting and Administration

• Tracks proposals, conversations, meetings, communications and next steps by regularly updating constituent records in Tessitura.
• Ensures timely reporting to donors.
• Oversees the reporting and pledge payment schedules for all active grants.
• Maintains electronic and hard copy funder files.
• Completes other duties as assigned and appropriate.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree and 3 to 5 years progressive experience as a fundraising professional, including a working knowledge of Chicago area philanthropists.
• Background in the cultivation and solicitation of corporate, foundation, and government funders, including major gift and special event fundraising.
• Understanding of trends and best practices in foundation and corporate giving.
• Direct experience managing relationships with lead donors.
• Knowledge of advanced grant management techniques.
• Ability to initiate and build relationships and work collaboratively with a variety of audiences and diverse populations, including both internal and external stakeholders.
• Excellent writing skills and attention to detail, including ability to write succinctly with excellent grammar, spelling, and proof-reading.
• Experience and proficiency in working with donor database software, preferably Tessitura.
• Ability to produce and documents utilizing Microsoft Office, including proficiency with PowerPoint, Word, and Excel.
• Self-starter approach and capability to work independently under tight and sometimes competing deadlines.
• Availability to work nights and weekends.

About Chicago Shakespeare Theater

Founded in 1986, the Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s onstage work includes as many as twenty productions and 650 performances annually. A Regional Tony Award recipient, CST produces a bold and innovative year-round season—plays, musicals, world premieres, family productions, and theatrical presentations from around the globe—alongside nationally recognized education programming serving tens of thousands of students, teachers, and lifelong learners each year. As a nonprofit organization, the Theater works to embrace diversity, prioritize inclusion, provide equitable opportunities, and offer an accessible experience for all. On the Theater’s three stages at its home on Navy Pier, in classrooms and neighborhoods across the city, and in venues around the world, Chicago Shakespeare is a multifaceted cultural hub inviting audiences, artists, and community members to share powerful stories that connect and inspire.

Commitment to Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access

Chicago Shakespeare Theater is deeply committed to creating and sustaining an organizational culture that values diversity, inclusion, equity, and access, as well as promoting a safe and supportive work environment embodying the Theater’s core values of service, collaboration, and ingenuity.