Public Funding Navigator - Arts Alliance Illinois

This position is 90% remote, with a requirement to attend occasional meetings at the Chicago office, annual staff retreats, and other Arts Alliance events. However, due to the nature of our work, we require all employees to be residents of Illinois during their term of employment with AAI.

The Public Funding Navigator reports to the Director of Programs and Special Projects to support the Illinois creative sector in accessing public funding by providing 1 on 1 application support, hosting informational webinars, and organizing workshops and trainings to support small businesses and nonprofits in the creative sector to strengthen their business practices and financial literacy.

Our interview process includes the following steps, with selected candidates moving to each successive step:

• Initial application
• 1-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.
• Skills and fit assessment (applicants will be compensated $150 for their time).
• Traditional interview with Executive Director, selected team members, 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.

The ideal candidate will have the following characteristics:

• A belief that arts and culture are vital to strong local communities and that it is necessary to invest in them.
• Thrives working remotely and independently, while simultaneously being a key member of a dynamic, collaborative team.
• Ability to demonstrate grace and respect for themselves and others at all times, especially when under pressure.
• Ability to self-direct and move projects forward by recognizing when to involve other staff and leadership.

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

Public Funding Opportunity Help Desk Management:

• Serve as the point of contact with funding entities, primarily the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. Learn about eligibility, requirements, and application process for funding opportunities relevant to the creative sector.
• Respond to inquiries from prospective applicants seeking guidance on certain public funding opportunities, in particular three upcoming COVID relief grant programs, and other programs administered by the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.
• Draft clear and concise responses to questions, providing accurate information and clarifications regarding eligibility guidelines and application processes.
• In partnership with the Communications Team, draft clear guides and FAQs to help individuals navigate relevant public funding opportunities that will be publicly available on the Arts Alliance website.
• Collaborate with internal teams, including accounting and legal support staff, to address complex questions and issues.
• Hire, train, and oversee temporary Help Desk Support Staff if necessary given the volume of applicants seeking assistance.
• Track and report frequent barriers faced by applicants during the funding application process.
• In partnership with the Operations, Finance and Grant Oversight Team, maintain and report on any necessary data relevant to the public funding opportunities.

Outreach and Promotion of Public Funding Navigation Program:

• Identify relevant segments of the creative sector and conduct outreach about a given public funding opportunity in consultation with the Communications Team on their work to develop marketing and communications materials for that target population.
• Work with the Communications Team and the Director of Community Organizing to identify relevant members of Arts Alliance Outreach Partner Network to engage in conducting targeted outreach to potential eligible applicants.
• Collaborate with Arts Alliance's Director of Programs & Special Projects, Director of Communications, and Director of Community Organizing to ensure coordinated efforts across the organization.

Workshop and Webinar Series:

• Identify relevant topic areas for providing additional support and training for individuals, businesses, and organizations in the creative sector with the intention to strengthen their financial literacy and business practices.
• Identify potential partners that provide in-depth expertise on specific focus areas.
• Identify potential partners to engage Arts Alliance Illinois to provide workshops and webinars for their constituencies, license AAI workshop materials, and/or promote AAI workshops and webinars
• With support from the Programs Manager and Communications Team, implement workshop and webinar series to support the creative sector, including contracting with necessary experts and training providers.

Additional Responsibilities:

• Along with the Communications Team, proactively seek out and analyze additional public funding programs and opportunities that could be applicable to the creative sector.
• Inform the Director of Development of funding opportunities relevant to the Alliance.

Skills and Experience

In order to be considered for this position, candidates must demonstrate the following:

• Experience with funding applications and reporting, either as a recipient or a grant administrator (public funding experience preferred)
• High level of critical thinking and problem solving skills.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, and the ability to communicate effectively with people of different backgrounds, levels of financial sophistication and knowledge of terminology.
• Ability to communicate calmly, empathetically with individuals and organizations in crisis, building a sense of trust and understanding.
• 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.
  
  

The following are not requirements but will result in a stronger application:

• Spanish-language proficiency
• Experience creating easy-to-follow explainers or FAQs.
• Experience with or knowledge of the creative sector.
• Experience creating a smooth customer service experience.
• Familiarity with accounting and financial principles
• Familiarity with different business structures (Nonprofit, LLC/LLP, sole proprietor, S-Corp etc.)
  
  
  

Benefits

This is a full-time, exempt position for one year, ending in August 2024 with potential to extend dependent on funding. The salary range is from $65,000 - $75,000 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.

Apply via Workable at this link.