Associate Director, Arts and Culture

The University of Chicago; Chicago (IL); Hybrid; USD 76,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

An established institution seeks an Associate Director of Development for Arts and Culture to lead fundraising initiatives and enhance donor engagement. This role involves strategic planning, project management, and collaboration with various teams to secure significant philanthropic commitments. The successful candidate will have a deep understanding of fundraising operations, exceptional communication skills, and a passion for the arts. Join a vibrant community dedicated to advancing arts and culture while making a meaningful impact through innovative development strategies.

Benefits

Health Benefits

Retirement Plans

Paid Time Off

Professional Development Opportunities

Qualifications

• 5-7 years of experience in nonprofit management or development.
• Strong understanding of fundraising operations and donor relations.

Responsibilities

• Lead fundraising projects and cultivate donor relationships.
• Manage a portfolio of prospective donors and secure annual gifts.

Skills

Fundraising Operations

Project Management

Donor Relations

Communication Skills

Budget Development

Education

Bachelor’s Degree

Advanced Degree

Tools

Microsoft Office Suite

Donor Relationship Management System

Job description

Department

ARD Arts and Culture Initiatives

About the Department

Alumni Relations and Development (ARD) engages alumni (~220k), current students, parents and friends of the University through intellectual, professional and social activities on campus, around the world and online. ARD raises $600 Million annually to support faculty and researchers, practitioners and patients, and students and programs across the University. Our work supports priorities in every division, school, department, and institute.

Centrally organized within ARD, the Arts and Culture team advances philanthropic partnerships with key alumni, parents and friends across the campus’ arts ecosystem, including new and emerging projects and established arts units: Court Theatre, Smart Museum, Arts + Public Life, Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts, the Library and Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures. A broad platform for multidisciplinary arts across the University of Chicago, the Arts and Culture Team encompasses the University’s arts engagement with students and faculty, our community, Chicago, and the world.

The Arts and Culture Team supports the study, presentation, and experience of arts and includes:
● Academic departments and programs in the Division of Arts & Humanities, the College, and the Library.
● Public-facing arts organizations Arts + Public Life, Court Theatre, Gray Center for Arts and Inquiry, Logan Center for the Arts, Oriental Institute, Smart Museum of Art and University of Chicago Presents.
● Student-facing initiatives such as Arts, Science + Culture Initiative and the Arts Labs in the Media Arts, Data, and Design Center; and more than 60 student arts organizations.

Building on this foundation, the Provost’s Arts Steering Committee has developed a vision for the future of the arts at UChicago that deepens academic excellence, student arts engagement, community arts engagement, global arts engagement, and experimental inquiry and practice. To learn more, please visit https://www.uchicago.edu/life-at-uchicago/arts.

Job Summary

The Associate Director of Development for Arts and Culture supports the Senior Director and provides peer leadership for the entire team, leading results-oriented projects, connecting team members to resources, demonstrating / training best practices, standardizing our donor-facing processes, and demonstrating exceptional resourcefulness, leadership and service to colleagues in ARD, the Arts and Culture units, the University, and among our prospects. This position uses best practices and knowledge in the planning and implementation of development activities, typically within the undergraduate college, an academic department, a professional school, the central development office, or another University unit. Executes fundraising projects, cultivation programs for prospective donors and for visiting committees.

Responsibilities

• Has a deep understanding of fundraising operations for UChicago Arts and Culture Units. Participates in the development of fundraising goals, policies and short and long-term strategies. Assesses, analyzes and evaluates fundraising programs, specialized projects, and major events.
• Provides peer leadership among the members of the Arts and Culture Team, serving as a resource, advisor and project manager for shared projects, such as data improvement, resource sharing, shared gift opportunities, etc.
• Secures, renews, upgrades, and stewards leadership annual gifts for UChicago Arts through personal outreach and visits.
• Participates in the cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of major gifts, in collaboration across the teams.
• Develops and maintains a portfolio of about 75.
• Makes between $1M - $2M in asks.
• Identifies, cultivates and solicits prospective donors who have the capacity to make financial commitments.
• Achieves personal fundraising activity goals monthly, quarterly, and annually.
• Works with UChicago Arts colleagues to develop and hone exceptional Major and Leadership Annual Gift opportunities.
• Advises annual giving projects for Arts and Culture teams, coordinating efforts around annual appeals, Giving Day, Giving Tuesday, etc.
• Creates, manages, and delivers important development projects with complex budgets, such as travel events.
• Works with Regional teams to expand presence in key cities through visits and events.
• Trains staff on acknowledgement process and supports donor relations and stewardship for UChicago Arts and the Arts and Culture Team units.
• Serves as an internal representative of the Arts and Culture Team with ARD to maximize visibility and seeks opportunities to collaborate on data strategy, discovery and prospect qualification, shared gift opportunities, travel and more.
• Coordinates with Foundation and Corporate Relations office on grant strategy. Project manages select grants with content experts.
• With support from the Team, creates development communications; writes appeal letters, briefings, and proposals; creates and oversees prospect content for print and digital publications; and assists Alumni Relations and Development with strategic communications and direct response teams.
• Establishes and maintains effective communication with other ARD colleagues as well as colleagues on the Arts and Culture Development Team, Arts and Humanities Division, UChicago Arts and University colleagues to ensure a coordinated approach to prospects and the implementation of fundraising best practices.
• Maintains active and regular local travel schedule to meet with prospective donors as needed.
• Identifies, analyzes, and qualifies donor interest to maximize giving. Helps with overall planning efforts for the UChicago Arts and Culture Units’ most important prospects.
• Works independently to develop communication strategies for projects, including publications and public presentations.
• Utilizes new and developing technologies for development applications, such as DonorBox, Thankview, ChatGPT, video conferencing, collaborative documents, etc.
• Identifies, cultivates and solicits major prospects. Designs strategies for cultivating participation.
• Seeks opportunities for professional development that will enhance job performance including attending webinars, seminars, building networks within the University and with colleagues at peer institutions.
• Prepares annual development reports assessing progress toward achievement of goals. Analyzes and evaluates information to identify trends and patterns, evaluates strategies and makes recommendations.
• Participates in the development of school or department fiscal year operating budget. May help develop and manage program or event budget.
• Performs other related work as needed.

Minimum Qualifications

Education:

Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in related field.

Work Experience:

Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 5-7 years of work experience in a related job discipline.

Certifications:

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Preferred Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree or advanced degree.

Experience:

• Minimum five years of professional work experience in nonprofit management, development, alumni relations, marketing, public relations, sales, or similar field.
• Minimum one year of leading a project team or managing staff.
• Minimum one year of experience developing and monitoring budgets.
• Arts administration experience.
• Demonstrated track record of success in cultivating, soliciting, and closing significant philanthropic commitments.

Technical Skills or Knowledge:

• Demonstrated skill and knowledge of, or ability to learn quickly, the internal workings of the University as well as the technology tools available to the Office of Alumni Relations and Development, including the University's donor relationship management system and the Microsoft Office Suite.
• Demonstrated project management skills.

Preferred Competencies

• Manage confidential information with discretion and tact.
• Act with integrity, professionalism, and confidentiality.
• Work collegially and collaboratively in a team setting.
• Prioritize multiple projects and independently follow through with detail.
• Outstanding interpersonal and communications skills characterized by the ability to listen, speak, and write effectively.
• Self-motivatied and take initiative.

Working Conditions

• This position has a hybrid work schedule which includes weekly in office presence.
• Standard office environment.
• Travel to campus and/or non-campus locations for University business.
• Work evenings and weekends as needed.
• This position is located in Hyde Park at 5235 South Harper Court.

Application Documents

• Resume/CV (required)
• Cover Letter, addressed to Hiring Committee (required)

When applying, the document(s) MUST be uploaded via the My Experience page, in the section titled Application Documents of the application.

Job Family

Alumni Relations & Development

Role Impact

Individual Contributor

Scheduled Weekly Hours

37.5

Drug Test Required

No

Health Screen Required

No

Motor Vehicle Record Inquiry Required

No

Pay Rate Type

Salary

FLSA Status

Exempt

Pay Range

$76,500.00 - $90,000.00

The included pay rate or range represents the University’s good faith estimate of the possible compensation offer for this role at the time of posting.

Benefits Eligible

Yes

The University of Chicago offers a wide range of benefits programs and resources for eligible employees, including health, retirement, and paid time off. Information about the benefit offerings can be found in the Benefits Guidebook .

Posting Statement

The University of Chicago is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or expression, national or ethnic origin, shared ancestry, age, status as an individual with a disability, military or veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law. For additional information please see the University's Notice of Nondiscrimination.

Job seekers in need of a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process should call 773-702-5800 or submit a request via Applicant Inquiry Form.

All offers of employment are contingent upon a background check that includes a review of conviction history. A conviction does not automatically preclude University employment. Rather, the University considers conviction information on a case-by-case basis and assesses the nature of the offense, the circumstances surrounding it, the proximity in time of the conviction, and its relevance to the position.

The University of Chicago's Annual Security & Fire Safety Report (Report) provides information about University offices and programs that provide safety support, crime and fire statistics, emergency response and communications plans, and other policies and information. The Report can be accessed online at: http://securityreport.uchicago.edu .Paper copies of the Report are available, upon request, from the University of Chicago Police Department, 850 E. 61st Street, Chicago, IL 60637.