Assistant Director, Development, Smart Museum

University of Chicago•Chicago, IL

2d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Assistant Director of Development supports fundraising activities for the Smart Museum of Art, reporting to the Museum’s Director of Development and working with colleagues across University Advancement, UChicago Arts, and the Museum. The role supports annual giving, the SmartPartner membership program, institutional philanthropy, and gifts of art, and helps execute fundraising projects and cultivation programs for prospective donors and visiting committees. The Assistant Director leads donor stewardship and gift acknowledgments, coordinates donor visits and events, and maintains shared calendars, agendas, and process documentation. The position manages and analyzes Museum database activity and prepares stewardship reports, proposals, research profiles, leadership briefings, acquisition and solicitation campaigns, and promotional materials. In partnership with the Director of Development, the Assistant Director qualifies, cultivates, solicits, and stewards donors and prospects virtually and in person, with an emphasis on building the donor pipeline and increasing philanthropic support over the next three to five years. The position is based in Hyde Park and follows a hybrid schedule that includes weekly in-office presence. It is not eligible for employer-sponsored employment authorization.

Requirements

College or university degree in a related field.
Knowledge and skills developed through 2–5 years of work experience in a related job discipline.
Minimum two years of professional experience in nonprofit management, development, alumni relations, marketing, public relations, sales, or a related field.
Experience supporting fundraising, donor relations, institutional giving, grant development, or stewardship activities.
Experience working with donor or constituent data, including data analysis, reporting, and communicating findings to non-technical audiences.
Ability to understand data analysis and communicate complex topics to non-technical people.
Experience coordinating projects and priorities across multiple teams or stakeholders.
Demonstrated skill and knowledge of, or ability to learn quickly, the internal workings of the University and technology tools available to Advancement, including Phoenix, the University’s Donor Relationship Management Salesforce System.
Proficiency in Microsoft Windows, Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Zoom, Google Drive, Box, and Adobe; fluency and comfort with technology.
Outstanding interpersonal and communication skills, including the ability to listen, speak, and write effectively and explain complex ideas clearly and simply.
Ability to manage confidential information with discretion and tact, and act with integrity, professionalism, and confidentiality.
Ability to work collegially and collaboratively in a team setting.
Self-motivated, takes initiative, and can prioritize multiple projects and independently follow through with attention to detail.
Excellent proofreading and time-management skills.
Enthusiasm for the Smart’s mission and vision and a desire to learn.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree.
Background in a museum or arts organization.
Knowledge of Chicago’s cultural life and contemporary art.

Responsibilities

Identify, cultivate, and sustain foundation and corporate support through prospect research, funder engagement, grant applications, post-award reporting, and stewardship communications.
Maintain institutional giving priorities, opportunities, deadlines, budgets, and action plans to support revenue growth.
Guide the Museum’s direct response program and implement multichannel campaigns with University Advancement and Smart Communications to retain, renew, and grow individual annual giving.
Cultivate and engage existing and prospective donors through visits and targeted communications to strengthen relationships, build the donor pipeline, and increase philanthropic support.
Lead donor stewardship, including gift acknowledgments, donor recognition, strategic communications, and engagement events such as gallery tours, exhibition openings, and salon-style events.
Manage offers of gifts of art, including preparing curatorial briefings, coordinating donor communications, securing appropriate tax documentation, and recording in-kind gifts with the University.
Serve as the Museum’s expert on donor database systems and philanthropic giving data; maintain donor records and reporting; analyze program performance; identify prospects with Advancement Prospect Research; and coordinate data integrity, research, prospect management, and analytics.
Maintain the Museum’s Development calendar, including appeals, board meetings, events, exhibitions, grants and reporting deadlines, stewardship activities, and donor visits; coordinate across teams to manage responsibilities, deadlines, and priorities.
Coordinate Development financials and reporting with University Advancement, including contributed revenue reporting, expense tracking, and gift allocation and attribution.
Partner with Guest Services, Curatorial, and Education to capture visitation, engagement, and programmatic data for funder reporting and case statement development.
Support Museum-wide priorities and Development special projects, including donor briefings and research, exhibition materials, Board meeting support, writing and proofreading, information gathering, and Smart DEAI initiatives.
Seek professional development opportunities that enhance job performance, including attending webinars and seminars and building networks within the University and with colleagues at peer institutions.
Draft informational and marketing materials for review for assigned programs and assist in developing support materials for specific fundraising activities.
Cultivate and maintain relationships with donors and volunteers.
Establish and maintain donor records and accounts.
Perform other related work as needed.