Associate Director, Major Gifts, Arts and Culture

University of Chicago • Chicago, IL

5d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Associate Director, Major Gifts, Arts and Culture is a front-line fundraiser and relationship lead for Arts and Culture units within the University of Chicago’s Division of Arts and Humanities. The role supports the Advancement team and arts colleagues, contributes to divisional fundraising strategy and pipeline development, and provides peer leadership across the team. It supports arts study, presentation, and experience across academic departments and programs, public-facing arts organizations, and student initiatives.

The position manages programs intended to meet University contributed-income goals and serves as a strategist for securing gifts and building relationships with alumni, faculty, administrators, and organizations. It leads results-oriented projects, helps shape donor engagement and fundraising events, and develops project communication strategies. The role is based in Hyde Park and follows a hybrid schedule with weekly in-office presence. It involves a standard office environment, travel for University business, and evening and weekend work as needed. This position is not eligible for employer-sponsored employment authorization.

Requirements

• College or university degree in a related field.
• Five to seven years of work experience in a related job discipline.
• Minimum of five years of professional experience in nonprofit management, development, alumni relations, fundraising, sales, or a related field.
• At least two years of frontline fundraising or comparable relationship-based sales experience.
• At least one year of experience developing and monitoring budgets.
• Demonstrated experience managing a donor or prospect portfolio, including developing and executing qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies.
• Demonstrated track record of cultivating, soliciting, and securing significant philanthropic commitments.
• Experience developing and implementing donor engagement and stewardship strategies with internal and external stakeholders.
• Experience managing cross-functional projects and coordinating initiatives across multiple teams.
• Ability to manage confidential information with discretion and tact, and to act with integrity, professionalism, and confidentiality.
• Ability to work collegially and collaboratively in a team setting.
• Ability to prioritize multiple projects and independently follow through with attention to detail.
• Outstanding interpersonal and communication skills, including effective listening, speaking, and writing.
• Self-motivation and initiative.
• Ability to work evenings and weekends as needed.

Nice To Haves

• Bachelor’s degree.
• Background in arts administration, arts and culture fundraising, or a related field.
• Demonstrated knowledge of, or ability to quickly learn, the University’s internal workings and Advancement technology tools, including Phoenix, the University’s Donor Relationship Management Salesforce System.
• Proficiency in a Microsoft Windows computer environment, especially Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Access.

Responsibilities

• Participate in the qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of major gifts of $100,000 or more, focusing on Arts and Culture units and collaborating with Advancement colleagues as appropriate.
• Solicit gifts totaling $1 million to $2 million or more annually.
• Develop and maintain a portfolio of approximately 100 prospects.
• Secure, renew, upgrade, and steward leadership annual gifts for UChicago Arts through personal outreach and visits.
• Meet personal fundraising activity goals monthly, quarterly, and annually.
• Maintain an active, regular local travel schedule to meet prospective donors as needed.
• Collaborate with Arts leadership, the Dean’s Office, Alumni Experience, and Strategic Events teams to identify and lead donor engagement opportunities for qualification, cultivation, and stewardship.
• Work with Regional teams to expand UChicago Arts’ presence in key cities through visits and events.
• Work with UChicago Arts colleagues to develop and refine major and leadership annual gift opportunities.
• Develop a deep understanding of fundraising operations for UChicago Arts and Culture units and the division.
• Participate in developing fundraising goals, policies, and short- and long-term strategies.
• Assess, analyze, and evaluate fundraising programs, specialized projects, and major events.
• Provide peer leadership and serve as a resource, advisor, and project manager for shared projects, including data improvement, resource sharing, and shared gift opportunities.
• Represent Arts and Culture within Advancement to maximize visibility and identify opportunities for collaboration on data strategy, prospect discovery and qualification, shared gifts, and travel.
• Maintain effective communication with Advancement colleagues, arts and culture development teams, UChicago Arts, and University colleagues to coordinate prospect engagement and fundraising best practices.
• Create, manage, and deliver development projects with complex budgets, such as travel events.
• Pursue professional development to enhance job performance, including webinars, seminars, and networking within the University and with peers at other institutions.
• Establish fundraising goals and priorities based on department objectives, design strategies to achieve them, and monitor progress.
• Identify, analyze, and qualify donor interest to maximize giving.
• Contribute to planning for the University’s most important prospects.
• Independently develop project communication strategies, including publications and public presentations.
• Perform other related work as needed.

Benefits

• Health benefits.
• Retirement benefits.
• Paid time off.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior