Associate Director of Individual Giving
About The Position
The Associate Director of Individual Giving is responsible for the identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s individual donors, with a focus on gifts from $1,000 to $9,999 (Bard Circle). This role leads and implements the strategy for annual giving and plays a key role in building a strong pipeline of future major donors. This is a frontline fundraising role that manages a dynamic portfolio of donors and prospects, drives annual fund growth, and ensures consistent donor engagement, retention, and movement through the giving pipeline. The Associate Director is expected to bring both strategic thinking and hands-on execution to all aspects of individual giving.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience
- Minimum of five years of experience in fundraising, with a focus on individual giving or annual fund
- Proven ability to manage a donor portfolio and meet or exceed revenue goals
- Experience working with a relational CRM (Tessitura preferred)
- Ability to independently manage reporting, segmentation, and donor tracking
Nice To Haves
- Experience in a performing arts or cultural organization
Responsibilities
- Manage a portfolio of approximately 150–200 donors and prospects within the $1,000–$9,999 range
- Develop and implement individualized cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies tailored to each donor
- Conduct regular donor outreach, including in-person meetings, calls, and written communications
- Engage donors at performances, events and across Theater programs to deepen connection and affinity
- Solicit annual gifts and upgrades to increase donor retention and overall revenue
- Maintain consistent, thoughtful engagement with donors to strengthen long-term relationships and increase lifetime value
- Lead and implement strategy for the Theater’s annual fund, including segmentation, messaging, and upgrade pathways
- Develop robust and innovative targeted strategies for donor acquisition, retention, and re-engagement, including LYBUNT and SYBUNT initiatives
- Partner with the Development Operations team to execute appeals and campaigns while maintaining ownership of strategy and outcomes
- Analyze campaign performance and adjust strategies to maximize participation, retention and revenue growth
- Write, develop, and manage compelling annual giving solicitation mailings and campaigns in collaboration with the CDO, Associate Director of Major Gifts, Development Operations Manager, and Marketing
- Identify and qualify donors with capacity and inclination for major giving
- Partner with the Associate Director of Major Gifts to transition donors into higher-level portfolios
- Track donor movement and progression across giving levels to ensure a strong and active pipeline
- Proactively identify opportunities to deepen engagement and increase giving across the portfolio
- Maintain accurate, timely, and detailed donor records, contact reports, and moves management activity in Tessitura
- Independently manage portfolio reporting, segmentation, and performance tracking
- Develop donor profiles, briefing materials, and targeted segmentation strategies to support cultivation and solicitation
- Analyze donor behavior, campaign results, and giving trends to inform strategy and decision-making
- Ensure all donor interactions are consistently documented and aligned with overall fundraising strategy and goals
- Support and participate in donor events, including cultivation and stewardship activities
- Partner with Development colleagues to ensure strong follow-up and meaningful engagement after events and campaigns
- Develop, organize, host 2-3 Bard Circle events and 1-2 annual giving events per fiscal year.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Mid Level
