Seasonal Assistant, Auxiliary Board Operation

Ravinia Festival Association • Highland Park, IL

21d • $17 • Hybrid

About The Position

Gain an inside perspective into the many aspects of the Ravinia Women’s Board and the Ravinia Associates Board. The Women’s Board is a volunteer group of over 120 women who host the annual Gala, raising over $1 million annually, as well as several other events throughout the summer. The Ravinia Associates Board is a premier group of over 100 Chicagoland young professionals who both promote awareness and raise funds for the festival and its programs, primarily through the annual Music Matters Benefit.

While the primary responsibility of this position is providing assistance in all aspects of the Gala and Music Matters Benefit, this role will also help with other events throughout the summer, and will work periodically with the larger Development Department, as needed.  In this role, you are exposed to a variety of projects related to Ravinia’s mission, serving as great experience for anyone looking to further a career in nonprofit performing arts administration.

Requirements

• The ability to communicate and collaborate with a variety of people from different backgrounds with professionalism and polish
• The ability to work remotely and onsite as needed
• Superior organization and ability to multitask without sacrificing attention to detail
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills
• Driven with the ability to self-manage and effectively use downtime without supervision
• Must be available to work evenings and weekend hours outdoors (40+ hours per week) during the spring/summer season, especially between the dates of April 28 – May 9, 2026, and June 22 – July 11, 2026.
• Agility to learn new systems such as Monday.com [http://monday.com] and Audience View
• Passion for Ravinia’s mission, particularly music, music education, and social services
• Minimum of three years of event or administrative experience or equivalent
• Proficiency with Google Suites, including mail merge
• Proficiency in Zoom Meetings and related video conferencing tools

Nice To Haves

• Education in arts administration, music, or business is a preferred
• Experience with Audience View or a similar donor/ticketing CRM is preferred

Responsibilities

• Provide all necessary assistance for the Gala and Music Matters Benefit, including entering names into our database, creating and revising check-in materials, and making any last-minute changes as necessary
• Manage the Music Matters Auction, including tracking all items solicited and confirmed and utilizing online bidding platform OneCause
• Assist with event invitation and RSVP process
• Assist with the planning and execution of the Associates Board’s audience development event, Beer Brats and Beethoven, including brewery solicitation, creating and revising check-in materials, and making any last-minute changes as necessary
• Coordinate set up and registration at several Women’s Board and Ravinia Associates events, such as “Corner” lawn parties, CSO Musician’s Dinner, and concert sponsorship dinners.
• Provide administrative support for the Auxiliary Boards Director and Managers, as well as Women’s Board and Ravinia Associates members as needed
• Coordinate gift acknowledgements for all Auxiliary Board Projects, including event donations and the Tribute Fund
• Development assistance, including responding to donor requests via phone and email
• Other duties as assigned

Benefits

• May be able to use for class credit
• Opportunity to earn 1.5x pay for overtime
• Access to a season lawn pass (shared across a few assistants in development) to enjoy a wide variety of Ravinia’s exciting summer programming with a guest

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed