Associate Director, Development, Court Theatre

Department

ADV Court Theatre

About the Department

Advancement engages alumni (~220k), current students, parents, and friends of the University through intellectual, professional and social activities on campus, around the world and online. Advancement 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 Advancement, 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.

Court Theatre is the professional theatre of the University of Chicago, dedicated to innovation, inquiry, intellectual engagement, and community service. Functioning as the University’s Center for Classic Theatre, Court and its artists mount theatrical productions and audience enrichment programs in collaboration with faculty. These collaborations enable a re-examination of classic texts that pose the enduring and provocative questions that define the human experience.

Court Theatre is committed to engaging, with equity and intention, the communities of which we are a part: the South Side of Chicago, the University of Chicago, and the local and national theatre community, including Court’s own staff, freelance technicians, and guest artists. For more information, visit www.courttheatre.org.

Job Summary

This role manages programs designed to meet University fundraising goals for contributed income. Serves as strategist of efforts to secure gifts and build relationships with alumni, faculty, administrators and organizations with potential to make gifts. Develops communication strategies for projects.

Responsibilities

• Secures leadership annual and planned gifts, and works closely with the Director of Development to develop and execute strategies that support engaging and growing the Court Theatre donor base.
• Serves as a frontline gift officer; managing development communications; coordinating stewardship and donor relations; and leveraging programs, events, and performances to strengthen donor engagement.
• Builds and manages a portfolio of 75-125 individual prospects and $1-$3 million in booked gifts. In addition to portfolio management, partners with fundraising colleagues on multi-interest prospects to include Court solicitations in their overall prospect solicitation plans. Monitors progress against goals, ensuring deadlines are met.
• Identifies, qualifies, cultivates, solicits, and stewards individuals or institutions that have the capacity and interest to make five and six-figure gift commitments to Court Theatre.
• Collaborates with the Central Arts and Culture team to lead discovery and prospect engagement activity for assigned regions or prospect segments with the goals of increasing contributed revenue, expanding the prospect pool, and growing the donor base to reflect the diversity and capacity of Court Theatre’s audiences.
• Manages development communications, namely to write appeal letters, briefings, and proposals; create and oversee donor content for print and digital publications; and collaborate and liaise with Court Theatre’s marketing department and Advancement’s communications and direct response teams to implement annual appeal letters.
• Develops and implements compelling plans for stewardship and donor relations, including coordination of Court Theatre’s giving societies such as the Producers Circle and Directors Circle, and look for new, innovative ways to engage donors and prospective donors to increase fundraising.
• In collaboration with Advancement office, assists in the planning and execution of strategic events, specifically but not exclusively, annual gala, Producers Circle and Directors Circle dinners, and Opening Nights, etc., designed to advance relationships with prospects, donors, and key volunteers.
• Builds knowledge and communicates effectively, both in writing and in meetings, about a range of Court Theatre programs, priorities, productions, and initiatives; and delivers prompt and effective follow-up to prospects and donors.
• Achieves personal fundraising activity goals monthly, quarterly, and annually.
• Maintains active and regular local travel schedule to meet with donors and prospective donors as needed.
• Seeks opportunities for professional development that will enhance job performance including attending webinars, seminars, building networks within the University and with colleagues at peer institutio