Development Manager - Jackalope Theatre Company

Name of Organization: Jackalope Theatre Company

Website: https://www.jackalopetheatre.org

Location of Position: Chicago, IL

Type of Organization: Arts/Culture/Humanities/Non-Profit

Department: Development Position

Title: Development Manager

Reports to: Managing Director

Type of position: Part-Time Salaried, hybrid in-person and remote

Salary: $25,000 + Monthly Health Care Stipend

Hours: 25 Hours per week (three days per week from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm)

Occasional weekends and evenings

 

GENERAL DESCRIPTION

Jackalope is seeking a core collaborator to join a small staff at our trailblazing, neighborly storefront theatre. You, the Development Manager, are motivated, creative, gregarious, and a positive relationship-builder with excellent organizational skills and a drive to innovate. This is a part-time position, with the opportunity for advancement to a full-time position. You will serve as an enthusiastic advocate for the mission and programming of Jackalope; building and maintaining patron and donor relationships and communication, and managing special event planning. The Development Manager reports to the Managing Director and collaborates with the staff, board, and company to provide information, support, and services to advance fundraising efforts supporting the mission of Jackalope Theatre Company.

ORGANIZATION MISSION & HISTORY

Jackalope Theatre Company began as an itinerant theatre, founded in the Spring of 2008 by three directing graduates of Columbia College Chicago. The company was excited to work in venues across Chicago, and immediately began producing new, artistically vibrant work with passion and resourcefulness. In 2012, we began our long-term residency at Broadway Armory Park and in 2013, Time Out Chicago named Jackalope the best up-and-coming theatre company. In 2014, Jackalope received the Broadway in Chicago Emerging Theater Award and has since created several award-winning productions of new works that have gone on to premiere in other cities across the country.

We are now in our fourteenth season and are committed to cultivating theatre that expands the definition of American identity by engaging with their communities to produce works that celebrate diverse perspectives. Each season, we produce full-length plays and a series of ancillary new play development programming at Broadway Armory Park. In addition to this artistic programming, we provide education programming for adults and youths alike. All of this is done in the epicenter of the Edgewater community, enhancing the cultural vibrancy of the Thorndale Station corridor.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Strategy - 10%

• Regular strategy meetings with Artistic Director and Managing Director to collaborate on strategic planning for fundraising, donor development and communications, and special events

Individual Giving - 50%

• Manage Direct Mail (2 Per Year) - Collaborate with senior staff to decide audience, pull data from Audience View and creating mailing list, writing copy, one done internally (merge and print), manage company members and volunteers to prep and complete mailing, manage relationship with vendor
• Personal Outreach - Notes, letters, emails, phone calls
• Audience View Database Management - Entering and processing donations, utilizing information from database to optimize development processes
• Newsletter - Write, design, and send regular newsletters to donors and patrons
• Expand Donor Base - Grow donor base from existing base of ticket buyers and social media fans (moving fans/audience to donors), work with senior staff to support Pioneer Club
• Coordinate communications plan to optimize donor relationships
• Relationship Management - Arranging meetings, preparing briefs, preparing solicitation and touch-point materials, with an opportunity to develop a leadership role in managing donor relationships

Event Planning - 20%

• Manage soliciting donations for auction
• Research venues and vendors
• Serve as liaison for gala planning committee

Foundation and Corporate Relations - 15%

• Prospect research
• Manage grants calendar
• Collaborate with senior staff on grant proposals and reports
• Pull, organize, and compile institutional data for use in Grant Proposals and Reports

Marketing - 5%

• Mailchimp Newsletters (design, list, distribution)

EXPECTATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

As a member of the Jackalope Theater team, the Development Manager is expected to:

• Uphold Jackalope’s organizational mission, values, and programming
• Be onsite for or attend performances and events throughout the season, with a focus on Special Events
• Participate in organizational and regular team meetings, share ideas, and communicate openly with peers and supervisor about questions, challenges, and successes
• Maintain professional conduct and represent Jackalope accordingly in all interactions with staff, board, artists, company members, renters, partner organizations, donors, vendors, volunteers, patrons.

The ideal candidate will have:

• A magnetic personality with a penchant for positive relationship-building
• A commitment to communication and collaboration with other staff, board members, and company members
• A customer service orientation
• Thorough attention to detail
• Resourceful and creative problem-solving skills
• A commitment to curiosity and exploration
• Ability to “fail-foward” - setbacks and/or evolving circumstances are springboards to launch into something greater
• A forward-thinking approach to challenging and improving social and industry norms
• Socio-cultural sensitivity and awareness, experience and/or training in IDEA (Inclusivity, Diversity, Equity, and Access) preferred
• Ability to work independently; enjoys creating and implementing new initiatives
• Experience or demonstrated interest in arts administration and fundraising
• Excellent writing, editing, and verbal communication skills
• Experience with Microsoft Office suite, including Excel, and Google Suite
• Familiarity with AudienceView or other CRM software
• Ability to secure and manage volunteers for special events
• Prior experience leading and/or supporting the production of special events
• The ability to prioritize, organize, and manage multiple projects with support from leadership
• A strong working knowledge of mass communication platforms (i.e. Constant Contact, MailChimp, etc.) preferred
• A strong working knowledge of Canva, or comparable graphic design software preferred
• Experience working in theatre arts is preferred
• Experience working for or volunteering with a nonprofit organization is a plus

SALARY RANGE AND INSTRUCTIONS TO APPLY

The salary for this position is $25,000 plus monthly Health Insurance stipend. Please submit a cover letter, resume, 3 references, and a 1-2 page writing sample to jackalope@jackalopetheatre.org by March 18, 2022. (Note: Examples of writing samples include: project proposals, essays, email correspondence, grant or marketing copy, solicitation letters, etc.)

Jackalope Theatre Company is an equal opportunity employer that is committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace. We prohibit discrimination and harassment of any kind based on race, color, sex, religion, sexual orientation, veteran, national origin, or disability status or any protected characteristic as outlined by federal, state, and local laws.

As of January 1, 2022, any new hire of Jackalope Theatre will be required to be fully vaccinated and boostered against COVID-19 and will be required to complete the Jackalope Theatre Company Vaccination Disclosure Form during initial employee onboarding. Medical and Religious Exemption form made available upon request.

This policy is based upon current public health guidance, our need for employees to physically be onsite at the theater and theater office premises to support standard and performance operations, and the current increase of COVID-19 cases within our immediate area along with the unpredictability of the current COVID-19 variant in addition to the potential of other variants. Jackalope Theatre Company reserves the right to evaluate and modify this policy at any time based upon current public health guidance and industry standards.

Salary: 25,000 + Monthly Health Care Stipend