Ravinia® is both North America’s longest-running not-for-profit music festival and its most artistically diverse. Over 100 different events by a mix of classical, rock, pop, jazz, R&B, indie, and country performers make up a typical summer season on our two open-air and two indoor stages. Each year the Chicago Symphony Orchestra is featured in six weeks of concerts, many with Chief Conductor Marin Alsop. During the same summer months, the Ravinia Steans Music Institute provides young professional classical and jazz musicians with career-advancing training and concert settings.

Offstage and year-round, Ravinia’s Reach Teach Play education programs engage 85,000 children and adults—in schools with little to no music curriculum, in our Chicagoland communities, and at our 36-acre park—in our mission to make music equitably accessible to all.

Ravinia embraces diversity in all forms and is committed to providing an equitable and inclusive environment for all staff, musicians, guest artists, audiences, and community members. Ravinia is proud to be an equal-opportunity employer. We encourage individuals of all identities and abilities to apply.

The Manager, Individual Giving plays an integral role in Ravinia’s fundraising efforts by planning, implementing, and executing ask and retention strategies, events, and programs to generate and increase individual giving to Ravinia’s Annual Fund, with a primary focus on donors at the Opus ($4,000) and Guarantor ($7,000) levels.

Duties and Responsibilities

Fundraising and Stewardship

• Identify, cultivate, and solicit donors at the Opus and Guarantor level
• Manage the stewardship, cultivation, and asks of a portfolio of roughly 700 - 800 Opus and Guarantor donors. Build and deepen relationships with as many donors and prospects as possible.­ Actively engage these donors whenever possible, especially during the spring and summer.
• In an effort to retain as many new Opus and Guarantor donors as possible, execute an annual donor onboarding program to ensure that these new donors feel invested and valued, connect with Ravinia’s mission, and understand and utilize the benefits provided to them. 
• Strategize and execute a plan for increasing donor retention rates and recapturing dropped donors at the Opus and Guarantor levels.
• In conjunction with the Major Gifts team, identify Opus and Guarantor donors with capacity and propensity to give at President’s Circle ($10,000) or higher and strategize collaboratively how to make these asks.
• Lead the Donor Concierge Service team: provide VIP assistance with dining reservations, ticketing and other requests throughout the year, especially leading up to and during the summer concert season; work closely with restaurant management to ensure the highest level of service and priority for Opus and Guarantor donors in Ravinia’s restaurants; and greet and engage contributors at the Opus and Guarantor levels, especially during the concert season.
• Work with the rest of DevOps team, Levy Restaurants, IT and the Box Office to ensure appropriate and timely reservation confirmations based on donor level. Communicate confirmations with donors as part of pre-season ticket outcome email process.
• Work with the Development Coordinator to personalize acknowledgment letters for Opus and Guarantor contributors when appropriate.
• Hire and manage the Development Operations Intern.

Event Planning

• Collaborate with the Manager, Events and Donor Engagement and the Manager, Development Events, to execute (invitations, RSVPs, catering, run of show, A/V, staffing, gifts, etc.) several large development events, including the Contributors’ Reception, and the Life Trustee/Past Women’s Board Chairman Dinner, the Annual Meeting of the Board of Trustees, and several other one-time high-profile department events that occur each year.
• Provide support at other events such as Ravinia’s annual Music Matters benefit and the Women’s Board Gala.

Department Operations

• Work closely with the rest of the DevOps team to maintain the integrity of the donor database
• ­Run and build relevant queries and exports from The Raiser’s Edge to assist in fundraising activities, especially at the Opus and Guarantor level.
• ­As ticketing, reservation, and parking demand often exceeds supply, devise and execute ways to accommodate donors at the Opus level and above through alternate options, including waitlists, etc.
• ­Work closely with the Annual Fund Campaign Manager to facilitate distribution of Annual Fund benefits, including gate passes, priority parking passes, early entry cards, etc.
• ­Review donor lists for Annual Report and Season Program Magazines to ensure proper donor recognition at the Opus and Guarantor levels.

Data Analytics and Research

• Work with the rest of the DevOps team in collaborating with our Data Analytics and Research Team. Use donor gift behavior, benefits usage, capacity, and propensity to donate data and research to more efficiently solicit current donors for larger gifts and prospects for first time gifts, at the Opus and Guarantor level and above. 

Other

• ­As a member of the development queue, answer email and phone donor inquiries year-round, especially during high traffic times.
• ­Special projects and other duties as assigned.

• Strong interpersonal, communication and customer service skills
• Strong technology skills a must. Experience utilizing programming interfaces to connect computer platforms a plus.  
• Ability to interact well with a variety of people, handle multiple tasks simultaneously, and work well in a team environment
• Strong problem-solving skills and attention to detail
• Strong writing and research abilities
• Proven knowledge of Microsoft Office applications
• Desire to learn more about fundraising and philanthropy
• Database experience is a plus, especially The Raiser’s Edge
• A sense of humor and interest in personal and professional growth

Work Experience and Schedule

• 3-4 years minimum experience in non-profit organization, music/arts preferred.
• 2-4 years progressive fundraising experience preferred 
• Required to work many evenings and weekends throughout the summer concert season

You are typically required to work many evenings and weekends in the late spring and summer months as assigned by the Director of Development. At times is requested to work overtime.

Qualified candidates should upload both a cover letter and resume.

Benefits: Excellent health and welfare benefits, including time off, employee season lawn pass, participating in Employee Resource Groups, and learning opportunities. 

Office Location: Ravinia Administrative Office, 418 Sheridan Rd. Highland Park, IL 

Ravinia is an Equal Opportunity Employer

As an equal opportunity employer, Ravinia strongly believes that diversity of backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives is essential to our success. We strive to create and sustain an equitable and inclusive environment for all our employees. Ravinia does not discriminate on the basis of any protected status under federal, state, or local law. We encourage individuals of all identities and abilities to apply.