Description
Are you passionate about fostering connections and ensuring a seamless experience for donors and members? Join the Chicago Architecture Center (CAC) as our Development Coordinator and play a key role in advancing our mission to inspire people to discover why design matters.
Position Summary
The Development Coordinator (“Coordinator”) provides essential administrative and donor relations support to the Development Department. As the heart of our team’s operations, the coordinator ensures exceptional service and efficiency, collaborates closely with team members to build strong relationships with donors, members, and funders.
Essential Functions And Responsibilities
Donor Relations
- Collaborate with the Finance team and the Manager, Prospect Research Analyst to execute timely and accurate gift acknowledgements for the Development Department.
- Execute personalized donor and membership communications through mail merges and monthly renewals.
- Serve as the first point of contact for the Development Department, addressing inquiries and strengthening relationships with donors, funders and members.
- Accurately process and fulfill gift memberships, while keeping donor records up to date.
- Maintain accurate donor records in the Tessitura database, providing back-up for gift entry, list pulls, and extractions as needed.
- Coordinate and write "Donor Spotlights" for the monthly Membership E-Newsletter in partnership with the Marketing Department.
Administrative
- Keep the Development Department organized by managing meetings, agendas and departmental calendars.
- Manage department contributions to organizational reports and communications.
- Ensure smooth operations by maintaining Development materials inventory and vendor relationships.
- Support the activities of the CAC Board of Trustees’ Committees by managing meeting invitations, hosting Zoom meetings, and taking minutes.
- Provide administrative assistance to the Chief Advancement Officer, including meeting preparation, scheduling, reporting, filing, and data entry.
Events
- Contribute to the success of Development events, including Burnham Society, Industry Council, Gala, and other VIP events.
- Duties may include but are not limited to answering or forwarding any questions to correct staff members and assisting with pre-event and day-of-event tasks as assigned, such as printing nametags and assisting guests with check-in.
Other Responsibilities
- Contribute to special projects or initiatives as assigned by the department leadership.
Requirements
Education and Experience:
- Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of education and experience.
- 1–2 years of relevant experience in donor relations, sales, administration, or a similar role.
- Customer service experience is a plus.
Skills And Knowledge
- Self-starter with creative problem-solving skills.
- Detail-oriented and organized, with the ability to juggle multiple priorities.
- High comfort level with technology and a variety of applications (Microsoft Office Suite, particularly Excel, PowerPoint, mail merging, Asana, and WordFly).
- Experience with CRM or fundraising database.
- Excellent communication skills – both written and verbal.
- Interpersonal skills and ability to foster strong working relationships.
- Interest in being part of an entrepreneurial environment.
- Curiosity about the built environment and civic engagement.
Work Environment
- Primarily on-site for first 4-6 months, with potential for a hybrid schedule (up to two remote workdays per week).
- Flexibility to work some evenings and weekends for events.
Why Join the CAC?
The Chicago Architecture Center values the diversity of our community and the neighborhoods around it. We strive for a sense of belonging and empowerment at work. We welcome everyone to join us on our tours, educational programs, and exhibitions, as well as to apply for our job openings.
