Development Associate (Individual Giving)

Job Title: Development Associate (Individual Giving)
Location: Uptown Academy (931 W. Eastwood, Chicago) and Hybrid
Reports to: Director of Development


Organization Overview

The People's Music School is Chicago’s oldest and largest completely free nonprofit music school, providing transformational music instruction to over 800 K-12 students in Chicago. The school has a straightforward mission: to provide access to the transformational benefits of high-quality music instruction to youth who otherwise would not be able to afford it.  We focus our work in communities that have been systematically excluded and marginalized from receiving a high quality music education.

Through intensive instruction and performance, The People's Music School's students grow not only musically, but also socially, emotionally, and academically, developing a foundation of responsibility, self-esteem, resilience, and purpose. From putting an instrument in an aspiring young musician's hand for the first time, to teaching students how to read and write music and perform in an ensemble, The People's Music School provides opportunity and instruction at sites located in four Chicago communities: Uptown, Albany Park, Back of the Yards, and the Greater South Side. Students receive an average of four hours of instruction per week, at absolutely no cost, delivered by world-class teaching artists.

Job Summary
The People’s Music School seeks a motivated individual to join our team as Development Associate, Individual Giving. The right candidate will be a self-starter who can authentically build relationships to rally around a cause, enjoys meeting new people, and is comfortable engaging a wide range of stakeholders to support the mission of The People’s Music School. The Development Associate will take great care with our donor community, ensuring all donors feel welcomed, included and appreciated. They will play a critical role in attracting individuals to our mission and creating a positive, magnetic donor experience.

Are you intrigued by this job but think you don’t meet every single requirement? Please apply anyway! Research shows that women, people of color, and people from marginalized groups are less likely to apply for jobs when that’s the case. The People’s Music School is committed to an inclusive and authentic workplace, supporting colleagues with a variety of backgrounds and experiences.

Responsibilities

• With the Director of Development, create and carry out individual cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies to connect donors with the mission of TPMS, with specific goals around donor engagement and retention 
• Support the strategy to engage individual and corporate sponsors for TPMS’s annual gala, supporting all efforts to achieve $750+k event fundraising goal 
• Convert event attendees to annual donors and/or engage them in other meaningful ways post-event through various TPMS engagement circles
• Learn to utilize wealth screening and research tools to support new prospect development and outreach
• Support the Director of Development and TPMS leadership in the management of their portfolios, which include TPMS Board of Directors, their networks and other major gift donors to TPMS
• Supervise the overall annual fund strategy (donors <$1000 annually) and manage the logistics of successful direct mail/email appeals
• Manage and support the Associate Board, guiding the growth and expansion of the board and its annual signature fundraising event.
• Ensure integrity and utility of all stakeholder information and data (including Salesforce)
• Other duties as may be assigned from time to time

Qualifications 

• Minimum level of education required is a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution
• The ideal candidate has experience (either as a professional or volunteer) with fundraising campaigns, events and social impact projects, preferably in a nonprofit development or collegiate setting.  Candidates with one year or more of work experience, or experience from internships or college projects with a passion for nonprofit work and a willingness to learn and grow will be considered
• Derives energy from meeting, connecting and building relationships to unite for a cause
• Strong understanding of or willingness to learn about moves management, effective fundraising pipeline development, and how to use data to improve fundraising effectiveness
• Experience with research tools and developing donor research profiles a plus
• Entrepreneurial growth-seeker who enjoys variety, can prioritize effectively, and can work collaboratively as part of a lean fast-paced team
• An active listener that can flex style to engage diverse constituencies 
• Knowledge and understanding of the Chicago philanthropic landscape a plus
• Experience working with a Young Professional Board a plus
• Computer skills required include Google Suite and Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint). Experience with Salesforce (or a similar donor management system) is preferred
• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• Proven experience collaborating and working with people from diverse cultural and economic backgrounds
• Personal commitment to the mission and values of The People’s Music School

Physical Demands

• Local travel required
• Tolerance of prolonged and continuous stationary periods at a desk/computer
• Occasionally required to push, pull, lift and/or move up to 20 pounds

Schedule

• Full-time position: 40 hours per week (9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.), with some evenings and weekends required for events.  
• TPMS is a hybrid work environment with an expected full-time commitment of 40 hours per week. In-person collaboration and connection with the Development team is critical. Development team members are expected to work in-person on site a minimum of three days per week, from 9am-5pm, and may work remotely with flexible hours two days per week.

Compensation/Benefits

• Salary $52,000 - $55,000, commensurate with experience.
• Health, Dental, and Vision Insurance
• Generous Paid Time Off, Paid Sick Leave, and Paid Holidays
• 403(b) Retirement Plan with Employer Match​​​​​​​
• Pre-Tax Flexible Spending Account (Health, Dependent Care, Commuter)

For more information about The People’s Music School, please visit: www.peoplesmusicschool.org.

The People’s Music School does not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, religious belief, gender, sexual orientation, age, national origin, ancestry, veteran status, physical or mental disability or any other protected status in admission or access to, or employment in its programs and activities.