Donor Services Associate

Job Details:

Job Location:

Chicago Shakespeare Theater - Chicago, IL 60611. Position Type:
Full Time. Salary Range: $50,000.00 - $50,000.00. Job Category:
Business Development.

Position Summary:

The Donor Services Associate plays a central role in ensuring an exceptional donor experience through accurate gift processing, thoughtful stewardship, and strong data integrity. This position is responsible for managing all contributions in Tessitura, maintaining high-quality constituent data, supporting donor communications and recognition, and providing timely reporting and analysis to advance fundraising and engagement efforts across the organization.

Serving as a key partner to Development, Ticketing, and Finance, this highly detail-oriented and service-driven professional helps translate donor generosity into meaningful relationships by combining meticulous database management with responsive, donor-centered service. This role is foundational to donor trust, informed decision-making, and the long-term success of Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s fundraising program.

• Process and record all gifts, pledges, and payments accurately and in a timely manner in Tessitura.
• Generate and distribute personalized tax receipts and acknowledgment letters.
• Track pledge schedules and facilitate reminders and follow-up.
• Reconcile gifts and pledges with the Finance department and provide documentation for audits.
• Serve as a donor concierge, including ticketing, account assistance, and donor service requests.
• Maintain donor recognition listings and public acknowledgment records.
• Prepare donor profiles, giving histories, and materials for meetings with individual and institutional funders.

• Maintain accurate and up-to-date donor and prospect records, including contact information, giving history, communication preferences, and relationship notes.
• Perform ongoing data hygiene, including duplicate resolution and quality control.
• Set up and manage campaign, appeal, fund, designation, and source codes in Tessitura.
• Execute segmentation, list building, and data extraction for all fundraising and engagement efforts (direct mail, email, gala, tele-funding, etc.).
• Generate standard and ad-hoc reports to support fundraising, stewardship, and leadership needs.
• Analyze trends such as donor retention, donor growth, and campaign performance to support strategic decision-making.
• Format and export data for external vendors (mail house, tele-funding, etc.).
• Maintain Tessitura documentation and provide training and guidance to Development team members.

• Serve as the primary liaison between Development and Ticketing for donor ticketing needs.
• Coordinate complimentary and donor ticket allocations and troubleshoot ticketing issues.

• Provide light administrative support to the Chief Development Officer, including scheduling, meeting preparation, note-taking, and tracking follow-up items.

• Support donor ticketing, guest lists, and on-site needs for Opening Nights, the Gala, and other development events.
• Assist with fundraising logistics and data tracking during and after events.

• Service-oriented, collaborative, and solutions-focused.
• High emotional intelligence and professionalism.
• Exceptional attention to detail and organization.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Comfortable working independently and as part of a collaborative team.
• Flexible and adaptable in a fast-paced environment.
• Professional, warm, and confident when working with donors and partners.
• Commitment to CST’s mission and values.

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience.
• Experience working with a relational database system.
• High proficiency in Microsoft Office, especially Excel and Word.
• Experience in fundraising, ticketing, or nonprofit operations.

• Experience in performing arts, ticketing, or marketing.
• Minimum of two years of experience working with a relational database system.
• Familiarity with donor stewardship, reporting, and campaign tracking.

• Standard hours:
  M…