CREATE. PERFORM. TEACH.

#ThisIsNotAHobby

DEVELOPMENT MANAGER

Red Clay Dance Company is excited to request applications for our Development Manager position. The Development Manager will coordinate and lead Red Clay Dance Company’s fundraising events and campaigns, donor and sponsor solicitation, and grants management. The annual fundraising events include our Paint the Town Red Fundraiser as well as our Fall and Spring donor/corporate partner cultivation events. Online fundraising campaigns include Black Philanthropy Month/Give828, Giving Tuesday, End of Year giving, and our annual Spring Appeal. 

This role is a unique opportunity to join a trendsetting, culturally relevant, socially transforming, elite dance organization in the Chicagoland Area. "We envision an Artivist as one who utilizes their artistic genius to become part of the solution for social change. Creatively using the body and movement as tools to gain personal and collective freedom!" (Founder, Vershawn Sanders-Ward) 

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Individual & Corporate Giving 

  • Develop and coordinate fundraising strategies and events to support Red Clay Dance Company’s programs and mission. 

  • Project lead for all fundraising campaigns and events while working cooperatively with Red Clay Dance Company’s Board.  

  • Manage external Event Coordinator for all fundraiser events. 

  • Maintain financial records of donors, sponsors, and financial aid 

  • Manage the recognition of the sponsors, donors, and volunteers of events 

  • Establish relationships with various community stakeholders, and other institutional partners 

  • Prepare quarterly fundraising progress reports. 

  • All other duties as assigned. 

Grants Management 

  • Manage process, timeline and deliverables for grant applications and reports. 

  • Manage external grant writing consultant in the research and preparation of all grant applications and reports.  

  • Coordinate and engage with external grant writing consultants as needed. 

  • Manage grant award implementation and collect all required data from the Data & Evaluation Coordinator.  

  • Prepare grant award financial reports in partnership with the Finance team. 

  • Participate in strategic planning discussions. 

  • Optimize the grant administration process. 

Traits and Characteristics 

  • Belief in the mission and vision of Red Clay Dance Company.

  • Ability to work independently in a deadline-oriented team environment. 

  • Ability to create, implement, and manage work plans and timelines. 

  • Ability to prioritize and execute fundraising project deadlines.  

  • Understanding of institutional fundraising and demonstrating the ability to cultivate relationships with donors, foundations, and corporate sponsors. 

  • Experience in or knowledge of performing arts fundraising environment. 

  • Excellent proofreading abilities.

  • Exceptional written and oral communication.

  • Excellent organizational skills. 

  • Experience with donor management systems. 

  • Proficient with the Microsoft Business Suite (i.e., Excel, Word, Outlook).

QUALIFICATIONS

A Bachelor’s degree is required with 1 year of professional experience in development/fundraising. 

To Apply:

Please submit the following documents in a single PDF document to hr@redclaydance.com
• Cover Letter
• Resume
• 2 References

Compensation:

Salary: $55,000 - $65,000 (full-time/exempt) with excellent benefits package including health, vision, dental, EAP, 403b, paid time off, and employee discounts.  

All materials submitted will be kept confidential. All submissions will be acknowledged.

Red Clay Dance Company is a Black, female-led, 501(c)(3) tax-exempt for-purpose organization that awakens "Glocal" Artivism through creating, performing, and teaching dances of the African Diaspora. 

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer that values a diverse workforce. Employment is based upon personal capabilities and qualifications without discrimination based on race, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, marital status, veteran status, citizenship status, or any other protected characteristic as established by law. 

CAREERS 

Red Clay Dance Company lives to awaken “glocal” change through creating, performing and teaching dances of the African Diaspora–change that transforms cultural and socio-economic inequities in our local and global community.

The company aspires to be a global model for synergy in dance creation, performance and education that elevates the stories of people of African Diaspora. We accomplish this through:
● Artistic collaboration through research, investigation and refinement
● Employing dance artivism as the vehicle to shift cultural and socio-economic imbalances.
● Nurturing artivists from novice to professional by providing an authentic pipeline.
● Building a global community through strategic partnerships.
● Inspiring audiences to strengthen community through artivism (art + activism).

Our Core Values:

● We celebrate diversity while still embracing unity.
● We embrace cross-cultural collaborations.
● We demand honest and open communications.
● We expect integrity and originality in all of our work.
● We value honoring history and using that information to inform and create our company’s future.
● We promote healthy lifestyles and choices.
● We encourage comprehensive dance education
● We understand that non-profits need to demonstrate more clearly than ever how we deliver on our mission, while operating in an efficient, accountable and transparent manner.