Development Database and Operations Manager

Title: Development Database and Operations Manager

Department: Development

Reports to: Senior Director of Development

About Chicago Children’s Museum: Chicago Children’s Museum (CCM) is committed to improving children’s lives by creating a community where play and learning connect. We embrace creativity and collaboration, we never stop learning, and we remember to stop and play along the way. CCM’s staff is a dedicated group of curious individuals who embrace the playful spirit of childhood. Every employee is empowered to reach their potential and be recognized for the impact they have on our organization, visitors, and the community we serve. Over the course of its forty-year history, Chicago Children’s Museum has provided arts programs, STEM experiments, imaginative play, and more to over 11 million children and their caregivers. Located at Navy Pier, the museum is intentionally designed for experimentation, creativity, and learning for all children. CCM focuses on accessibility, inclusion, and the pursuit of childhood, ensuring valuable and memorable experiences for all visitors.

Principle Job Duties and Responsibilities:

The Development Database and Operations Manager (“Manager”) is responsible for managing the operations and functionality of the Raiser’s Edge NXT donor database. They are charged with reviewing and updating procedures so the development team and the system can run more efficiently while supporting the Vice President for Development, and the entire team in CCM’s ongoing fundraising efforts, including annual appeals, major donor/prospect cultivation and solicitation activities, donor stewardship and recognition plans, and all research related to volunteer boards cultivation and engagement.

Additionally, this position is responsible for providing donor management support, including entering, tracking, reporting data, and ensuring database integrity. As an integral member of the Development team, the Manager supports the VP and Senior Director of Development in ongoing efforts to cultivate new philanthropic partners, as well as collaborates with other teams across the organization as a conduit to meeting fundraising goals and ensure that CCM’s donor community feels appreciated for their philanthropic support and well-informed of how their gifts are used.

The ideal applicant for this position will be a highly motivated, analytical, innovative thinker with the ability to multi-task efficiently, keen attention to detail, and superb organizational skills.

Principal Job Duties and Responsibilities

Manage the Raiser’s Edge NXT database by reviewing current procedures and creating/implementing solutions so the system is used to its fullest potential, supporting the museum’s various donor programs. (40%)

• Implement the fiscal year strategy with the VP of Development and the development team by creating and managing a variety of donor and prospect lists for mailings, fundraising events, the creation of general proposals, and email campaigns;
• Support donor and prospect engagement by designing unique donor workflows for segmented audiences in collaboration with the Manager of Special Events and Donor Relations and the Director of Annual Giving;
• Provide regular fundraising reports and fundraising analytics for the Vice President of Development and/or the development team;
• Track fundraising progress and create unique presentations on progress for the VP to deliver to the Board of Directors, various board committees and other constituents as requested;
• Execute email campaigns, including schedules, recipient lists, email creation from provided copy, and outcomes (open rates, opt-out list, etc.);
• Work with all Development team members to manage individual and institutional giving and event data in RE NXT, stewarding database usage for best business practices;

Responsible for RE NXT gift entry and acknowledgement letters (25%)

• Enter all gifts and pledges, creating necessary back-up and files for audits and future needs;
• Generate, track, and file acknowledgement letters and gift documentation for all contributions;
• Ensure donor benefit fulfillment: prepare and send First Time Donor Welcome packets, enter and print cards for complimentary museum memberships, etc.;
• Help with entry of actions, notes, and constituent information;
• Work with the finance department on gift-related information and reconciliation between Raiser’s Edge and Financial Edge, provide necessary documentation as requested for annual audit.

Conduct prospect research (15%)

• Track and analyze data trends to identify pipeline prospects from annual fund donor pool or other donor acquisition activities; based on donor behaviors, make recommendations to the VP, Senior Director and Director of Annual Giving for individuals needing extra attention by a gift officer;
• Assist the Vice President of Development in the management of the VP’s individual major gifts portfolio, providing written stewardship briefs, donor background profiles, scheduling meetings, and entering all contact reports and next actions into RE NXT.

Support Development team friend- and fundraising events by working collaboratively with the Special Events and Donor Relations Manager on cultivation and stewardship events and create donor profiles for those attendees with whom the President, VP, and Senior Director should meet (10%)

• Support fundraising events, including event contacts, attendee lists and sponsorships associated with events;
• Manage related event proposal entry, acknowledgements, creation of pledge invoices and reminders, and tracking of RSVPs for the museum’s events;
• Develop background reports on key constituents with whom the President, Vice President, and Senior Director should meet during fundraising events and assist in managing the VPs time during event to meet with those constituents;
• Work with the VP and Senior Director to create follow-up strategy (and track) for those engaged during signature events;
• Attend and provide support for the annual Gala and Hide N Seek, and other events as requested by the VP.

Additional Duties (10%):

• Schedule, attend, take minutes, and fully participate in weekly development staff meetings; bring key projects to the forefront and add to the overall strategy discussion for how best to cultivate, steward and solicit major gift prospects;
• Complete the Vice President’s expense reports and credit card reconciliation;
• Support the museum’s work in diversity, equity, access and inclusion and actively ensures that DEAI principles are upheld in all work with fellow staff, visitors, community and other external partners.

Position Qualifications:

• 3 years of experience working in Raiser’s Edge NXT preferred or comparable database experience including queries, exports, imports, reports, and data analysis;
• Excellent working knowledge of Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint, including use of pivot tables and common formulas or willingness to learn;
• Excellent writing skills and knowledge of how to communicate the mission of CCM to donors through written communications;
• Experience implementing complex, segmented email campaigns through RE NXT, Constant Contact, MailChimp, or similar software as a service;
• Excellent organizational skills, time management, and attention to detail;
• Ability to balance multiple projects and deadlines;
• High degree of discretion, initiative, confidence and energy to achieve goals and meet deadlines;
• Possess an equity mindset and cultural humility;
• Enthusiasm for learning and mastering new skills on an ongoing basis; willingness to be informed/certified/trained through institution-offered courses and to work within Diversity, Equity, Access, Inclusion (DEAI) frameworks and actively engage in learning about these frameworks.

Education: Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in experience
Hours: Full-time, Salaried

Position Classification: Exempt
Location: Hybrid with 3 days in office at 700 E. Grand Ave., Ste. 127, Chicago, IL 60611
Salary Range: $58,000 - $62,000

Benefits: This position is eligible for medical, dental, vision, Life, Long-term Disability, and Short-term Disability insurances, 401k after six months of service, as well as PTO and Sick time.