Manager, Reach Teach Play & Steans Institute Giving

Company Description

At Ravinia, we believe in the transformative power of shared, live-music moments and their ability to inspire individuals, strengthen communities, and foster a more connected world.

Beyond presenting outstanding performances by the world’s greatest musicians, our mission as a not-for-profit organization is to develop broader, more diverse audiences and performers in the music industry with our Reach Teach Play® community engagement and education programs, our Steans Institute’s collaborative and experiential artistic training programs, and more. Together, Ravinia’s initiatives serve tens of thousands of students, families, and emerging professional musicians.

Our 36-acre park is home to North America’s longest-running outdoor music festival and its most artistically diverse. Over 100 different events, featuring a mix of classical, rock, pop, jazz, R&B, indie, and country performers, make up a typical summer season across our open-air and indoor stages, including the annual residency of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

Position Summary:

The Manager of Reach Teach Play & Steans Institute Giving leads annual individual donor strategy and program fundraising initiatives for two core Ravinia Festival programs, supporting overall departmental goals of $2M–$3M annually for Reach Teach Play education initiatives and $1M–$1.5M annually for the Steans Institute. Reporting to the Director of Individual Giving and working as part of a collaborative development team, the Manager drives funding growth by building mid-level and annual donor pipelines, managing annual campaigns, and executing moves management strategies to cultivate, steward, and solicit prospective individual donors for both programs.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and manage comprehensive annual giving strategies to support departmental goals of $2M–$3M for Reach Teach Play education initiatives and $1M–$1.5M for the Steans Institute

• Lead targeted fundraising campaigns and strategic initiatives for major program milestones and special anniversary events.

• Partner with the Operations & Strategy team to build and implement sophisticated moves management processes to identify, cultivate, convert, and upgrade individual donors.

• Collaborate cross-functionally within the Development Department to pipeline and cultivate new prospective donors across both program areas.

• Collaborate cross-departmentally with Steans Institute and Reach Teach Play teams to align donor engagement strategies and program goals.

• Maintain active donor stewardship to enhance retention and deepen engagement with Ravinia's education and artist development initiatives.

• Conduct face-to-face donor visits and make direct financial solicitations to secure individual gifts.

Other duties as assigned

Knowledge and Skills Required

• Strong organizational, project management, and relationship-building skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously. Proficiency with donor databases/CRMs and Google Workspace. Excellent interpersonal and communication skills with a client-service orientation toward donors, trustees, and internal stakeholders.

• Background in development and donor engagement for performing arts venues, cultural institutions, or academic settings.

Education and Experience

• Education: Bachelor's degree in Non-Profit Management, Communications, Business Administration, or equivalent practical experience.

• Experience: 3–5 years of progressive experience in individual giving, donor relations, or non-profit fundraising.

Success Factors

• Revenue Goal Achievement: Consistently support the achievement of sector-wide annual fundraising targets of $2M - $3M for Reach Teach Play education initiatives and $1M - $1.5M for the Steans Institute.

• Pipeline Development & Conversion: Successfully identify, cultivate, solicit, convert, and upgrade mid-level and annual individual donors through effective moves management processes.

• Donor Retention & Stewardship: Maintain active donor stewardship to deepen engagement and enhance long-term retention for the festival's education and artist development programs.

• Effective Solicitation: Regularly conduct face-to-face donor visits and secure financial support through direct solicitations.

• Campaign & Milestone Execution: Effectively lead targeted fundraising campaigns for special anniversary events and major program milestones.

• Cross-Departmental Collaboration: Collaborate with the Operations & Strategy team, the broader Development department, and the Steans Institute and Reach Teach Play program teams to align goals and engagement strategies.

Work Environment

This is a full-time position based in Highland Park, IL. The role requires an on-site presence during concert events, including evenings, weekends, and peak summer festival schedules, as dictated by fundraising and donor engagement objectives. Hybrid work options may be available based on department requirements.

Benefits

Excellent health and welfare benefits: medical, dental, vision, flexible spending accounts, commuter benefits, teledoc options, employee well-being programs, life insurance, short-term, and long-term disability. It also includes comprehensive time off plans (holidays, vacation, sick, and personal days). Additionally, generous employer contributions to the 401(a) retirement savings plan, employee-elected 403(b) retirement savings plan, learning and mentorship opportunities, access to various staff working groups, and a general admission season pass for two to Ravinia concerts.

Ravinia is an Equal Opportunity Employer

As an equal opportunity employer, Ravinia strongly believes that diversity of backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives is essential to our success and we strive to create and sustain an equitable and inclusive environment for all our employees. Ravinia does not discriminate on the basis of any protected status under federal, state, or local law. We encourage individuals of all identities and abilities to apply.

About Reach Teach Play

Ravinia’s Reach Teach Play® programs serve over 50,000 people in under-resourced Chicago-area communities and schools, opening doors for all to access and experience the positive impact of live music.

Several programs extend Ravinia’s reach into Chicago and Lake County public schools that otherwise have little to no music curriculum of their own, providing 20,000 students with live performances and integrative activities that spark a love of music and invite exploration of varied genres and styles, as well as programs that teach the foundations of music and encourage children to engage in music-making and express themselves creatively.

Ravinia gives students the opportunity to play musical instruments, develop their talents, and create pathways for continued success through a variety of programs, including a community family music school, El Sistema–inspired orchestral programs that foster social development, and a mentorship program for high school jazz musicians.

Central to Reach Teach Play’s mission of access, Ravinia provides free summer concert passes to thousands of community members through partnerships with over 150 social service agencies, as well as public libraries and community music and performing arts schools.

About Steans Institute

The Steans Institute is an artist development program for the next generation of classical and jazz musicians.

Our world-renowned fellowship programs empower emerging professional classical pianists and string players, classical singers, composers, and jazz instrumentalists to refine their craft, collaborate with peers, and elevate their musicianship to new heights.

The tuition-free experience at Ravinia includes housing and meals, plus instruction from a world-class faculty of headlining artists and scholars. Performance opportunities include a mix of public master classes with renowned guest artists, concerts programmed from repertoire chosen by fellows, and concerts curated by the Steans Institute’s faculty.

The Steans Institute provides more than artistic training: we are a community where talent meets opportunity, and passion becomes performance.